William Shakespeare

Shakespeare is the most famous playwright in the English language. Every day, all over the world his plays are performed in thousands of productions. Quotations from his plays and poems have become part of the language and are often spoken without people realising that they are quoting Shakespeare. Shakespeare's characters are as famous as the titles of his plays. Macbeth, HenryV, Hamlet, Shylock, Romeo and juliet to name but a few. They range the entire gamut of human nature : from the misguided nobility of Brutus ta the manipulative malice of lago ; from the buffoonery of Bottom to the world-weariness of Prospero ; from the seductive flightiness of Cleopatra to the wisdom of Portia. Many of Shakespeare's plays have been filmed (Hamlet, Loves Labours Lost, Romeo + Juliet), or have formed the basis for other films (Ten Things I Hate About You was based on The Toming Of The Shrew), and Shakespeare's life provided the raw material for Shakespeare In Love. This book examines every play and poem, tells what is known of Shakespeare's life, quotes his great lines, lists the best film versions and points out the most useful texts and websites for you to find out more.