What Would Shakespeare Do?: Personal Advice from the Bard (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "I often wonder what someone from the distant past would think of our modern life, if he or she were suddenly plopped down in the..." (more)
Key Phrases: King Lear, King Henry, Twelfth Night (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This breezy popularization endeavors to make Shakespeare as digestible as a Dear Abby column, with predictably inane results. Winfield, co-author of the stage comedy The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) takes Shakespearean snippets and uses them as starting points for short homilies on topics such as time-management, sexual relations and seizing the day. But mining Shakespeare for platitudes doesn't make Shakespeare more relevant to self-helpers or platitudes more profound. Bromides about real beauty coming from within (Antonio's "None can be called deformed but the unkind" bit in Twelfth Night) are unswervingly stale, especially when taken out of their poetic or dramatic context. Nor will Winfield's perversely shallow glosses-a scene from Lear's blasted heath becomes a reminder to use sunscreen, while MacBeth's bleak "To-morrow and to-morrow" soliloquy prompts a rant against drive-time shock jocks-win Shakespeare any converts. The author calls Hamlet's Polonius a "windbag" full of "verbose blather" and "twaddle," but then approvingly cites said windbag as an authority on friendship, wardrobe, debt and the meaning of life. In the end, good advice-even the Bard's-is dull; what makes us laugh and weep are Shakespeare's insights into why people don't follow it.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

In three dozen plays and 150 sonnets, William Shakespeare probed the human spirit with unparalleled insight. What Would Shakespeare Do? uncovers for the modern reader all the personal advice contained in the Bard's immortal words. Using the same blend of history, drama, and earthy humor that characterizes Shakespeare's work, this book explores ideas that still resonate today: sex and love, youth and aging, morals and the meaning of life. As in What Would Buddha Do?, each page features a question about a modern-day dilemma followed by a quote from Shakespeare and an illuminating commentary by the author. Whether read as a diversion for the Shakespeare buff, an imaginative self-help book, or a unique introduction to the Bard, What Would Shakespeare Do? proves true the words of Ben Jonson that Shakespeare "was not of an age but for all time."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Ulysses Press, Seastone (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569752257
• ISBN-13: 978-1569752258
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,282,978 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One Person's Connection of Shakespeare to Today, November 19, 2000

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

I was attracted to this book by having enjoyed seeing Jess Winfield's hilarious play, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), in London. I knew that Winfield would offer good humor for the reader.

Many recent books about Shakespeare have turned him into an expert on management. This is the first attempt I am aware of at making Shakespeare a self-help expert.

The effect is essentially to make Shakespeare more relevant to the modern world by translating his messages into our current circumstances.

Winfield poses one question at the top of each page, for about a hundred contemporary issues. Then, he quotes Shakespeare. Each quote is a famous one, if you pay any attention at all to Shakespeare. Then, he expands on what Shakespeare meant, and provides Winfield's own contemporary thoughts. As Winfield says in the introduction, the book is often "What Would Jess Winfield Do? . . . as illustrated by the words of William Shakespeare."

As an example, one of the questions is "What would Shakespeare do about designer labels?" The answer is Juliet's from Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet . . . ." He then goes on to tell a story about someone who was into buying designer clothes, and couldn't enjoy something that looked great but was a knock-off at a modest price.

The key limitation then, of this book, is Jess Winfield. As he forthrightly points out, he has "no training in pscyhology or social work." He has "never raised a child, and . . . has plenty of personal quirks and character flaws." "I'm not even a Shakespeare scholar."

Although he doesn't say so, it looks like the way the book was written was to start with the quotes from Shakespeare. Then, he probably developed a humorous, contemporary question to fit the quote. At that point, he filled in around the edges with personal anecdotes.

If you read this book as a humorous connection between Shakespeare and today's world, then you will like this book. If you take it literally, you may not like it at all. Most of the questions and answers will simply not make a lot of sense to you.

I've evaluated the book against Winfield's stated purpose, to "draw out of ourselves the qualities [Shakespeare] champions: practicality, compassion, humility, generosity, honesty and tolerance." By having considered Shakespeare, Winfield feels like he has "caught a glimpse of the man behind the quill pen . . . ." and wants to share that glimpse with us.

I graded the book down one star because I found that the book could have used more Shakespeare and less Winfield. I also think the book needed either different questions or fewer questions. A lot of them are either very trivial or repetitive (like the series about eating meat).

Young people often don't read much Shakespeare now. Shakespeare has retreated from the English department curricula in many schools. Don't tell anyone, but he is a dead white European male.

For those with a sense of humor, this book is probably a good way to help inject a little Shakespeare into the unread, unconsidered life of a young person. That's quite a worthwhile thing to do. I applaud Mr. Winfield for both conceiving and taking on the task. If you know such a person, this could be a worthy gift.

After you have finished working with the Bard here, I suggest that you actually read some of Shakespeare's plays. All's Well That Ends Well could be a theme for considering the Presidential post-election recount.

Look for the timeless truths, "O Brave New World."

5.0 out of 5 stars A warm, enjoyable, and often funny reflection on the Bard, November 21, 2000

By	Robert Forward "Bob Forward" (Chatsworth, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jess Winfield may profess that he is not an authority on Shakespeare's works, but he sure knows them better than most people. This book is a gently thoughtful and often amusing read for anyone fond of Shakespeare or indeed, of life in general. And since the author's interpretations of Shakespeare's writings (as a guide in addressing modern problems) are by his own admission subjective, there is plenty of room for spirited discussion with friends and co-workers. A light, quick, and thought-provoking read.