INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare is without question Britain''s greatest literary hero. His work has spoken to countless generations, nationalities and cultures, and to men, women and children alike. His plays have been translated into every language under the sun and performances of them can be seen from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. But how much do you really know about the man and his wondrous words? For many of us, our first experience of Shakespeare can be intimidating and (whisper it) a little wearisome. And if you have a bad start with the Bard, chances are that will affect your grown-up encounters with him too. Do you find yourself dozing off during The Winter''s Tale ? Does all that thumb-biting in Romeo and Juliet perplex you? Find it hard to stomach the jokes in The Taming of the Shrew ? Lost by the language of the famous monologues from King Lear and Othello ? Worry not, you aren''t alone. And although today every schoolchild will encounter Shakespeare''s work at some point in their English lessons, the majority of UK adults will only be properly familiar with one or two plays at most. In fact, a recent poll showed that 5 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds think Shakespeare''s most famous play is Cinderella , and 2 percent from the same group think the man himself is a fictional character.

That''s why this book is essential reading for anyone who feels they should know more about our greatest poet, or, indeed, anyone looking to revive their acquaintance with him, or even just help their children with their homework. As well as taking an in-depth look at the most-loved, -studied and -performed plays, we will take you on a journey through the different genres Shakespeare made his own--the Comedies, Histories and Tragedies--and we''ll show you how to decode his enigmatic sonnets. We''ll also show you that there is much to be treasured and enjoyed in his less familiar works. We don''t claim to be Shakespeare scholars; we are ordinary readers who were curious to learn more about our greatest national poet, and we became passionate about passing on the most interesting facts we discovered. The aim of this book is to give a solid understanding of Shakespeare''s genius and to arm you with the tools you need to enjoy him with confidence and insight. In addition, we''ll peruse some of the more perplexing problems that have agitated academics over the years: Did Shakespeare really write his plays himself? What exactly is the First Folio? What would it have been like to see one of his plays at the time of its first performance? What does "hoist with his own petard" actually mean? Who might the sonnets'' Dark Lady be? Between these covers you will find nuggets on a broad range of topics, including the historical context of Shakespeare''s writing; his personal life, contemporaries and influences; his language and poetic skill; the key themes of his oeuvre; his less well-known works and characters; his most famous speeches and quotations; the phrases and words that he invented, and much more. The world is a far richer place thanks to this glove-maker''s son from Stratford and his unparalleled influence over our imaginations and language. His "eternal summer shall not fade .

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see" and we hope that by the time you finish this book you are as filled with admiration and enthusiasm for his work as we are. "Brevity Is the Soul of Wit" All Shakespeare''s Plays in One Sentence Each Obviously a close reading of the plays will richly reward any student of Shakespeare, but we understand if you need a quick cheat''s guide. We''ve set out each one in a sentence so you can always be ready to impress with extensive knowledge of the whole back catalogue of Will''s works. COMEDIES The Tempest The magician Prospero shipwrecks the enemies that originally ousted him from Italy, but when Ferdinand, the son of his archrival Alonso, falls for his daughter Miranda he finally faces them down and learns to forgive. The Two Gentlemen of Verona Proteus, who loves Julia, is friends with Valentine, who loves Silvia, but their friendship deteriorates when Proteus gets Valentine outlawed in order to pursue Silvia himself, much to the dismay of his page Sebastian who is actually Julia in disguise, until, after much trouble, everyone ends up with their original beloved. The Merry Wives of Windsor Falstaff''s cynical seduction of two wealthy women goes awry when they find out about each other and decide to return the compliment by making him a laughingstock. Measure for Measure In the Duke of Vienna''s absence, his frosty deputy Angelo resurrects arcane fornication laws but is busted--by the Duke in disguise as a friar--trying to blackmail a nun into sex. The Comedy of Errors Separated in a shipwreck as babies, friends Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse head to Ephesus to search for their twin brothers, the helpfully named Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus, leading to much confusion for wives and friends until their parents appear and sort everything out.

Much Ado About Nothing In Sicily, Claudio and Hero are cruelly tricked and parted while Benedick and Beatrice fight and fall in love before deceptions and disguises are uncovered by a hapless nightwatchman and harmonious order is restored with marriages and jigging. Love''s Labour''s Lost The King of Navarre and three friends inconveniently swear off women for three years just before a beautiful princess and her ladies arrive for a visit, inspiring all of them to break their oaths after many love-letter mix-ups and other shenanigans. A Midsummer Night''s Dream Mistaken administering of love juice results in Titania, Queen of the Fairies, falling for the ass Bottom, while two sets of couples get confused in the woods, before the natural order of things is restored. The Merchant of Venice Antonio makes a risky deal: putting up a pound of flesh as collateral against a loan to fund his friend Bassanio''s pursuit of Portia, and when the moneylender Shylock calls in his debt, Portia, dressed as a man, successfully fights Antonio''s case in a court of law with an ingenious defense. As You Like It The exile of brothers, dukes, fathers, daughters, cousins and clowns to the benign bubble of the Forest of Arden leads to disguise, gender-bending and, finally, happy marriages for all. The Taming of the Shrew Stroppy Katherina stands in the way of her more pliable sister Bianca''s marriage, so Bianca''s suitors persuade fortune hunter Petruchio to marry Katherina and embark on a campaign of mental cruelty that "tames" her and leaves everyone content and happily married. All''s Well That Ends Well Orphan Helena is determined to have her man Bertram--even if he doesn''t want her--and tricks him into impregnating her by pretending to be Diana (whom he does fancy), a tactic that makes him appreciate Helena and vow to be a good husband to her. Twelfth Night, or What You Will Twins Viola and Sebastian lose each other after a shipwreck and, each believing the other to be dead, become the servants of amorous Illyrian nobles, but after much disguise-inspired confusion and a yellow-stocking-themed subplot, they are finally reunited.

The Winter''s Tale King Leontes'' jealous madness leads to the demise of his children and the death-by-grief of his wife, but happily many years later it is revealed that his wife and daughter are actually both alive and all are reconciled. Pericles Pericles competes for a wife and then loses her and his newborn daughter in a shipwreck before, many years later, reuniting with them after his wife has become a priestess and his daughter, Marina, a virginal prostitute. The Two Noble Kinsmen Friends Palamon and Arcite fall out over their love for Emilia but an unbiddable horse means Palamon eventually gets the girl. HISTORIES King John King John is threatened by an angry nephew, the King of France and a cardinal, and is finally murdered by a malcontent monk. Richard II Proud, long-serving King Richard is finally undone by ambitious Henry Bolingbroke, his own vanity and a penchant for land-grabbing. Henry IV, Part 1 Henry Bolingbroke is now King Henry, but his complete enjoyment of his reign is undermined by worries about his wayward son Hal and his associations with the drunkard Falstaff, and the rebellion of Henry Percy, gloriously nicknamed Hotspur, who''s eventually killed by Hal. Henry IV, Part 2 Hotspur''s father avenges his son''s death by threatening to cause civil war, news that makes Henry''s health decline, until on his deathbed he makes up with his errant son Hal who rejects his pal Falstaff and prepares to accept the crown as a more sensibly named Henry V. Henry V Henry decides to start his reign with a rather punchy request to rule France, which is rejected, but after glorious victory at Agincourt, Princess Katherine of France marries him and the countries are bound together.

Henry VI, Part 1 Young Henry struggles to live up to his heroic father despite dealing successfully with Joan of Arc (although less successfully with his own dastardly dukes). Henry VI, Part 2 Henry fails to control his nobles--cue War of the Roses. Henry VI, Part 3 Henry loses his throne, regains it, soliloquizes on a molehill, loses the throne again and is stabbed to death by the future Richard III. Richard III Hunchback ubervillain has his brother drowned in a barrel of wine, his nephews (the "Princes in the Tower") murdered, poisons his wife, is surprised when people start to turn against him, and then.