The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Shakespeare (Complete Idiot’s Guides)

437 Pages·1999·7.88 MB·English

by  Laurie Rozakis

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title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare
author: Rozakis, Laurie.
publisher: Penguin
isbn10 | asin: 0028629051
print isbn13: 9780028629056
ebook isbn13: 9780585057279
language: English
subject Shakespeare, William,--1564-1616--Authorship, English
literature.
publication date: 1999
lcc: PR2971.U6.R69 1999eb
ddc: 822.33
subject: Shakespeare, William,--1564-1616--Authorship, English
literature.
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Page i
Shakespeare
by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D.
alpha books
A Division of Macmillan General Reference
A Pearson Education Macmillan Company
1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019-6785

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FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYMEN: LEND ME YOUR EARS

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THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S REFERENCE CARD

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To Gardi Ipema Wilks, my treasured publicist. Your heart's desires be with you! (As You Like It). My deepest thanks, Gardi, for
all your hard work on my behalfand for believing in me.
Special thanks to Carol Mann Lash, my photo researcher and best friend.
But if the while I think on thee, dear friend,
All losses are restored and sorrows end.
Sonnet 30
Copyright © 1999 by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability
is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the
preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability
assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information, address Alpha Books, 1633
Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10019-6785.
THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO & Design is a registered trademark of Macmillan, Inc.
Macmillan General Reference books may be purchased for business or sales promotional use. For information please write:
Special Markets Department, Macmillan Publishing USA, 1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
International Standard Book Number: 0-02862905-1
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 98-89733
01 00 99 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Interpretation of the printing code: the rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of the book's printing; the
rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the book's printing. For example, a printing code of 99-1
shows that the first printing occurred in 1999.
Printed in the United States of America
Note: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful and informative material on
the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering
professional services in the book. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice, a competent professional should be
consulted.
The author and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is
incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

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Alpha Development Team
Publisher
Kathy Nebenhaus
Editorial Director
Gary M. Krebs
Managing Editor
Bob Shuman
Marketing Brand Manager
Felice Primeau
Acquisitions Editor
Jessica Faust
Development Editors
Phil Kitchel
Amy Zavatto
Assistant Editor
Georgette Blau
Production Team
Development Editor
Amy Zavatto
Production Editor
Christy Wagner
Copy Editor
Cliff Shubs
Cover Designer
Mike Freeland
Photo Editor
Richard H. Fox
Illustrator
Jody P. Schaeffer
Book Designers
Scott Cook and Amy Adams of DesignLab
Indexer
John Jefferson
Layout/Proofreading
Angela Calvert
Mary Hunt

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CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
Part 1: Shakespeare's Life and Times 1
1 Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Learn all about Shakespeare's life, including his childhood, education,
marriage, family, and fame in London. 3
2 The Renaissance 101
See what life was like for Shakespeare and his contemporaries by
exploring the social, political, religious, and cultural realities of the
age. 13
3 All the World's a Stage: Shakespeare's Theater
Hop aboard the theater tour to The Globe, Shakespeare's theater, and
find out all about Renaissance actors and the Renaissance repertory
system. 25
4 The Play's the Thing
Explore the chronology of Shakespeare's Canon, learn basic dramatic
terms, and discover the secret of Shakespeare's plots. 37
5 Brush Up on Your Shakespeare
Discover the differences among Old English, Middle English, Modern
English, and take a turn at translating Shakespeare's English into
Contemporary English. 49
6 Something Fishy About the Man from Stratford: The Authorship
Question
Who really wrote Shakespeare's poems and plays? Get the evidence
on the Earl of Oxford, Sir Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and
the incumbent, William Shakespeare. 63
7 Shakespeare's Literary Reputation
Find out why Shakespeare is considered the greatest English writer
the world has ever known. 73
Part 2: The Comedies (or Love Makes the World Go 'Round) 83
8 The Comedy of Errors and Two Gentlemen of Verona
Appreciate Shakespeare's humor and learn all about The Comedy of
Errors and Two Gentlemen of Verona. 85
9 The Taming of the Shrew and Love's Labor's Lost
Explore the battle of the sexes in The Taming of the Shrew, and see
how they don't all live happily ever after in Love's Labor's Lost. 97
10 A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice
Take a delightful holiday in A Midsummer Night's Dream and then
explore the dark side of comedy in The Merchant of Venice. 109

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11 As You Like It and Much Ado About Nothing
See how As You Like It satirizes pastoral life and how Much Ado
About Nothing turns on the love of two pairs of lovers: Beatrice and
Benedick and Claudio and Hero. 123
12 Twelfth Night and The Merry Wives of Windsor
Explore Twelfth Night, Shakespeare's most carefully plotted and
expertly written romantic comedy. Then enjoy The Merry Wives of
Windsor, a romp of mistaken identity and sexual misadventure. 135
Part 3: Problem Plays 145
13 All's Well That Ends Well
Learn why All's Well That Ends Well is considered a problem play. 147
14 Troilus and Cressida
Read Troilus and Cressida as a political satire as well as a problem
play. 155
15 Measure for Measure
Yes, Measure for Measure is a problem play, but it can also be read
as a Christian allegory. 163
Part 4: Tragedies 171
16 Titus Andronicus
Plunge into the Elizabethan revenge tragedy as you read
Shakespeare's bloodiest play. 173
17 Hamlet
Turn to Shakespeare's most famous play and see what all the fuss is
about! 181
18 Romeo and Juliet
Visit with the world's most celebrated star-crossed lovers and decide
if R & J is a tragedy of fate or a tragedy of character. 193
19 Julius Caesar
Explore one of Shakespeare's most popular and accessible tragedies
about rebellion and ambition. 203
20 Othello, the Moor of Venice
Thrill to the tragic tale of noble Moor Othello, his innocent wife
Desdemona, and the loathsome villain Iago, and probe the conflict
between appearance and reality. 213
21 King Lear
Enter the tragic world of King Lear and see that your problems aren't
so bad after all. 225
22 Macbeth
Check what happens when ambition runs wild. (Hint: There's murder,
mayhem, and magic.) 235

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23 Antony and Cleopatra
See the pyramids along the Nile with history's legendary lovers. 247
24 Coriolanus and Timon of Athens
Read about an arrogant war hero, Coriolanus, and what happens
when he refuses to let it all hang out. Then survey a morality play
about worldly vanity, Timon of Athens. 257
Part 5: Romances 267
25 The Tempest and The Winter's Tale
Enter the magical world of the romance, where wild things canand
dohappen. 269
26 Pericles, Prince of Tyre and Cymbeline
Step into the rough and violent world in which innocence
miraculously survives and even triumphs. 281
Part 6: Histories 291
27 King Henry VI, Part I; King Henry VI, Part II; King Henry VI, Part
III
See what happens to a weak king with a dubious claim to his throne. 293
28 King Richard III, King Richard II
Trace the career of the deformed, malicious Richard III and the
wimpy but sympathetic Richard II. 305
29 King John; King Henry IV, Part I
Explore a play whose hero is really the villainKing John. Then read
Henry IV, Part I to find out how Prince Henry matures from party boy
to prince. 315
30 King Henry IV, Part II; King Henry V; King Henry VIII
See how the Masters of the Medieval Universe played power politics. 327
Part 7: Poems and Sonnets 341
31 The Battle of the Sexes Told in Rhyme
Read the poems that would have gotten Shakespeare on Oprah during
his lifetime (if they'd had Oprah or even TV during the 1600s). 343
32 The Sonnets
Discover why the sonnets have sparked more commentary and stirred
up more controversy than any other Shakespearean work besides
Hamlet. 353
Appendices
A Elizabethan English 365
B Further Reading 369
Index 371

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