Shakespeare for Dummies [Paperback]

John Doyle (Author), Ray Lischner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 1999

“Shakespeare For Dummies is exquisite.”
—from the Foreword by Dame Judi Dench, star of “Mrs. Brown” and "Shakespeare in Love"

“What the film Shakespeare in Love has done to make Shakespeare the man accessible to a general audience, this book will do to make Shakespeare the writer enjoyable.”
—Charlotte J.Headrick, PhD, Professor and Director, Theater Arts, Oregon State University

Does the thought of sitting through A Midsummer Night’s Dream give you nightmares? Did Romeo and Juliet seem like a foreign film—without the subtitles? As John Doyle and Ray Lischner prove in this uniquely accessible guide, Shakespeare is not only the greatest writer who ever lived, he’s also a great entertainer—once you get a handle on his wild plots and witty wordplay. Under their guidance, you’ll:

• Go inside an Elizabethan theater—and find out how they managed with almost no seats, no roof and no women onstage
• Get a handle on Shakespeare’s language—including all those racy puns and jokes
• Maximize your enjoyment of his plays and poetry
• Identify contemporary idioms and phrases that come from Shakespeare’s plays
• Find Shakespeare festivals and performances in your area
• Catch ten of the best show ever made of the Bard’s plays and meet ten of the greatest Shakespearean actors of all time

In simple, straightforward language, this friendly guide eases you into the wild, wonderful world of Shakespeare. With the help of snappy summaries and scorecards that help you keep track of who’s who, who’s in love with whom, and who’s killed whom in every play, it helps you:

• Understand Shakespeare the person, his life and times and what makes him so special
• Make sense of Shakespearean language and why it sounds the way it does
• Get the inside track on the kinds of stories, characters and settings found in Shakespeare’s plays
• Appreciate Shakespeare’s sonnets and other non-dramatic poetry

A royal feast for the head and heart, Shakespeare’s works have been thrilling audiences for four centuries, as they will four hundred years from now. Now let Shakespeare For Dummies help you to enjoy one the world’s great literary treasures.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Had Shakespeare for Dummies been around in the days of the Bard, perhaps Puck would have had no reason to opine, "Oh what fools these mortals be." Despite its title, this introduction to the playwright's life and plays comes with quite a pedigree: written by John Doyle, a Shakespeare scholar and former Artistic Director of the Theatre Royal York, and Ray Lischner, a Shakespearean actor and director, this guide book even boasts a short foreword by Dame Judi Dench. Since it's a scant two paragraphs long, perhaps she intended it as a jacket testimonial. And though the approach is lighthearted, there's nothing lightweight about the treatment given such wide-ranging subjects as Shakespeare's sources, the themes of his plays, the political and social issues that influenced him, and even the Aristotelian rules that applied to comedy and tragedy. Then there are the plot synopses, a glossary of Elizabethan English, and guidelines for how to read a play or the sonnets, as well as how to prepare for viewing a theatrical performance. There's also a list of versions available on video at the end of each play's synopsis. And finally, Doyle and Lischner offer their Top 10 lists, including the 10 best places to see a play, the top 10 Shakespearean performers, the 10 most common phrases, and 10 modern shows based on Shakespeare's plays. Perfect for students or anyone hoping to brush up on the Bard, this Shakespeare for Dummies ain't anybody's fool. --Alix Wilber

From Library Journal

This latest "Dummies" discusses all areas of Shakespeare study, including Shakespeare's life and world and his use of language. Sections cover the plays and poetry, examine plots and settings, identify major characters, and summarize each act as well as the major sonnets. The text offers little criticism. Baseball-type scorecards are included to engage people in watching the plays, which may invite writing in the book. Written in standard "Dummies" format, with cartoons and icons, the text contains all the basic information about Shakespeare and will appeal to those who think Shakespeare is too old-fashioned for the computer age. The authors emphasize Shakespeare's influence on today's world. Doyle has been artistic director of several regional British theaters, and Lischner, an amateur actor and director, teaches and writes about computer programming at Oregon State. Recommended for public libraries.AShana C. Fair, Ohio Univ., Zanesville
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764551353
• ISBN-13: 978-0764551352
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #90,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, funny, and informative!, October 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Shakespeare for Dummies (Paperback)

Shakespeare isn't dull when you read Shakespeare for Dummies. It starts with an overview of Shakespeare's life and world. It tells you what you need to know about Shakespeare's language, plays, and poetry, without burdening you with stuffy academic claptrap. Summaries of every play tell you about the play prior to watching it on stage or on screen. This book is for everyone--Lit. majors, actors, or if you just want to know more about Shakespeare.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Shakespeare dummy no more, May 8, 2004

By 

orbit13 "orbit13" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shakespeare for Dummies (Paperback)

"Exquisite," as Judi Dench writes in her forward, a treat for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare and an accessible guide for those who want to learn more about him and his work. Authors John Doyle and Ray Lischner are acutely attune to the difficulties one faces when encountering Shakespeare, whether for pleasure or required reading, and pare down the excesses of language into a digestible, humorous guide.

Act-by-act summaries of the plays form the bulk of this book, but a biography and introduction to the Elizabethan era (Chapter 2, "Will's World") as well as the essentials to understanding Shakespeare's work receive a fair amount of attention. Part II is devoted entirely to language, with a small glossary of commonly used words and keys to the many puns and jokes in the plays. Particularly helpful is Chapter 6, "How to Read Shakespeare's English." In Part III, the authors introduce structure, themes, and common character types and explore the actual staging of a play. In addition to his dramatic works, the book also discusses Shakespeare's sonnets and various other poems.

You'll find these elements in many introductory works, but few contain as much information and are as easy to read. The authors do all they can to facilitate modern readers - scorecards to track characters and their actions, video suggestions, photos from stage and film productions, and international festivals. After reading this book, you'll be ready to discuss any topic on Shakespeare, from the ten greatest Shakespearean performers to the Dark Lady of the sonnets to whether "Cymbeline" is a comedy, tragedy, or history.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare for you and I, April 16, 2000

By 

Les Borean "Les Borean" (So-Cal) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shakespeare for Dummies (Paperback)

This book is brought to you by the same folks who publish all the ". . . For Dummies" books for learning computer programs. I have been known to snicker at these books, as I'm rather computer-dweebic, and don't need computer-dummy books.

It turns out that my next screenplay involves Shakespeare, and before I started writing, I needed to do some research on the bloke and his works. At the local library, I found "Shakespeare for Dummies." I scanned the book, then nearly choked on swallowing a dollop of pride as I toted the book through the checkout.

It's not easy to be expert at something and at the same time to be able to explain it clearly to beginners (or dummies). These authors definitely do have that talent.

Open the cover, and first thing, there's a listing of all of the dude's plays with a one or two sentence summary -- the lay of the land!

The book goes on to cover the life and times of William; explanations of his brand of English, the theatrical world he worked in, etc. Deeper into the book, there are two- to three-page summaries of each play, with recommendations for videos of each play.

The authors' wholistic approach is very informative, and they take a good-natured approach to a topic that could be oh-so-scholarly.

My screenplay, by the way, is titled Learning Shakespeare. The irony of it all.