What Would Shakespeare Do?

by Jess Winfield, Ron Palmer (Editor)

As there are inspirational books based on the teachings of Jesus and Buddha, this volume can also illustrate a thing or two about the human condition. To approach life with the leadership skills of Henry V; to honor a father as Hamlet or Cordelia saw their duty; to love a woman as Romeo or Othello, by their very natures, were drawn to--Shakespeare's advice can be viewed as wise words from a master of the game of life who understands all of our human foibles.

Genres: Shakespeare, Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2000

About the author

Jess Winfield co-founded the The Reduced Shakespeare Company, co-authored the worldwide smash hit play The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), won two Daytime Emmy Awards as a writer-producer for the Walt Disney Company, and, most recently, authored MY NAME IS WILL: A NOVEL OF SEX DRUGS AND SHAKESPEARE, a New York Times Book Review "Editor's Choice" and a California Book Awards finalist. He has just completed his second novel and is working on his third.

Jess lives in Hollywood with his wife Sa, an accomplished ceramicist.

In his spare time, he blogs about Los Angeles's dynamic ethnic food scene (lafoodcrazy.blogspot.com).

Reviews

[Tracie]

Good premise, but not all that amusing.

[Amanda]

Winfield takes modern day situations ("What would Shakespeare do about traffic?") and finds quotes from the plays and sonnets that he thinks fit the situation. It's an interesting idea, but it doesn't always work. Shakespeare wouldn't do anything about traffic because there weren't any cars in his day. I couldn't make the leap that some random quote from Hamlet could be applied to me sitting in rush-hour traffic in Atlanta. Maybe I took this a little too seriously.

Other situations he presents do work. For example, "What would Shakespeare do about love at first sight?" Answer: He wouldn't rush into things; look at what happened to Romeo and Juliet!

I couldn't finish the book. I tried to read it all in a couple of sittings, and maybe that wasn't the right way. It may be one of those books to keep in the bathroom or on the coffee table to read to just a little at a time.

[Paula]

When I bought this book I had thought that it would be awesome. With all of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets to mooch wisdom from how could it go wrong? And it would have been awesome if the author had a darker sense of humor. As it is there is some good advice given, but it is written so honestly that it's hard to care unless one actually needs the advice given. Some dry wit would made the book. After all, it's a book giving answers to modern life using the epic writings of a man who lived some 400+ years ago.