Othello (Cambridge School Shakespeare) [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Jane Coles (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521618762 | ISBN-13: 978-0521618762 | Publication Date: December 19, 2005 | Edition: 2

This new edition of Othello is part of the established Cambridge School Shakespeare series and has been substantially updated with new and revised activities throughout. Remaining faithful to the series' active approach it treats the play as a script to be acted, explored and enjoyed. As well as the complete script of Othello, you will find a variety of classroom-tested activities, an eight-page colour section and an enlarged selection of notes including information on characters, performance, history and language.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

This new edition of Othello is part of the established Cambridge School Shakespeare series and has been substantially updated with new and revised activities throughout. Remaining faithful to the series' active approach it treats the play as a script to be acted, explored and enjoyed. As well as the complete script of Othello, you will find a variety of classroom-tested activities, an eight-page colour section and an enlarged selection of notes including information on characters, performance, history and language.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (December 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521618762
• ISBN-13: 978-0521618762
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > History

More About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for teachers, February 10, 2010

By 

aileen oconnell "sefe" (yorkshire) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Othello (Cambridge School Shakespeare) (Paperback)

Worlds better than Folger's - I recommend the Cambridge series to more academically inclined teachers. It's peppered with background information, philosophical questions and discussion ideas. Do yourself a favor and buy a Cambridge the next time you're teaching Shakespeare.

1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle version very difficult to read, June 22, 2011

By 

Thomas C. Hicks (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Othello (Cambridge School Shakespeare) (Kindle Edition)

I agree with the previous reviewer - The Cambridge School Shakespeare series is outstanding. As a homeschooling parent I have been able to teach Shakespeare using the extensive notes, illustrations, vocabulary and other tools in the Cambridge Shakespeare texts.

The structure of the paper version of these books is very conducive to reading the play and studying it. Unfortunately the structure of the electronic version is very difficult to read. The notes are mixed in with the text randomly, not put in linked footnotes or end notes as one may expect. Thus as you read your Kindle version expect to be forced to either jump pages frequently or simply move back and forth from the Bard's text to the editors explanatory notes. It makes following the flow of the text extremely difficult!

If you are interested in the electronic version of this text you really should check a sample first (wish I had!) to be sure you can follow this confusing chaos of literature.