Romeo and Juliet (Access to Shakespeare) [Perfect Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Jonnie Patricia Mobley (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Access to Shakespeare

This edition offers a new way to read and study Romeo and Juliet - without distracting footnotes. A freshly edited version of the original text, incorporating the latest scholarship, appears opposite a modern English translation that parallels the original, line-for-line.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Are you frustrated by obscure words and unidiomatic phrases in Shakespeare's plays? The new "Access to Shakespeare" series removes the mystery, not the magic, from ROMEO AND JULIET, and makes reading or studying a breeze. This translation of ROMEO AND JULIET into contemporary English -- alongside the original text -- has modernized the difficult passages and expressions which used to make Shakespeare's language such heavy weather.

This unique translation is NOT a literal-minded prose version. It retains the feel and the rhythm of the original, letting you experience the play in the same enjoyable way an Elizabethan audience did. The text is immediately clear to today's readers, making those tedious footnotes unnecessary. You'll find easy-to-follow line numbering, and a glossary of place names and mythological references.

Are you a high school or junior-college student working on an assignment? Do you wish to preview the play before a performance, or are you perhaps learning English as a Second Language? This translation is ideal for you. You will never again hesitate to read ROMEO AND JULIET because you're mystified by lines such as, "Thou art uproused with some distemperature." The facing page of this edition of ROMEO AND JULIET makes clear what Shakespeare meant, "You are upset about something you want cured."

The translation reads like a modern book and it's fascinating.

About the Author

Jonnie Patricia Mobley, Ph.D., editor and translator of the "Access to Shakespeare" series, has taught theatre and drama at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California, and has directed the community theater there.

Because of her extensive theatrical experience, Dr. Mobley is familiar with the hesitation of modern readers to "tackle" Shakespeare. She recognized a great need to make it easier for students and adults alike to understand obscure words and phrases in ROMEO AND JULIET. This, in turn, gave rise to the creation of the translation into contemporary English.

Jonnie Patricia Mobley is also the author of "MANUAL for Romeo and Juliet: Original text and facing-pages translation into contemporary English" (ISBN 1885564031), "Play Production Today" ( ISBN 0844257753), and "The Dictionary of Theatre and Drama Terms" ( ISBN 0844253332).

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lorenz Educational Press; 2 Revised edition (July 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885564112
• ISBN-13: 978-1885564115
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,758 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Deceptive Advertising, March 23, 2006

By 

A Parent (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Romeo and Juliet Manual (Access to Shakespeare) (Paperback)

The Manual for Romeo and Juliet is not at all what it is advertised to be. It does NOT contain the original text of the play nor any "translation" of the play into modern English. It contains only brief summaries of the play's scenes and a modicum of analysis. If that is what you need, buy Cliff Notes for half the price.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Teaching "Romeo and Juliet", April 22, 2007

By 

Trinket (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Romeo and Juliet (Access to Shakespeare) (Perfect Paperback)

This book has saved me more than once! I used it just the other day when teaching the famous balcony scene, "What's in a name....". Out textbook suggested having the students translating this particular passage into modern English, but gave no translation. So, I pulled out this book and it saved the day! I also suggested it to another teacher who was having the same problem. It would be nice if a school district would purchase these books for all of their students (with today's budgets, that won't happen). This book is well worth the money spent.

2 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The classic love story, May 11, 2004

By 

Leonard student 9 (Wilmette, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Romeo and Juliet (Access to Shakespeare) (Perfect Paperback)

May 11, 2004
"Romeo and Juliet" is a simple love story that is brought to life by the poetry and beauty of Shakespeare's writing style. This is the story of two lovers who are caught between their feuding families and are unable to publicly show their affections. In the end they both die for their feelings conveying the message that love is the strongest bond between two people. The sonnet-like stanzas seems to breath life into the characters and create an emotional connection between the reader and the story. Shakespeare captures the deep feelings of each character by simply using powerful dialouge that leaves the reader breathless. I would recommend this play to anyone at an advanced reading level, since the language can at times be hard to decipher. This story will grab the hearts of even the toughest person, and bring tears to the eyes of those people who adore a good love story.