What do you think?
Rate this book
Shakespeare Illustrated Classics
She wears her heart on her sleeve. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Something wicked this way comes! We're all familiar with these sayings. But where did they come from? Introduce young readers to the treasures of William Shakespeare with Shakespeare Illustrated Classics. Each title tells the tale of a popular play and is sure to inspire further Shakespearian study!
288 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 3, 2026
I did a six-week Shakespeare reread, reading one play each weekend - pairing the original text with a graphic novel version from the Illustrated Classics series.
Romeo and Juliet was beautifully illustrated and worked well as an introduction. (4 stars)
Macbeth stood out for its powerful, dark visuals. It was the one graphic novel that truly made me feel something just through the artwork. (4 stars)
However, King Lear, Hamlet, and Othello lost much of their depth. The heavy cuts removed the poetic rhythm and emotional tension, and important moments and ambiguities (especially in Hamlet and Othello) were simplified or missing completely. (cutting the most famous phrase - have you prayed tonight Desdemona - in my opinion was a crime). (2 stars).
A Midsummer Night’s Dream had the strongest illustrations overall, in my opinion. But the shortened text made the story feel more silly than light and genuinely funny. (4 starts)
I’m really glad I was reading the originals in parallel - overall, this turned into a wonderful experience. The graphic novels worked well as a visual companion, but on their own they feel like a very limited interpretation. Without the original text, too much of Shakespeare’s beauty, rhythm, and meaning is lost.
Romeo and Juliet was beautifully illustrated and worked well as an introduction. (4 stars)
Macbeth stood out for its powerful, dark visuals. It was the one graphic novel that truly made me feel something just through the artwork. (4 stars)
However, King Lear, Hamlet, and Othello lost much of their depth. The heavy cuts removed the poetic rhythm and emotional tension, and important moments and ambiguities (especially in Hamlet and Othello) were simplified or missing completely. (cutting the most famous phrase - have you prayed tonight Desdemona - in my opinion was a crime). (2 stars).
A Midsummer Night’s Dream had the strongest illustrations overall, in my opinion. But the shortened text made the story feel more silly than light and genuinely funny. (4 starts)
I’m really glad I was reading the originals in parallel - overall, this turned into a wonderful experience. The graphic novels worked well as a visual companion, but on their own they feel like a very limited interpretation. Without the original text, too much of Shakespeare’s beauty, rhythm, and meaning is lost.
Displaying 1 of 1 review