The Tempest (New Folger Library) [Mass Market Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0671722905 | ISBN-13: 978-0671722906 | Edition: Reprint

This New Folger Library edition of Shakespeare's The Tempest puts readers in touch with current ways of thinking about Shakespeare. The freshly edited text is based directly on what the editors consider the best early printed version of the play. Includes explanatory notes, introduction, essay and illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"David Lindley's Tempest is the best edition on the market. [...] If I were ever again to undertake the editing of a Shakespeare play, I would keep Lindley's edition of The Tempest open beside me."
-Studies in Theatre and Performance (UK)

"[Lindley's] edition meets the high standards of the series in an exemplary manner, offering an especially fine introduction."
-Studies in English Literature

"David Lindley's edition of The Tempest is easily the most outstanding version of this ostensibly straightforward yet hugely teasing play produced over the last thirty years. Its precise and scrupulous commentary notes are careful to the variety of ways the text can be spoken on stage. Its notes on the music and songs are admirably evocative, and its economical account of the huge range of critical views will send thousands of readers out in fruitful chases after the play's own multitudinous interests.
- Andrew Gurr, editor of the forthcoming New Variorum Tempest --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Washington Square Press; Reprint edition (May 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671722905
• ISBN-13: 978-0671722906
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #999,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Why to buy the Arden Edition of The Tempest March 11, 2011

By pandajama

Format:Paperback

I looked over the 48 other reviews of this book and found that just one of them reviews the Arden edition, which is the page all these reviews are on, and the page this review of mine is meant for.

First, anyone who looks at what Amazon reviewers think of Shakespeare before deciding to buy a Shakespeare play is going about it wrong. I can't even fathom what motivates people to write an Amazon review and say things like "I read this play and it sucked." Good grief, people, this is Shakespeare, the preeminent artist of the English language. You're welcome to your opinions, but I think Shakespeare's reputation will withstand the amazon.com review page.

As for the Arden edition: I've looked at many and read a few different editions, and this one wins for several reasons. The notes are outstanding even for Arden's generally high standards. The editors do a wonderful job not just of clarifying the language but also highlighting in an unobtrusive way the subtleties of the drama.

Better still is their long introduction, which is beautifully written and comprehensive. A very fine work (you'll want to read it *after* you've read the play, of course.)

And I also want to mention that the book itself is incredibly sturdy -- I am hard on books and like all the Ardens, this is one tough book. Very strongly bound with good paper and covers. It seems kind of silly, but that sort of thing matters to me in a book I intend to read more than once.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Best! November 17, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Book Review For The Tempest, by Shakespeare

The Tempest is a play like no other works of Shakespeare. The play starts out with an array of colorful characters, which are easy to loathe or become friendly with through out the play. Page after page of reading, you find out more about the characters lives and roles in the play. The play has, in the beginning, almost all of the characters trapped on a boat in the middle of a tempest (a storm)-hence the name of the play. This being Shakespeare's last play, he hid some messages in the speeches of Prospero. One of these speeches is in the epilogue. The other is in a speech that Prospero recites from a play which Shakespeare took from the famous Greek playwright, Ovid. Shakespeare shows this by saying that he will, "Drown his book" and, " Break his staff" as well as, " Let your indulgence set me free" to hint of Shakespeare's retirement as a playwright. Prospero was my favorite character in the play. He had shown a large display of trickery, genius, and brainpower, to be able to set up the whole scenario of placing the people on the island in such strategic places. I recommend this play because it is one of my favorites, of all the works of Shakespeare. The Tempest is a wonderful play for people of all ages to read, act out, or to just have some fun.

By Andrew Katz, Grade 9

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent activity based edition February 1, 2007

By Bruno

Format:Paperback

The Tempest is rightly regarded as being one of the Bard's greatest works, containing some of his deepest thoughts on the nature of power and the relationship between rational man as controller of nature, and the animal man always to be at the mercy of the passions both of himself, others, and the world around him. In fact, this play could be thought of as representing Shakespeare's final and definitive statement on topics that he had explored throughout his cannon. But profound as the philosophy is, and despite the beauty of the poetry and the many magical elements contained within the play, the fact is that as far as the average attention lacking teenager is concerned, not a lot happens. This is why this Cambridge schools edition scores over most others. It is almost entirely activity focused, the expressed aim being to 'bring the play to life'. With at least one suggested activity beside each page of Shakespeare's text (as well as a decent amount of background notes and interpretation), every teacher armed with this book should be able to enthuse his charges with the very real relevance of this play to the world which we have bequeathed them.