Shakespeare everyone can understand—now in this new EXPANDED edition of JULIUS CAESAR!
Why fear Shakespeare? By placing the words of the original play next to line-by-line translations in plain English, this popular guide makes Shakespeare accessible to everyone. And now it features expanded literature guide sections that help students study smarter.
The expanded sections include :
Five Key Five frequently asked questions about major moments and characters in the play.
What Does the Ending Mean?: Is the ending sad, celebratory, ironic . . . or ambivalent?
Plot What is the play about? How is the story told, and what are the main themes? Why do the characters behave as they do?
Study Questions that guide students as they study for a test or write a paper.
Quotes by Quotes organized by Shakespeare’s main themes, such as love, death, tyranny, honor, and fate.
Quotes by Quotes organized by the play’s main characters, along with interpretations of their meaning.
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".
oops I actually loved that?? I’m just a girl who wants to read the classics. And having plain English right next to the original 1. Made me feel less stupid and 2. Allowed me to appreciate what the man was saying. Like sometimes I would read the og, then read the plain English, and then I could actually appreciate the og. I found myself often saying “not how I would have said it, but I catch your drift.” I fear as though I may be back for more but I really think that this No Fear stuff is the way to do it.
Another No Fear Shakespeare book that is absolutely wonderful. I like reading Shakespeare in plain English. Julius Caesar brings history to life. I had heard names like Mark Antony in the past, knew he was Roman but didn't know any other details. Now I understand why Julius Caesar was murdered, and the two sides to him being murdered. This is a great edition for any others who "don't like Shakespeare."
Julius Caesar is a classic tale of deception and betrayal. I know traditionalists might not like the idea of a modern translation, but I like that this book has both the original and modern side by side. When performed I agree original is best, but when reading, it helps to digest the archaic language of the original, and I think the translator did a decent job of it.
This play was long and a little boring. But it was also good. There was a lot of death, as to be expected in tragedies. There are other Shakespeare plays that I enjoy more. Maybe would recommend?
Read in English class. Not by any means as completely awful as Romeo & Juliet, but not the greatest thing I've ever read. 2.5 stars. A decent read, nothing life changing but not a total bore.