Much Ado About Nothing William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2991 urn:isbn:1903436834 en 1600 Romance Plays Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. First published in 1600, it is likely to have been first performed in the autumn or winter of 1598-1599, and it remains one of Shakespeare's most enduring and exhilarating plays on stage. Stylistically, it shares numerous characteristics with modern romantic comedies including the two pairs of lovers, in this case the romantic leads, Claudio and Hero, and their comic counterparts, Benedick and Beatrice. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2991.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2991.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2991.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2991.mobi Macbeth William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2935 urn:isbn:0521606861 en 1606 Plays Macbeth is among the best-known of William Shakespeare's plays, and is his shortest tragedy, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606. It is frequently performed at both amateur and professional levels, and has been adapted for opera, film, books, stage and screen. Often regarded as archetypal, the play tells of the dangers of the lust for power and the betrayal of friends. For the plot Shakespeare drew loosely on the historical account of King Macbeth of Scotland by Raphael Holinshed and that by the Scottish philosopher Hector Boece. There are many superstitions centred on the belief the play is somehow "cursed", and many actors will not mention the name of the play aloud, referring to it instead as "The Scottish play". (From Wikipedia) http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2935.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2935.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2935.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2935.mobi Hamlet William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2846 urn:isbn:074347712X en 1599 Plays Hamlet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601. The play, set in Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father, the King, and then taken the throne and married Hamlet's mother. The play vividly charts the course of real and feigned madness—from overwhelming grief to seething rage—and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2846.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2846.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2846.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2846.mobi Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2936 urn:isbn:0486275574 en 1597 Romance Plays Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written early in the career of William Shakespeare about two teenage "star-cross'd lovers" whose untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding households. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal "young lovers". (From Wikipedia) http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2936.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2936.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2936.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2936.mobi The Merchant of Venice William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2989 urn:isbn:0521618754 en 1598 Plays The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Although classified as a comedy in the First Folio, and while it shares certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps more remembered for its dramatic scenes, and is best known for the character of Shylock. The title character is the merchant Antonio, not the Jewish moneylender Shylock, who is the play's most prominent and more famous villain. Though Shylock is a tormented character, he is also a tormentor, so whether he is to be viewed with disdain or sympathy is up to the audience (as influenced by the interpretation of the play's director and lead actors). As a result, The Merchant of Venice is often classified as one of Shakespeare's problem plays. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2989.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2989.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2989.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2989.mobi Julius Caesar William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2942 urn:isbn:0174435908 en 1599 Plays Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the conspiracy against the Roman dictator of the same name, his assassination and its aftermath. It is one of several Roman plays that he wrote, based on true events from Roman history, which also include Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. Although the title of the play is Julius Caesar, Caesar is not the central character in its action; he appears in only three scenes, and is killed at the beginning of the third act. The protagonist of the play is Marcus Brutus, and the central psychological drama is his struggle between the conflicting demands of honour, patriotism, and friendship. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2942.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2942.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2942.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2942.mobi Othello William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2941 urn:isbn:0521618762 en 1603 Plays Othello, The Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare based on the short story "Moor of Venice" by Cinthio, believed to have been written in approximately 1603. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, his wife Desdemona, his lieutenant Cassio, and his trusted advisor Iago. Attesting to its enduring popularity, the play appeared in 7 editions between 1622 and 1705. Because of its varied themes — racism, love, jealousy and betrayal — it remains relevant to the present day and is often performed in professional and community theatres alike. The play has also been the basis for numerous operatic, film and literary adaptations. (From Wikipedia) http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2941.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2941.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2941.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2941.mobi The Tempest William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3000 urn:isbn:0521618789 en 1611 Plays The Tempest is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. It is generally dated to 1610-11 and accepted as the last play written solely by him, although some scholars have argued for an earlier dating. While listed as a comedy in its initial publication in the First Folio of 1623, many modern editors have relabelled the play a romance. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3000.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3000.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3000.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3000.mobi King Lear William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2940 urn:isbn:1903436591 en 1606 Plays King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1603 and 1606, and is considered one of his greatest works. The play is based on the legend of King Leir of Britain. It has been widely adapted for stage and screen, with the part of Lear being played by many of the world's most accomplished actors. (From Wikipedia) http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2940.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2940.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2940.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2940.mobi Antony and Cleopatra William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2943 urn:isbn:1904271014 en 1623 Plays Antony and Cleopatra is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It was first printed in the First Folio of 1623. The plot is based on Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Life of Markus Antonius and follows the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony from the time of the Parthian War to Cleopatra's suicide. The major antagonist is Octavius Caesar, one of Antony's fellow triumvirs and the future first emperor of Rome. The tragedy is a Roman play characterized by swift, panoramic shifts in geographical locations and in registers, alternating between sensual, imaginative Alexandria and the more pragmatic, austere Rome. Many consider the role of Cleopatra in this play one of the most complex female roles in Shakespeare's work. She is frequently vain and histrionic, provoking an audience almost to scorn; at the same time, Shakespeare's efforts invest both her and Antony with tragic grandeur. These contradictory features have led to famously divided critical responses. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2943.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2943.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2943.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2943.mobi The Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2999 urn:isbn:0451526791 en 1594 Plays The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare. It was one of his earlier plays, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594. The play begins with a framing device in which a drunkard is deceived into thinking he is a nobleman who then watches the "play" itself, which depicts a nobleman, Petruchio, who marries an outspoken, intelligent, and bad-tempered shrew named Katherina. Petruchio manipulates and "tames" her until she is obedient to his will. The main subplot features the courting of Katherina's more conventional sister Bianca by numerous suitors. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2999.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2999.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2999.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2999.mobi Twelfth Night William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3008 urn:isbn:0199536090 en 1601 Plays Twelfth Night, Or What You Will is a comedy by William Shakespeare, based on the short story "Of Apolonius and Silla" by Barnabe Rich. It is named after the Twelfth Night holiday of the Christmas season. It was written around 1601 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The main title is believed to be an afterthought, created after John Marston premiered a play titled What You Will during the course of the writing. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3008.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3008.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3008.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3008.mobi Troilus and Cressida William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3007 urn:isbn:0199536538 en 1602 Plays Troilus and Cressida is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1602. The play (also described as one of Shakespeare's problem plays) is not a conventional tragedy, since its protagonist (Troilus) does not die. The play ends instead on a very bleak note with the death of the noble Trojan Hector and destruction of the love between Troilus and Cressida. Throughout the play, the tone lurches wildly between bawdy comedy and tragic gloom, and readers and theatre-goers have frequently found it difficult to understand how one is meant to respond to the characters. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3007.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3007.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3007.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3007.mobi As You Like It William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2972 urn:isbn:0192834193 en 1600 Plays As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare based on the novel Rosalynde by Thomas Lodge, believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600. It features one of Shakespeare's most famous and oft-quoted lines, "All the world's a stage", and has been adapted for radio, film, and musical theatre. (From Wikipedia) http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2972.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2972.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2972.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2972.mobi The Comedy of Errors William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2973 urn:isbn:0486424618 en 1594 Plays The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful beatings, a near-incestuous seduction, the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus, and accusations of infidelity, theft, madness, and demonic possession. (From Wikipedia) http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2973.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2973.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2973.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2973.mobi Timon of Athens William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2951 urn:isbn:0192814974 en 1623 Plays The Life of Timon of Athens is a play by William Shakespeare about the legendary Athenian misanthrope Timon (and probably influenced by the eponymous philosopher, as well), generally regarded as one of his most obscure and difficult works. Originally grouped with the tragedies, it is generally considered such, but some scholars group it with the problem comedies. (From Wikipedia) http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2951.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2951.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2951.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2951.mobi All's Well That Ends Well William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2970 urn:isbn:0199537127 en 1608 Plays All's Well That Ends Well is a play by William Shakespeare, originally classified as a comedy, though now often counted as one of his problem plays, so-called because they cannot be easily classified as tragedy or comedy. It was probably written in later middle part of Shakespeare's career, between 1601 and 1608, and was first published in the First Folio in 1623. The name of the play comes from the proverb All's well that ends well, which means that problems do not matter so long as the outcome is good. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2970.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2970.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2970.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2970.mobi Henry V William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3029 urn:isbn:0199536511 en 1599 History Plays Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in 1599. It is based on the life of King Henry V of England, and focuses on events immediately before and after the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years' War. The play is the final part of a tetralogy, preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, part 1 and Henry IV, part 2. The original audiences would thus have already been familiar with the title character, who was depicted in the Henry IV plays as a wild, undisciplined lad known as "Prince Hal." In Henry V, the young prince has become a mature man and embarks on an attempted conquest of France. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3029.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3029.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3029.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3029.mobi Henry IV, Part 1 William Shakespeare http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3023 urn:isbn:0199536139 en 1597 History Plays Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second of Shakespeare's tetralogy that deals with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV (2 plays), and Henry V. Henry IV, Part 1 depicts a span of history that begins with Hotspur's battle at Homildon against the Douglas late in 1402 and ends with the defeat of the rebels at Shrewsbury in the middle of 1403. From the start it has been an extremely popular play both with the public and the critics. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3023.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3023.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3023.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3023.mobi Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen http://www.feedbooks.com/book/52 urn:isbn:0553213105 en 1813 Novels Romance Pride And Prejudice, the story of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her five daughters is one of the best-loved and most enduring classics in English literature. Excitement fizzes through the Bennet household at Longbourn in Hertfordshire when young, eligible Mr. Charles Bingley rents the fine house nearby. He may have sisters, but he also has male friends, and one of these—the haughty, and even wealthier, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy—irks the vivacious Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the Bennet girls. She annoys him. Which is how we know they must one day marry. The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and Darcy is a splendid rendition of civilized sparring. As the characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, Jane Austen's radiantly caustic wit and keen observation sparkle. http://www.feedbooks.com/book/52.png http://www.feedbooks.com/book/52.pdf http://www.feedbooks.com/book/52.epub http://www.feedbooks.com/book/52.mobi