Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a paraphrased version and gives brief background on the author, the sources of the play, society in Elizabethan England, and the play's plot, themes, characters, and figures of speech.

Presents the original text of Shakespeare's play side by side with a modern version, with marginal notes and explanations and full descriptions of each character.

An aging warlord decides to split his kingdom between his three sons, who will live in three separate castles. The two eldest sons are quite happy, but the youngest thinks his father has gone mad, and predicts that it won't be long until the two older brothers are fighting with each other.

Examines Britain's grand literary masterpieces including the times and conditions they came from and the diverse issues with which their writers grappled.

For over 400 years, Shakespeare's plays have enthralled, moved, and enriched each new generation of readers and theatergoers. This lecture series builds the skills that allow you to reach your own understanding of the plays, to deeply comprehend Shakespeare's transcendent poetic language, the spellbinding world of his great characters and stories, and his revelatory reflections on human experience. The tools you learn are yours for years of enjoyment...

From classic poetry to pop lyrics, from Charles Dickens to Dolly Parton, even from Jesus to James Bond, Mark Forsyth explains the secrets that make a phrase--such as "O Captain! My Captain!" or "To be or not to be"--Memorable. In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you're aiming to achieve literary immortality or just...