Edition of William Shakespeare's Much ado about nothing, with extensive explanatory notes on facing pages, and essays about Shakespeare's life, plays, and interpretation.

Although Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar is named after the legendary Roman political leader, the central character is thought by many to be Marcus Brutus, Caesar's friend turned foe who struggles throughout the play with conflicting obligations of friendship and duty. While Caesar is warned in a prophecy to "beware the Ides of March" the Roman senators, including Brutus are secretly plotting his assassination, hoping to rid Rome of the

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Love and marriage are the concerns of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Lucentio's marriage to Bianca is prompted by his idealized love of an apparently ideal woman. Petruchio's wooing of Katherine, however, is free of idealism. Petruchio takes money from Bianca's suitors to woo her, since Katherine must marry before her sister by her father's decree; he also arranges the dowry with her father. Petruchio is then ready to marry Katherine, even...

Return once more to a galaxy far, far away with this sublime retelling of George Lucas{u2019}s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare{u2019}s greatest plays. {u2019}Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearstome...

The story of a group of fliers in the Mediterranean during World War II.

"This updated edition includes: newly re-edited play text and revised commentary notes, scene-by-scene plot summaries, a key to the play's famous lines and phrases, an introduction to reading Shakespeare's language, an essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play, fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books, [and] an up-to-date annotated guide to further reading." -- Page [4]...

Another case of mistaken identity from the king of the plot twist, Twelfth Night tells the tale of the beautiful young Viola who is separated from her twin brother, Sebastian, when their ship is lost at sea. Believing Sebastian to be dead Viol poses as a man and enters service with the Duke Orisino. When Olivia, the woman that Orisino loves, falls for his messenger "boy" Viola and she in turn falls for the Duke the stage is set for a classic

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In Othello, William Shakespeare creates powerful drama from a marriage between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona that begins with elopement and mutual devotion and ends with jealous rage and death. Shakespeare builds many differences into his hero and heroine, including race, age, and cultural background. Yet most readers and audiences believe the couple's strong love would overcome these differences were it not for Iago, who...