Shakespeare Explained

For young readers who are new to the plays of "the Bard," Shakespeare needs explaining. Was the legendary William Shakespeare a real person? Did he truly possess the extraordinary genius to write all of those plays on his own? What was daily life like for him and his contemporaries at the height of the Elizabethan era? Can works by a four-hundred year-old playwright still be relevant to a text-messaging generation of manga fans? Among a host of other odd items his characters mention,...
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For young readers who are new to the plays of "the Bard," Shakespeare needs explaining. Was the legendary William Shakespeare a real person? Did he truly possess the extraordinary genius to write all of those plays on his own? What was daily life like for him and his contemporaries at the height of the Elizabethan era? Can works by a four-hundred year-old playwright still be relevant to a text-messaging generation of manga fans? Among a host of other odd items his characters mention, what are "old apple-johns" and "soused gurnets"? Act by act, scene by scene, each Shakespeare Explained book creates a total immersion experience in the plot development, characters, and language of the specific play. As a companion to the students' edition of the actual text of the play, each provides an exploration of the themes, motifs, symbols, and interpretations of the work. An introduction discusses the play's historical and social context, and each guide concludes with suggested essay topics and a quiz to help readers review the play and connect with Shakespeare's work on the page and with the world he created on stage for his audience.