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Julius Caesar: Shakespeare Retold
Shakespeare's 400-year-old language can be tough to understand...but, with Shakespeare Retold, it's easy! Written line-by-line in the same iambic pentameter versification of the originals, it offers a contemporary interpretation of the Bard's lines in the same form and pacing that everyone can understand.
Quickly learn each character motive, each plot twist, each convoluted phrase, each befuddling reference. Never get stuck on Shakespeare's language again! A perfect guide for actors, students, and the curious, Shakespeare Retold breathes new life into the most intoxicating, beguiling and often frustrating words in the English language.
Quickly learn each character motive, each plot twist, each convoluted phrase, each befuddling reference. Never get stuck on Shakespeare's language again! A perfect guide for actors, students, and the curious, Shakespeare Retold breathes new life into the most intoxicating, beguiling and often frustrating words in the English language.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 26, 2021
3 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
James Anthony
6 books5 followersJames Anthony is an award-winning, multi-genre author from London, England. With a keen eye, sharp wit, and poetic irreverence, he retold all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets in modern verse, published by Penguin Random House in 2018. Described by Stephen Fry as 'a dazzling success,' he continues to retell the Bard's greatest plays in his popular 'Shakespeare Retold' series. When not tackling the Bard, Anthony is an offbeat travel writer, documenting his trips in his 'Slow Road' series, earning him the moniker the English Bill Bryson.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 21, 2022
Hits and Misses, But May Help English Students
As a fan of the original Shakespearean writings, I’m always fascinated by “retellings” of his works. This author has put out several Shakespeare “retold” books, both for plays and sonnets. While I am certainly a fan of making Shakespeare more accessible, I felt this author missed the mark too often. Many of Shakespeare’s phrases or sentences are clear and understandable to modern ears; the author has changed these unnecessarily, sometimes even altering the meaning… slightly or a lot. The book also has some outright errors (like soles vs souls). One aspect that may be odd for anyone who isn’t English is that some “retold” sentences use modern British slang; that may muddy the meaning for people not from there. The author is no Shakespearean scholar, but his clear love of the bard, poetry, and poetic cadences shines through. Not the best or worst rephrasing of Julius Caesar I’ve read, but it may be useful for students struggling to comprehend the four centuries’ old words of the English master of poems and plays.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
As a fan of the original Shakespearean writings, I’m always fascinated by “retellings” of his works. This author has put out several Shakespeare “retold” books, both for plays and sonnets. While I am certainly a fan of making Shakespeare more accessible, I felt this author missed the mark too often. Many of Shakespeare’s phrases or sentences are clear and understandable to modern ears; the author has changed these unnecessarily, sometimes even altering the meaning… slightly or a lot. The book also has some outright errors (like soles vs souls). One aspect that may be odd for anyone who isn’t English is that some “retold” sentences use modern British slang; that may muddy the meaning for people not from there. The author is no Shakespearean scholar, but his clear love of the bard, poetry, and poetic cadences shines through. Not the best or worst rephrasing of Julius Caesar I’ve read, but it may be useful for students struggling to comprehend the four centuries’ old words of the English master of poems and plays.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
January 15, 2022
What a wonderful gift. James Anthony has meticulously translated Shakespeare's play into modern English in a way that does not disturb the pentameter of the original but allows the reader to understand what each character is actually saying. It is brilliantly done and will open the world of Shakespeare to many who would otherwise have never bothered to look or who were too intimidated by the centuries old English of Shakespeare's world. Kudos.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews