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The Norton Shakespeare
Essential Plays / The Sonnets
Organized by genre, this volume includes the genre introductions enthusiastically received in The Norton Shakespeare, Second Edition: Shakespearean Tragedy by Stephen Greenblatt, Shakespearean Comedy by Katharine Eisaman Maus, Shakespearean History by Jean E. Howard, and Shakespearean Romance by Walter Cohen. Like its parent volume, this concise edition gives students the vibrant introductions, readable single-column format, helpful glosses and notes, and extensive reference materials maps, a timeline, annotated bibliographies and film lists, documents that have made The Norton Shakespeare, Second Edition the best-selling classroom edition worldwide."
1856 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2008
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About the author
Stephen Greenblatt
137 books940 followersStephen Greenblatt (Ph.D. Yale) is Cogan University Professor of English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University. Also General Editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Eighth Edition, he is the author of nine books, including Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare; Hamlet in Purgatory; Practicing New Historicism; Marvelous Possessions: The Wonder of the New World; Learning to Curse: Essays in Early Modern Culture; and The Swerve: How the World Became Modern. He has edited six collections of criticism, is the co-author (with Charles Mee) of a play, Cardenio, and is a founding coeditor of the journal Representations. He honors include the MLA's James Russell Lowell Prize, for Shakespearean Negotiations: The Circulation of Social Energy in Renaissance England, the Distinguished Humanist Award from the Mellon Foundation, the Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in Vermont.
Stephen Jay Greenblatt is a Pulitzer Prize winning American literary critic, theorist and scholar.
Greenblatt is regarded by many as one of the founders of New Historicism, a set of critical practices that he often refers to as "cultural poetics"; his works have been influential since the early 1980s when he introduced the term. Greenblatt has written and edited numerous books and articles relevant to new historicism, the study of culture, Renaissance studies and Shakespeare studies and is considered to be an expert in these fields. He is also co-founder of the literary-cultural journal Representations, which often publishes articles by new historicists. His most popular work is Will in the World, a biography of Shakespeare that was on the New York Times Best Seller List for nine weeks.
Stephen Jay Greenblatt is a Pulitzer Prize winning American literary critic, theorist and scholar.
Greenblatt is regarded by many as one of the founders of New Historicism, a set of critical practices that he often refers to as "cultural poetics"; his works have been influential since the early 1980s when he introduced the term. Greenblatt has written and edited numerous books and articles relevant to new historicism, the study of culture, Renaissance studies and Shakespeare studies and is considered to be an expert in these fields. He is also co-founder of the literary-cultural journal Representations, which often publishes articles by new historicists. His most popular work is Will in the World, a biography of Shakespeare that was on the New York Times Best Seller List for nine weeks.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 8, 2011
One has to wonder if there's even a point in reviewing Shakespeare because, well... it's Shakespeare. Regardless of the fact that everyone should (and probably has to) read at least some of his plays, I will endeavor to rate them in relation to myself as a modern, 21st century reader. First off, though, I will say that the Norton edition is fantastic. Easily the best edition I've seen or read. Lots of great footnotes on obscure references and word meanings, and excellent essays that introduce each piece.
**A Midsummer Night's Dream – 4 stars
Fun comedy that has a lot of twists and an amazing play within the play. Some of the humor is lost by having to look up the dated references, but if you can study it then watch the movie or a live performance afterwards, it's quite enjoyable.
**Merchant of Venice – 3 stars
Usually classified as a comedy, but really a tragedy for the first few acts and for certain characters in the end. Lots of racial/religious issues played out in the usage of money, which is far more interesting if you take the time to learn about the historical context. Funny parts are quite funny, but the rest is somewhat hit or miss in terms of enjoyment (interesting from a scholarly point of view, though). Stage direction can drastically change the way Shylock's character is portrayed (sympathetic or villainous).
**Henry IV pt I – 2 stars
Boring history play that drags on and on. Some of the characters are interesting, mainly Hal and Falstaff, but they're not enough to redeem the play. Interesting side note: the movie My Private Idaho is based on this. I only watched clips from it, but it seems pretty interesting (as long as you're okay with male prostitution, homosexuality, drug use, and a generally depressing atmosphere).
**Julius Caesar – 1.5 stars
Another boring history play. Somewhat interesting from a scholarly perspective, but lame from any other.
**Hamlet – 5 stars
Pure brilliance that has stood the test of time. Hamlet is certainly one of Shakespeare's most cerebral plays, and it is likely to leave you with more questions than answers. Issues of existentialism, inside vs. outside, and heroism dominate in one of the best works among English literature of all time. Lots of great movie adaptations as well.
**Othello – 5 stars
Another great tragedy that is interesting to the modern American reader in ways that Shakespeare wouldn't have intended (i.e., that of Othello being black and formerly Muslim in a white, Christian society). Awesome play the builds and builds until the very end, where everyone ends up where they always do in a tragedy (i.e., dead). Ken Branagh and Laurence Fishburne adaptation is great.
Overall, I really enjoyed Shakespeare, and I finally understand why I was supposed to read it all those years back in grade school. Good stuff, especially if you're willing to take the time to study it.
**A Midsummer Night's Dream – 4 stars
Fun comedy that has a lot of twists and an amazing play within the play. Some of the humor is lost by having to look up the dated references, but if you can study it then watch the movie or a live performance afterwards, it's quite enjoyable.
**Merchant of Venice – 3 stars
Usually classified as a comedy, but really a tragedy for the first few acts and for certain characters in the end. Lots of racial/religious issues played out in the usage of money, which is far more interesting if you take the time to learn about the historical context. Funny parts are quite funny, but the rest is somewhat hit or miss in terms of enjoyment (interesting from a scholarly point of view, though). Stage direction can drastically change the way Shylock's character is portrayed (sympathetic or villainous).
**Henry IV pt I – 2 stars
Boring history play that drags on and on. Some of the characters are interesting, mainly Hal and Falstaff, but they're not enough to redeem the play. Interesting side note: the movie My Private Idaho is based on this. I only watched clips from it, but it seems pretty interesting (as long as you're okay with male prostitution, homosexuality, drug use, and a generally depressing atmosphere).
**Julius Caesar – 1.5 stars
Another boring history play. Somewhat interesting from a scholarly perspective, but lame from any other.
**Hamlet – 5 stars
Pure brilliance that has stood the test of time. Hamlet is certainly one of Shakespeare's most cerebral plays, and it is likely to leave you with more questions than answers. Issues of existentialism, inside vs. outside, and heroism dominate in one of the best works among English literature of all time. Lots of great movie adaptations as well.
**Othello – 5 stars
Another great tragedy that is interesting to the modern American reader in ways that Shakespeare wouldn't have intended (i.e., that of Othello being black and formerly Muslim in a white, Christian society). Awesome play the builds and builds until the very end, where everyone ends up where they always do in a tragedy (i.e., dead). Ken Branagh and Laurence Fishburne adaptation is great.
Overall, I really enjoyed Shakespeare, and I finally understand why I was supposed to read it all those years back in grade school. Good stuff, especially if you're willing to take the time to study it.
June 13, 2015
Read this for an English class. Out of this anthology I read the plays:
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• The Merchant of Venice
• As You Like It
• Richard II
• 1 Henry IV
• Hamlet
• Measure for Measure
• Othello
• The Winter’s Tale
• The Tempest
Some of them I highly enjoyed rereading/reading for the first time including ~ A Midsummer's Night Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Richard II, 1 Henry IV, Hamlet, Othello, and probably the Tempest if I actually finished the play.
I wouldn't say Shakespeare is the "greatest playwright ever," or the "most brilliant writer" -- but he is good at writing. I love all the puns within the plays, and everything is fairly easy to comprehend. Enjoyable!
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• The Merchant of Venice
• As You Like It
• Richard II
• 1 Henry IV
• Hamlet
• Measure for Measure
• Othello
• The Winter’s Tale
• The Tempest
Some of them I highly enjoyed rereading/reading for the first time including ~ A Midsummer's Night Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Richard II, 1 Henry IV, Hamlet, Othello, and probably the Tempest if I actually finished the play.
I wouldn't say Shakespeare is the "greatest playwright ever," or the "most brilliant writer" -- but he is good at writing. I love all the puns within the plays, and everything is fairly easy to comprehend. Enjoyable!
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July 30, 2011Immense book of Shakespeare's "Essential Plays and Sonnets." Great source for context and academic literary analysis.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews