Nicolas Bentley's tales from Shakespeare

by Nicolas Bentley

A new dimension, that of density, is added to Shakespearian scholarship by Nicolas Bentley's analysis of Shakespeare's plots. Mr Bentley is extremely dense. In fact, it is surprising that he has been able to follow the plays at all, still more that he should have been able to summarise the stories so succinctly, to illuminate the motives of the characters, and so forth. To a life-long love of Shakespeare, Mr Bentley attributes a life-long love of Shakespeare. Nevertheless, he feels that the intricacies of Shakespeare's dramatic construction have long stood in need of fresh critical analysis, though if you think that is what you are going to get here, you are very much mistaken.

Now read on.

111 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 1972

About the author

Nicolas Clerihew Bentley was an English author and illustrator famous for his humorous cartoon drawings in books and magazines in the 1930s and 1940s.

Bentley was educated at University College School where he left at the age of 17. He then enrolled at Heatherley's School of Fine Art, a prestigious private college, but left after a few months.

Bentley subsequently worked for Shell for three years, but disliked working in advertising. However, in 1930, he got a break when Hilaire Belloc (who was a friend of his father) invited him to illustrate his book 'New Cautionary Tales'. The good critical reception of this book and its illustrations allowed Bentley to go freelance.

During the 1930s Bentley illustrated many books, ranging from J.B. Morton to Damon Runyon. His most famous drawings were to illustrate T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, but he illustrated more than 70 books in the course of his career, and traditionally used the byline "Nicolas Bentley drew the pictures".

In October 1934, Bentley married Barbara Hastings, daughter of the Barrister Sir Patrick Hastings.