Böcker av William Shakespeare

The first play in William Shakespeare's tetralogy of plays which also includes "Henry IV, Part 1", "Henry IV, Part 2", and "Henry V", "Richard II" is believed to have been written around 1595. A history play, the drama concerns the last two years of the life of King Richard II of England, spanning the years 1398 to 1400. The drama begins with a dispute between Richard's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who would later become King Henry IV, and Thomas de Mowbray, first Duke of Norfolk. Henry has accused Mowbray of murdering his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester. Meanwhile, Henry's father, John of Gaunt, first Duke of Lancaster, believes it is Richard that is responsible for his brother's murder. Unable to resolve the matter by traditional methods it is agreed that the dispute will be settled through trial by battle between Bolingbroke and Mowbray. What ensues is a series of events that will bring about the tragic downfall of Richard. A study in the disastrous consequences of political miscalculation, "Richard II" begins the story of a dramatically Machiavellian period of England's rule. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson, and an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

Originally published in the First Folio of 1623, "Measure for Measure" is William Shakespeare's play which was likely written sometime in 1603 or 1604. The play begins with Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, who leaves the government in charge of the authoritarian justice, Angelo, when he departs the city on a diplomatic mission. Lord Angelo believes that there is too much debauchery in the city and seeks to more strictly enforce laws against certain sexual activities. The story centers on Claudio who has impregnated his fiancée, Juliet, outside the bonds of marriage. Despite their plans to marry, Lord Angelo wishes to make an example of Claudio by sentencing him to death. Based upon two 16th century works, Italian novelist and poet Cinthio's "The Story of Epitia", and English dramatist George Whetstone's "Promos and Cassandra", "Measure for Measure", which is classified by most scholars as a comedy, is notable for being one of the bard's "problem plays", given its intermittent shifts in tone between darkly dramatic and comedic elements. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson, and an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

One of the last tragedies written by William Shakespeare, "Coriolanus" is the story of the legendary 5th century BC Roman general Caius Martius, later given the honorary name Coriolanus. Based largely on the biographical accounts of Plutarch and Livy, the play opens amongst riots over grain in which Coriolanus' contempt for the plebeians of Rome is exhibited. The general is drawn away from the riots to battle with the Volscian army. Following the conquest of the Volscian city of Corioli, he finds himself a hero and turns his ambition to politics. In his bid for a position in the Roman Senate, he discovers the power of both his allies and his enemies. Coriolanus quickly learns that his temperament is unsuited for success in the political arena. His militaristic pride, disdain for the concept of popular rule, as well as his unwillingness to slander his opponents, ultimately lead to his exile from Rome. A classic portrayal of the fledgling Roman Empire, "Coriolanus" is ultimately a tale of the tragic consequences of misplaced alliances. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, includes a preface and annotations by Henry N. Hudson, and an introduction by Charles Harold Herford.

Nature or Nurture--The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of twins accidently separated and mixed at birth. When the four meet, a series of wild mishaps are set into motion by mistaken identities. This is a fast-paced farcical romp full of slapstick and wordplay: one of the bard's most fun plays.

Merry Mischief--Arriving in Windsor with very little money, John Falstaff decides to raise funds by wooing two wealthy, married women. His servants refuse to help him, and after being sacked they go to the husbands of Falstaff's intended targets. Falstaff send both women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, almost identical letters. The two discover Falstaff's intentions and together decide to make sport of him and pretend to be amenable to his advances.

Love and Deception--Hortensio and Gremio are competing suitors for the hand of the beautiful Bianca. However, Bianca's father will not let her wed until after her older sister Katherina has wed. Unfortunately Katherina is known as an ill-tempered shrew and as a result has no prospects. Hortensio and Gremio agree to work together to find someone to marry Katherina so that they will be free to compete for Bianca. But nothing proceeds as expected.

Magic and Intrigue--Prospero, a wizard, is the rightful Duke of Milan, but his brother, in league with the King, had deposed him and set him adrift with his 3-year-old daughter Miranda 12 years earlier. Through his mystical arts Prospero divines that his brother is on a ship passing close by. Prospero raises a tempest and drives his brother's ship toward the island and puts in motion a plan to restore his daughter to her rightful place.

Love and Fealty--Two Gentleman of Verona is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. Here we can see him working through many of the themes that would make him the best-loved playwright of all time. Love, honor, societal values, and right and wrong are all considered in this memorable play.

Friendship and Trust--Leontes and Polixenes, friends from childhood, are having a protracted visit for the first time in years. After nine months Polixenes longs for his family and home and decided to leave. Leontes beseeches him to stay, but to no avail. Leontes asks his wife, Hermione, to ask Polixenes to stay. Upon being asked by Hermione he relents immediately. This sudden turn of events leads Leontes to question if his best friend and wife are having an affair.

Honor and Dignity--Two Noble Kinsmen is based on Geoffrey Chaucer's the Knight's Tale. Three queens ask Theseus and Hippolyta to avenge the deaths of their husbands at the hands of the tyrant Creon of Thebes. Theseus agrees and wages a war that changes the fate of many those involved. The play ends with a public tournament.

Deception and Pride--Bassanio, a Venetian nobleman, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy Portia, but he is short on funds. So he turns to his friend Antonio, a wealthy merchant. Antonio agrees to help, but currently he is cash strapped as all of his ships are at sea. He agrees instead to guarantee a loan for Bassanio. Bassanio turns to Antonio's rival and enemy Shylock for the loan.

Honor and Glory--King Henry V has put aside the indiscretion of youth and taken the throne upon his father's death. Faced with insurrection and a war with France, Henry must become a strong king or perish.

Friendship and Greed!--Timon is a wealthy and generous man. Over the length of the play we watch as he slowly gives away his entire fortune. Then we witness the tragedy of a man who comes to realize that he has no friends now that he has no money.

Blood and Revenge--Titus Andronicus is by far Shakespeare's most violent play. Set in the later days of the Roman empire it follows a fictional succession to the throne. The play follows Titus, a great Roman general, who is thrown into one bad situation after another. Much blood flows and a cycle of revenge ensues and tragedy abounds.

Pride and Defeat--Troilus and Cressida takes place in the seventh year of the Trojan War. The Trojan prince Troilus falls in love with Calchas' daughter Cressida. The two secretly marry, and predictably, tragedy quickly follows.

Read & Co. Classics presents this new beautiful edition of William Shakespeare's play, "The Comedy of Errors", featuring a specially commissioned new biography of William Shakespeare. Set in the city of Ephesus, the comedy is about the reunion of two sets of long-lost identical twins who were separated in a stormy shipwreck as infants. Each set of twins happens to share the names of the other, giving us two called Antipholus and two Dromio. The play follows the mistaken identities and misadventures encountered on their paths to finding each other. It is Shakespeare¿s shortest play and considered the most farcical of all his tales. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is considered to be the greatest writer in the English language and is celebrated as the world's most famous dramatist.

The play opens in Rousillon, a Catalan province of Spain, where young Count Bertram bids farewell to his mother the Countess and Helena, as he leaves for the court of Paris at the French King's order. Bertram's father has recently died and Bertram is to be the King's ward and attendant. Helena, a young minor noblewoman and ward of the Countess, whose father has also recently died, laments her unrequited love for  Bertram, and losing him to Paris, which weighs on her though it seems to others that she mourns her father.

A history play by William Shakespeare believed based on the life of King Richard II of England (ruled 1377–1399). The play begins with King Richard sitting majestically on his throne in full state, having been requested that he arbitrate a dispute between Thomas Mowbray and Richard's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who has accused Mowbray of squandering money given to him by Richard for the King's soldiers and of murdering his uncle, the Duke of Gloucester.

Cymbeline, the Roman Empire's vassal king of Britain, once had two sons, Guiderius and Arvirargus, but they were stolen twenty years earlier as infants by an exiled traitor named Belarius. Cymbeline now discovers that his only child left, his daughter Imogen, has secretly married her lover Posthumus Leonatus, an otherwise honourable man of Cymbeline's court.

The play opens in the court of Antiochus, king of Antioch, who has offered the hand of his beautiful daughter to any man who answers his riddle; but those who fail shall die. Pericles, the young Prince of Tyre in Phoenicia (Lebanon), hears the riddle, and instantly understands its meaning: Antiochus is engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter.

The play begins shortly after the death of the Roman emperor, with his two sons, Saturninus and Bassianus, squabbling over who will succeed him. Their conflict seems set to boil over into violence until a tribune, Marcus Andronicus, announces that the people's choice for the new emperor is his brother, Titus, who will shortly return to Rome from a victorious ten-year campaign against the Goths. Titus subsequently arrives to much fanfare, bearing with him as prisoners the Queen of the Goths (Tamora), her three sons, and Aaron the Moor (her secret lover).

The tragedy is set in Rome and Egypt, characterised by swift, panoramic shifts in geographical locations and in registers. The story follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Sicilian revolt to Cleopatra's suicide during the Final War of the Roman Republic. The major antagonist is Octavius Caesar, one of Antony's fellow triumviri of the Second Triumvirate and the first emperor of the Roman Empire.

A history play by William Shakespeare which follows life of King Henry V of England, focusing on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War. The early scenes deal with the embarkation of Henry's fleet for France, and include a real-life incident in which the Earl of Cambridge and two others plotted to assassinate Henry at Southampton.

Valentine is preparing to leave Verona for Milan so as to broaden his horizons. He begs his best friend, Proteus, to come with him, but Proteus is in love with Julia, and refuses to leave. Disappointed, Valentine bids Proteus farewell and goes on alone. Meanwhile, Julia is discussing Proteus with her maid, Lucetta, who tells Julia that she thinks Proteus is fond of her. Julia, however, acts coyly, embarrassed to admit that she likes him. Lucetta then produces a letter; she will not say who gave it to her, but teases Julia that it was Valentine's servant, Speed, who brought it from Proteus.

Set in Vienna, the play's main themes include justice, mortality and mercy. The story starts with Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, makes it known that he intends to leave the city on a diplomatic mission. He leaves the government in the hands of a strict judge, Angelo.

Falstaff arrives in Windsor very short on money. He decides, to obtain financial advantage, that he will court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Falstaff decides to send the women identical love letters and asks his servants – Pistol and Nym – to deliver them to the wives. When they refuse, Falstaff sacks them, and, in revenge, the men tell Ford and Page (the husbands) of Falstaff's intentions.