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It would be interesting to know how much those who claim Shakespeare didn't write his own plays are motivated by jealousy. Many writers are jealous of ol' Billy—he's the one author universally recognized as the best ever. Most, however, rejoice that such literary magic was distilled for subsequent generations by an alchemist of less-than-noble origins and obscure life.

The idea that Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare was around before the movie Anonymous. Critics point out that Willy Shakes knew a lot about the world for one who'd never left England (did he, though? he didn't know his geography very well), that he was well-versed in the ways of the English Court for a common man, or that an uneducated bumpkin from Stratford-upon-Avon couldn't produce a body of work that transcends the volumes of "superior" writers.

Shakespeare ended his days as a businessman in his hometown, away from the chaos, mud and spectacle of London. Is that how a great writer would end his days? What about the mystery of his handwriting? was he illiterate? if he could read and write, wouldn't there be more than a few signatures and some misspelled words? At first glance, the evidence seems compelling to attribute "Shakespeare's" work elsewhere, to the Earl of Oxford, Sir Francis Bacon, or some cadre of playwrights.

The reasons for finding another author for Shakespeare are more related to worldview than personal motives. Postmodernists like to obscure authorship in an effort to show that standards and absolutes are human constructs; modernists (and postmodernists) like to impose contemporary values on the past. The latter is a big motivating factor in the Shakespeare debate: Elizabethans had no concept of ownership when it came to texts, but most higher critics suppose they did.

There's no substantial reason to believe William Shakespeare was not the source of the plays attributed to him. What is absolutely certain is that no one before or since has so thoroughly captured the scope of the human predicament, or done so half as well as the Bard of Avon. His poetry lies between biblical oracle and Miltonian pedantry; his prose the most poetic lines penned by a seller of wheat (or a nobleman, for that matter).

Good literary education often begins with Shakespeare. A lot of it ends there, too. So much modern fiction is unreadable because writers don't look far enough back for inspiration; a few generations ago, writers read Homer, Milton, Shakespeare and Dickens. A noble company, ironically helmed by a commoner with less education than those who call themselves scholars in his name. We carry most of his plays, and a variety of resources to help you understand them. Remember that Shakespeare's plots are borrowed and recycled; it's the genius of expression that sets his work apart.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
 
There are many, many editions of Shakespeare's plays, and if they're beautiful and in good shape, we'll take almost any version that passes our desk, but there are only so many useful versions that are fairly readily available for study purposes. We wanted to give you a quick rundown on those we often offer.
 
  • Folger Library - Our favorite series to carry and the only one for which we offer ALL the plays, these books offer Shakespeare's text on one page, with definitions for difficult words on the facing page. Some people complain that the formatting is cramped, but that is certainly less the case in the trade paper versions, the only ones now in print.
  • Oxford School Library - These are very nice, spacious, good notes and occasionally illustrated with photographs from Shakespeare performances. Main issue with these is they are often not readily available.
  • Dover Thrift Editions - A decent cheaper option. The formatting is definitely more crampted than others and the notes are harder to read at the bottom of each page.
  • No Fear Shakespeare - This version offers the original text on one page and a modernized text on the facing page. Main complaint is that sexual passages are often more explicit than necessary in the retelling, so it's one we'd recommend avoiding for kids.
  • Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy - This version also offers the original text on one page and a modernized text on the facing page. Haven't heard the same complaint about explicit text in these.
  • Pelican Shakespeare - We haven't ordered these in a while, but these are well-crafted editions. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare’s time, an introduction to the individual play, and a detailed note on the text used. Similar in price to the Folger, these feature artsy covers and take up less shelf space. 
  • Illustrated Shakespeare
  • Shakespeare Can Be Fun
 
 
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Complete works of Shakespeare online
Which Shakespeare Play Should I See?
An illustrated flowchart from goodticklebrain.com
65 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 7th grade (Ages 12-13)
All the World's A Stage
by William Shakespeare
from Fulcrum Group
for 4th-Adult
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$14.00 (1 in stock)
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
by Edith Nesbit
from Yesterday's Classics
Shakespeare/Drama for Children for 4th-8th grade
$13.95
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare
by Edith Nesbit
from Living Book Press
Shakespeare/Drama for Children for 4th-8th grade
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children
by E. Nesbit, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
from Racehorse for Young Readers
for 4th-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
$14.99
Brush Up Your Shakespeare!
by Michael Macrone, illustrated by Tom Lulevitch
from Harper & Row
for 6th-Adult
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Comic Book Shakespeare - Henry V
by William Shakespeare
from Timber Frame
for 6th-9th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
Comic Book Shakespeare - Macbeth
by William Shakespeare & Simon Graves
Fir from Timber Frame
for 6th-9th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
Comic Book Shakespeare - Twelfth Night
by William Shakespeare & Simon Graves
Fir from Timber Frame
for 6th-9th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
Fandex: Shakespeare
from Workman Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Henry V
Oxford School Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare & Roma Gill, editor
from Oxford University
Historical Drama for 7th-10th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Introduction to Shakespeare
by Marchette Chute
fifteenth printing from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Introduction to Shakespeare
by Marchette Chute
fifteenth printing from Scholastic Inc.
for 7th-10th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Julius Caesar
Oxford School Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare & Roma Gill, editor
from Oxford University
Historical Tragedy for 7th-10th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$5.95
Macbeth
Oxford School Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare & Roma Gill, editor
from Oxford University
Historical Tragedy for 7th-10th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$10.95
Master Skylark
by John Bennett
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Master Skylark
by John Bennett, illustrated by Henry C. Pitz
from Century Co.
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Midsummer Night's Dream
Oxford School Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare & Roma Gill, editor
from Oxford University
Comedy for 7th-10th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$10.99
Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
by William Shakespeare
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
More Tales from Shakespeare
by Marcia Williams
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Shakespeare for Everyone: As You Like It
by Jennifer Mulherin
from Peter Bedrick Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Shakespeare for Kids
by Colleen Aagesen & Margie Blumberg
from Chicago Review Press
Shakespeare Reference/Activity Book for 4th-7th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$19.99
Shakespeare in Three Steps: Midsummer Night's Dream
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 2nd-12th grade
in Simply Charlotte Mason (Location: CUR-SCM)
Shakespeare in Three Steps: Taming of the Shrew
by William Shakespeare
from Simply Charlotte Mason
for 6th-12th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Shakespeare of London
by Marchette Chute
1st edition from E.P. Dutton & Co.
for 6th-12th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Shakespeare Stealer
Shakespeare Stealer #1
by Gary Blackwood
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$8.99 $5.00 (3 in stock)
Shakespeare Stories
by Leon Garfield
X from Sandpiper Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Shakespeare Stories
by Leon Garfield
from Houghton Mifflin
for 7th-12th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Shakespeare Stories II
by Leon Garfield
1st American Ed from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 4th-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Shakespeare Trilogy
by Gary Blackwood
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Shakespeare's England
by Louis B. Wright
from Harper & Row
for 3rd-8th grade
in Horizon Caravel Books (Location: VIN-HOR)
Shakespeare's Scribe
Shakespeare Stealer #2
by Gary Blackwood
from Puffin Books
Historical Fiction for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$9.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
Shakespeare's Spy
Shakespeare Stealer #3
by Gary Blackwood
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
Shakespeare's Theatre
by C. Walter Hodges
4th Impression 1966 from Coward McCann
for 6th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Stories from Shakespeare
by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Antony Maitland
First Edition from Margaret K. McElderry Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Stories from Shakespeare
by Marchette Chute
from Collier Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
Stories from Shakespeare
by Marchette Chute
from World Publishing Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb
from Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
for 7th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
from Wordsworth Classics
Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Tales from Shakespeare
Puffin Classics
by Charles & Mary Lamb
from Puffin Books
Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade
in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF)
$8.99
Tales from Shakespeare
by Tina Packer & Co.
from Scholastic Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Richard Armour
from Penguin Classics
for 7th-12th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$14.00
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
from Doubleday & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by George Soper
from Tiger Books International
for 3rd-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Tales from Shakespeare
Macmillan Classics
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Richard Powers
from Macmillan
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Tales from Shakespeare
Calla Editions
by Charles Lamb, Mary Lamb
from Dover Publications
Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Tales From Shakespeare
by Marcia Williams
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-7th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Elizabeth Shippen Elliott
from Dilithium Press, Ltd.
Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade
Tales from Shakespeare
by Richard Armour
from Living Book Press
for 7th-12th grade
$12.99
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb, Illustrated by Karel Svolinsky
from Hamlyn
for 5th-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Tina Packer & Co.
from Scholastic Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Louis Rhead
from John C. Winston
Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Tales from Shakespeare
Manhattan Young People's Library
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Louis Rhead
from Gilbert H. McKibben
Shakespeare Stories for 3rd-8th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
Book Club Edition from Quality Paperback Book Club
for 3rd-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Tales from Shakespeare - Guide
by Matt Whitling
from Logos School
for 5th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$12.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Teaching Shakespeare: Yes You Can!
by Lorraine Hopping Egan
from Scholastic Professional Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Tempest, The
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
by William Shakespeare
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Twelfth Night
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
by William Shakespeare
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Twelfth Night for Kids
Shakespeare Can Be Fun
by Christine Coburn, Lois Burdett
from Firefly Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
Usborne World of Shakespeare
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
Shakespeare Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
Usborne World of Shakespeare
by Anna Claybourne, Rebecca Treays
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne World of Shakespeare
Usborne Internet-Linked
from Usborne
Shakespeare Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
Well-Loved Tales from Shakespeare
by Bernard Miles, illustrated by Victor Ambrus
from Hamlyn
for 4th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Will Shakespeare and the Globe Theater
World Landmark #21
by Anne Terry White, illustrated by C. Walter Hodges
from Random House
for 5th-9th grade
in World Landmark Books (Location: VIN-LAN)
William Shakespeare
by Iris Noble
from Julian Messner
for 4th-7th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
William Shakespeare's Star Wars Part the Fourth
William Shakespeare Star Wars #4
by Ian Doescher
Advance Reading Copy from Quirk Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI)
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