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Summary
Author Notes
William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616 Although there are many myths and mysteries surrounding William Shakespeare, a great deal is actually known about his life. He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, son of John Shakespeare, a prosperous merchant and local politician and Mary Arden, who had the wealth to send their oldest son to Stratford Grammar School.
At 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, the 27-year-old daughter of a local farmer, and they had their first daughter six months later. He probably developed an interest in theatre by watching plays performed by traveling players in Stratford while still in his youth. Some time before 1592, he left his family to take up residence in London, where he began acting and writing plays and poetry.
By 1594 Shakespeare had become a member and part owner of an acting company called The Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he soon became the company's principal playwright. His plays enjoyed great popularity and high critical acclaim in the newly built Globe Theatre. It was through his popularity that the troupe gained the attention of the new king, James I, who appointed them the King's Players in 1603. Before retiring to Stratford in 1613, after the Globe burned down, he wrote more than three dozen plays (that we are sure of) and more than 150 sonnets. He was celebrated by Ben Jonson, one of the leading playwrights of the day, as a writer who would be "not for an age, but for all time," a prediction that has proved to be true.
Today, Shakespeare towers over all other English writers and has few rivals in any language. His genius and creativity continue to astound scholars, and his plays continue to delight audiences. Many have served as the basis for operas, ballets, musical compositions, and films. While Jonson and other writers labored over their plays, Shakespeare seems to have had the ability to turn out work of exceptionally high caliber at an amazing speed. At the height of his career, he wrote an average of two plays a year as well as dozens of poems, songs, and possibly even verses for tombstones and heraldic shields, all while he continued to act in the plays performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men. This staggering output is even more impressive when one considers its variety. Except for the English history plays, he never wrote the same kind of play twice. He seems to have had a good deal of fun in trying his hand at every kind of play.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, all published on 1609, most of which were dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothsley, The Earl of Southhampton. He also wrote 13 comedies, 13 histories, 6 tragedies, and 4 tragecomedies. He died at Stratford-upon-Avon April 23, 1616, and was buried two days later on the grounds of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. His cause of death was unknown, but it is surmised that he knew he was dying.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
Horn Book Review
Featuring abridged versions of the Shakespearian texts, with abundant illustrations and frequent, but unobtrusive, descriptions of action and setting, these volumes present six of Shakespeare's best-known tales in an accessible format, while maintaining much of their original impact and style. Each book includes a brief introduction to Shakespeare's life and theater. Based on the cable television series. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Choice Review
To the "New Cambridge Shakespeare" text of Hamlet printed in the second part of this volume, Hapgood (Univ. of New Hampshire) appends a performance history and analysis. This format defines this "Shakespeare in Production" series, which, like Manchester University Press's "Shakespeare in Performance" series, provides a record of the stable and changing relationship between text and performance. Hapgood contains the bulky stage history of Hamlet through a prudent use of reviews, promptbooks, memoirs, and other performance materials. His introduction speaks of the complications of a five-text play (two quartos, the Folio, the abridgements that prevailed from the Restoration through the 19th century, the modern conflated text), then moves chronologically through an intelligent selection of Hamlet productions: from Burbage (1601-18), to Sarah Bernhardt (1899), to several of the 20th century's better known productions (Barrymore, Gielgud, Olivier, Burton, Jacobi, Branagh), to a few of the lesser-known (from Continental Europe, East and West), to several that qualify as "director's theater" (Zadek, Bergman, Brook). Hapgood's careful scholarship and engaging writing throughout result in a volume that all libraries will want to own. J. Schlueter; Lafayette College
School Library Journal Review
Perhaps the best known of Shakespeare's tragedies, this story of destiny and revenge pits a young prince against the murderous uncle who has stolen the throne and queen. Students often struggle when reading Shakespeare, and listening can serve as a bridge, facilitating understanding. This excellent full-cast production includes musical interludes and an insert with scene-by-scene summaries, making it not only a strong listening experience, but also the perfect adjunct to literary appreciation. Fans of the long-running British science-fiction series Doctor Who, and David Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor, will be mesmerized by the 2010 BBC television production featuring Tennant as Hamlet, with Patrick Stewart as the nefarious uncle, Claudius. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
One of Shakespeare's more tragic plays is the subject of a graphic adaptation. As with the rest of the Manga Classics series, Chan has here kept the full script of Hamlet intact and, in collaboration with illustrator Choy, made this piece come alive. For readers who cannot make it to the theater to see Hamlet performed and for those who struggle to read the original, in particular, this is an accessible and appealing alternative. The visuals offer insights into the play, for example in the way that a character's duplicity is shown with two versions of their face, each with different expressions, making concrete what is being discussed in the dialogue. Subtle visual clues such as the wearing (or not) of shoes encourage readers to speculate as to Hamlet's and Ophelia's sanity. In bringing to the page Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" monologue, Chan's background research informs Choy's black-and-white line drawings, which show the variety of emotions and layers of meaning expressed. Backmatter includes a character design sketchbook and notes from the adapter and illustrator that take readers behind the scenes of this graphic-novel version. The manga-style art will appeal to teen readers familiar with that genre. All characters read as white. Does justice to a theatrical classic. (Graphic fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
Wouldn't you know that Branagh would finally tackle Hamlet on screen. This official tie-in includes a production diary, stills from the film, and the screenplay. But where's Emma? (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and is one of his best-known and most quoted plays. It was written at an uncertain date between 1600 and the summer of 1602. Hamlet is one of the world's most famous literary works, and has been translated into every major living language. Excerpted from Hamlet by William Shakespeare All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
