Shakespeare Matters: A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

by Geoff Spiteri

Far from being three-hour marathons of unintelligible, boring dialogue, Shakespeare's plays are in fact exciting, tragic, funny, and often downright rude masterpieces filled with memorable plots, great insults, filthy jokes, and eccentric characters. This handy guide to the bard’s great works is packed with trivia and pithy entries that cover everything from Shakespeare's greatest villains to his most cutting insults. Did you know that 24 of Uranus’ 27 moons are named after Shakespearean characters? Or that Hamlet has the most lines in a single play (1569) and the second senator in Cymbeline the least (one solitary two letter 'Ay)? Or what Shakespeare was really talking about when he mentions pizzles, potato fingers, and peculiar rivers? Ranging from the truly enlightening to the utterly obscure, the facts and insights in this comprehensive resource will bring to life as never before the fascinating world of Shakespeare’s work.

Genres: Nonfiction, Shakespeare

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Matt Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book for anyone that would like to get to know a bit more about Shakespeare and his works. A short read but plenty of information included.

[Hollie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s a good enough read on some iconic Shakespeare quotes. This is something for students who want to learn more about his work. I’m a theatre university student so I didn’t learn too much but it was still a good read.

[Stevedutch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This slim tome is packed full of interesting but little known facts about one our greatest cultural exports. For example, did you know that the word `nothing' when used in the plays refers to that part of a woman's anatomy the author refers to as `female unmentionables'? Neither did I, and that isn't the only enticing morsel of sauciness into which the author offers insight.

However, it's far more than a mere chronicle of saucy seaside postcard humour and if you ever find yourself in the position of wanting to enthral, or repel, a fellow guest at a dinner party or even sitting across that little table from Chris Tarrant in front of millions of tense watching viewers bellowing the answer from the comfort of their living rooms, this book might just enable you to `save the day'. That last isn't among the idiomatic threads contributed to the rich tapestry of our language by the bard but the book certainly provides a wealth of other examples.

In short, if you're a fan of the Stratford phenomenon or even if you're not but simply in love with the wonderfully abundant language he did so much to bequeath to subsequent generations this inexpensive little book will provide you with many delightful moments.

[Éowyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and interesting with facts about Shakespeare plays, but I spotted about 3 errors in it! Particularly the one repeated several times that Lady Anne in RIII was married to Henry VI - even Shakespeare didn't twist things that far!

[Jude Brigley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good fun.

[Evangeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

In parts good, giving a taster of how Shakespeare has influenced modern culture and some interesting facts and figures, but ultimately dwells too much on the lewd and gory side of things.