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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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Which Shakespeare Play Should I See?
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229 Items found Print
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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)
All the World's a Stage
by Rebecca Piatt Davidson, illustrated by Anita Lobel
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
All's Well That Ends Well
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.49
All's Well that Ends Well
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
for 10th grade-adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.50
All's Well That Ends Well
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Analytical Grammar High School Reinforcement: Shakespeare Plays
by Robin Finley & Erin Karl
from Analytical Grammar
for 9th-12th grade
in Analytical Grammar (Location: GRA-AG)
$20.00
Antony and Cleopatra
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
Historical Tragedy for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.00
Antony and Cleopatra
Oxford School Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare
from Oxford University
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.95
Antony and Cleopatra
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Simon and Schuster
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Antony and Cleopatra
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Simon and Schuster
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
As You Like It
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
Comedy for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$5.00
As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
from Oxford University
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.95
As You Like It
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
As You Like It
Illustrated Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare, illustrated by Hugh Thomson
from Gramercy Books
Comedy for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
As You Like It (No Fear Shakespeare)
by William Shakespeare
Study Guide ed. from Sparknotes
for 9th-12th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
As You Like It - Memoria Press Literature Set
from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$33.26
As You Like It - MP Student Guide
from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
As You Like It - MP Teacher Guide
from Memoria Press
for 8th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
Bard of Avon
by Diane Stanley & Peter Vennema
from William Morrow & Company
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99
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
$15.99
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
Bravo, Mr. William Shakespeare!
by Marcia Williams
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Brightest Heaven of Invention
by Peter Leithart
from Canon Press
for 10th-Adult
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$21.00
Brush Up Your Shakespeare!
by Michael Macrone, illustrated by Tom Lulevitch
from Harper & Row
for 6th-Adult
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Children's Shakespeare
by E. Nesbit
from Henry Altemus Company
for 4th-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
Comedy of Errors
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
for 10th grade-adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.00
Comedy Of Errors
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.49
Comedy Of Errors
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Comic Book Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
by William Shakespeare
Fir from Timber Frame
for 4th-6th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
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 - The Tempest
by William Shakespeare & Simon Graves
New edition from Timber Frame
for 4th-6th 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)
Complete Guide to Shakespeare's Best Plays
by Aileen M. Carroll
2 Revised
for 9th-12th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Illustrated Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare, edited by Howard Staunton, illustrated by Sir John Gilbert and Ray Abel
from Park Lane
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Complete Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare, edited by G. B. Harrison
from Harcourt Brace Jovanich
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Complete Sonnets
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
Lyrical Poetry for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.50 $2.00 (2 in stock)
Complete Works of William Shakespeare - 2 Volumes
by William Shakespeare
from Nelson Doubleday, Inc.
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Coriolanus
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Cymbeline
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.49
Cymbeline
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Fandex: Shakespeare
from Workman Publishing
for 4th-8th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Favorite Tales from Shakespeare
by Charles & Mary Lamb, illustrated by Donald Lynch
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 2nd-6th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Globe Restored
by C. Walter Hodges
2nd edition, 1st American Edition from Coward McCann
for 9th-Adult
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Great Scenes from Shakespeare's Plays - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by John Green & Paul Negri
from Dover Publications
Coloring Book for 2nd-6th grade
in Literary & Fantasy Coloring Books (Location: COL-LIT)
$7.99
Hamlet
The Pelican Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare
from Penguin Putnam
Tragedy for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Hamlet
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.00
Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
from Oxford University
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.95
Hamlet
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th grade-adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Hamlet
Illustrated Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare, illustrated by W. G. Simmonds
from Gramercy Books
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Hamlet (No Fear Shakespeare)
by William Shakespeare
Study Guide ed. from Sparknotes
for 9th-12th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.00 (3 in stock)
Hamlet - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Bethine Ellie
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$27.99 $17.00 (1 in stock)
Hamlet - Study Guide CD
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Bethine Ellie
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Interactive CDs (Location: LITSG-PPCD)
$14.00
Hamlet for Kids
Shakespeare Can Be Fun
by Lois Burdett, foreword by Kenneth Branagh
English Language from Firefly Books
for 1st-4th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
Henry IV Part I
by William Shakespeare, edited by Frederic W. Moorman
from D. C. Heath and Company
for 10th-Adult
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Henry IV, Part 1
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Henry IV, Part 2
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Henry IV, Part I
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.00
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)
Henry V
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.00
Henry V
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Henry V - MP Student Guide
by David M. Wright
3rd edition from Memoria Press
for 10th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
Henry V - MP Teacher Guide
by David M. Wright
3rd edition from Memoria Press
for 10th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
$13.50
Henry VI Part 1
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Henry VI Part 2
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Henry VI Part 3
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Henry VIII
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Histories of Shakespeare
by William Shakespeare, edited by Peter Alexander and illustrated by John Farleigh
from Heritage Press
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare
by Ken Ludwig
1st Paperback Edition from Broadway Books
for Adult
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$17.00 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare
by Willam Shakespeare, retold by Rosie Dickens and illustrated by Christa Unzer
from Usborne
for 2nd-5th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
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
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
Historical Tragedy for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$4.00
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)
$9.95
Julius Caesar
Barron's Shakespeare Made Easy
by William Shakespeare
1st U.S. from Barron's
Historical Tragedy for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Julius Caesar (No Fear Shakespeare)
by William Shakespeare
Study Guide ed. from Sparknotes
for 9th-12th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Julius Caesar - Guide CD
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Michael Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Interactive CDs (Location: LITSG-PPCD)
$13.00
Julius Caesar - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Michael Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$27.99
Julius Caesar With Reader's Guide - Set
by William Shakespeare, Helene Cunningham
from Amsco School Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
King John
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
King John and Henry VIII
by William Shakespeare
from Bantam Books
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$5.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
King Lear
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
Tragedy for Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$6.00
King Lear
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$5.24
King Lear
Shakespeare Made Easy
by William Shakespeare
1st edition from Barron's
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
King Lear
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
King Lear - MP Student Book
by William Shakespeare, David M. Wright
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
King Lear - MP Teacher Guide
by William Shakespeare, David M. Wright
1st edition from Memoria Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Memoria Press Literature & Poetry (Location: LITSG-MP)
King Richard III
Cambridge School Shakespeare Series
by William Shakespeare
from Cambridge University
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
King Richard III
Cambridge School Shakespeare Series
by William Shakespeare
from Cambridge University
Historical Drama for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$13.00
Love's Labor's Lost
Folger Shakespeare Library
by William Shakespeare
from Washington Square Press
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$9.99
Love's Labour's Lost
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.00
Macbeth
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales
by Leon Garfield (Abridgement), William Shakespeare
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Shakespeare Materials (Location: LIR-SHA)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
from Barron's
for 9th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Macbeth
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
for 10th-adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$5.00
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)
$9.95
Macbeth (Dover Study)
Dover Thrift Editions
by William Shakespeare
from Dover Publications
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Macbeth (No Fear Shakespeare)
by William Shakespeare
from Sparknotes
for 10th-Adult
in Renaissance & Reformation Literature (Location: LIT3-REN)
Macbeth - Guide CD
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Interactive CDs (Location: LITSG-PPCD)
$14.00
Macbeth - Progeny Press Study Guide
Progeny Press Literature Guides
by Rebecca Gilleland
from Progeny Press
Literature Guide for 9th-12th grade
in Progeny Press Literature Guides (Location: LIT-SGPP)
$27.99 $17.00 (1 in stock)
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