The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, All's Well That Ends Well, and Measure for Measure

by William Shakespeare, Tony Tanner (Introduction)

Shakespeare’s later comedies were written at the astonishing pace of about two plays a year. In them, he moves beyond the farce of his earlier comedies to richer and more varied dramas. These range from the famous “problem plays,” which blend humor with tragedy, to the idyllic romances set in such timeless locales as the Forest of Arden. They contain some of his wittiest and most memorable characters, from cross-dressing heroines, bantering lovers, and wisecracking fools to the villainous but sympathetic Shylock and the boisterous and bawdy Falstaff.   This volume contains The Merchant of Venice , The Merry Wives of Windsor , Much Ado About Nothing , As You Like It , Twelfth Night , All’s Well That Ends Well , and Measure for Measure . The authoritatively edited text of the plays is supplemented with footnotes, bibliographies, a detailed chronology of Shakespeare’s life and times, and a substantial introduction in which Tony Tanner discusses each play individually and in the context of Shakespeare’s work.

 

Genres: Plays, Fiction, Classics, Drama, Shakespeare

960 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1944

About the author

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon" (or simply "the Bard"). His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.
Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner ("sharer") of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men after the ascension of King James VI and I of Scotland to the English throne. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and even certain fringe theories as to whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best works produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until 1608, among them Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.
Many of Shakespeare's plays were published in editions of varying quality and accuracy during his lifetime. However, in 1623, John Heminge and Henry Condell, two fellow actors and friends of Shakespeare's, published a more definitive text known as the First Folio, a posthumous collected edition of Shakespeare's dramatic works that includes 36 of his plays. Its Preface was a prescient poem by Ben Jonson, a former rival of Shakespeare, that hailed Shakespeare with the now famous epithet: "not of an age, but for all time".

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this in true-to-nerd fashion-- studying before the new Whedon movie comes out! I've read the play twice before in school, and was surprised to find it going down so easily. For some reason, the tragedies were always more easily pictured in my mind. Perhaps it's because I'm older, or because I don't have the extra stressor of not reading it for a class? At any rate, Claudio still doesn't deserve Hero. What an idiot! But do we really read it for Claudio and Hero, anyway? I guess not. It's all about Benedick and Beatrice!

[James Violand · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can you say that hasn't been said about the works of one of the most brilliant minds who ever lived? All superlatives elude me. Only the Ancient Greek playwrights are his equals. All others pale in comparison. Unfortunately, so many are turned-off to Shakespeare because of their introduction to him in high school. What a pity. Shakespeare is to be watched! Reading him is a poor substitute. If you can readily understand the English language of his day, he is easy to read, but few are adept at this.

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

From this book, I have read Twelfth Night which was okay. I then read my two favorite Shakespeare comedies, Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing. I enjoyed both these comedies and plan to teach at least one of them at the start of the year to 7th graders!

[Jabari Binder · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little confused from Shakespearean writing, but after reading it aloud a few times over, I think I've actually understood it, and placed my own humor in what I still could not comprehend. I like reading classical themed books, which have a more vivid tone and drama in them.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am rating this play in relation to other Shakespeare's works.

Measure for Measure: 3 stars