Othello (Shakespeare Made Easy) [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Gayle Holste (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 2002

Here are the books that help teach Shakespeare plays without the teacher constantly needing to explain and define Elizabethan terms, slang, and other ways of expression that are different from our own. Each play is presented with Shakespeare's original lines on each left-hand page, and a modern, easy-to-understand "translation" on the facing right-hand page. All dramas are complete, with every original Shakespearian line, and a full-length modern rendition of the text. These invaluable teaching-study guides also include:



1. Helpful background information that puts each play in its historical perspective.



2. Discussion questions that teachers can use to spark student class participation, and which students can use as springboards for their own themes and term papers.



3. Fact quizzes, sample examinations, and other features that improve student comprehension of what each play is about.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

AT LAST—
Othello
IN LANGUAGE EVERYONE CAN UNDERSTAND

Shakespeare’s tragedy of the Moor whose love for Desdemona is destroyed by jealousy unfolds in easy-to-follow English as we speak it today. Othello’s passion and Iago’s treachery become clear in this straightforward modern version.

The complete original text is laid out side-by-side with a complete modern translation. You’ll find this book ideal for instant reference and understanding, whether you are reading Shakespeare for pleasure or studying for an exam.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (May 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764120581
• ISBN-13: 978-0764120589
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Education > Book Notes
  • #77 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Shakespeare, William
  • #82 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Drama > Playwrights, A-Z > ( S )

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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars helpful, January 15, 2007

By 

Jennifer Humphries "JHumphries_04" (FPO, AE United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Othello (Shakespeare Made Easy) (Paperback)

I have my degree in English... I like reading and teaching with this version as "help" not as a substitution. It gives a clearer understanding to Shakespeare for people who have difficulty with it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars shakespheare in todays dialect finally, January 1, 2010

By 

Matthew Bogusz (New Providence, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Othello (Shakespeare Made Easy) (Paperback)

I had to read this for an English class. Finally, I'm able to understand Shakespeare. Maybe the teach would have liked me to try to read it in in old English, but I'm not going to. It's written in today's English and I can read that so good.

3.0 out of 5 stars Better than Classics Illustrated, January 16, 2012

By 

Joe - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Othello (Shakespeare Made Easy) (Paperback)

The Shakespeare Made Easy series is a convenient way to make sure you understand the plot of each play. The current English "translation" is set out on the opposite page of the original language. You get the words but you don't get the meaning, the feeling, the essence that has kept these works alive for centuries. However, if this is your first exposure to Shakespeare, you at least learn the story which is usually better than the plots of most 21st century movies.