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 .SphereA Guide to the Complete Works of William Shakespeare Summaries and Analyses of the Complete Works | Essays, Glossaries, Lists, Quotations, Texts Recommended as a Shakespeare Resource by The New York Times | May 2013 Copyright 2012, 2013 www.shakespearestudyguide.com |
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/Scroll Down to See the Complete Index Plot summaries of all
the plays,
including those of doubtful or joint authorship, such as Edward III,
The Two Noble Kinsmen, Sir Thomas More (partly written by
Shakespeare), and Cardenio (probably partly written by
Shakespeare). Criticism, sources, settings, dates, themes, and other
information.
The Sonnets .
Narrative
and Complaint PoemsThe Rape of Lucrece: Shakespeare's narrative poem resembling a revenge tragedy. This page summarizes the plot of the poem and includes information on the setting, sources, rhyme scheme, meter, and imagery. Venus and Adonis: Shakespeare's narrative love poem. This page summarizes the plot of the poem and includes information on the sources, rhyme scheme, meter, imagery, and ambiguities and double entendres. The Phoenix and the Turtle: Shakespeare poem characterized as an allegory and an elegy. This page provides historical background, an interpretation of the poem, and a discussion of symbolism, and other information. A Lover's Complaint: As the title suggests, this is a complaint poem, popular in medieval and Renaissance times. This guide provides a complete annotated text of the poem. It also provides information on the genre, on the rhyme scheme and meter, and on an authorship question. A summary is included. Shakespeare's Craft//////// How Shakespeare Prepared Manuscripts: Word choice, prompt copy, printing and registration, editing, pirated plays, texts.  Play
Drafts
and
Censorship:
What Shakespeare had to do to receive approval for a play.
Surviving Manuscripts: Do any of the original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays survive? Shakespeare's Writing Tools: All about Will's quills. Anatomy of a Shakespeare Play: Divisions of the script and the stage drama with a glossary of terms. The Worshipful Company of Stationers: Government trade organization that controlled the publishing industry. Shakespeare's Four Writing Periods: Discussion of Shakespeare's four writing periods: Early, Balanced, Overflowing, and Final. Blank Verse and Iambic Pentameter: Explanation of the verse form of Shakespeare's plays and poems. Prose vs Poetry and in the Plays: Why Shakespeare used three modes of expression. The difference between poetry and verse. What Is Meter in a Play or a Poem? Explanation of iamb, trochee, spondee, anapest, and other kinds of meter. Why Low-Tech Special Effects Made Shakespeare a Better Writer: All the action in a Shakespeare play took place on a small stage with only a painted back wall to suggest the setting. However, the lack of sophisticated devices to create illusions forced Shakespeare to use his writing genius to describe what the audience was supposed to see. Shakespeare's Swooping Imagery: Birds of prey help Shakespeare make apt comparisons. Allusions to Greek and Roman Mythology Allusions to the Bible Shakespeare's Use of Allusions and Direct References Thou or Thee? You or Ye? Rules governing the use of Shakespearean pronouns, including thou, thee, thy, thyself, thine, and ye. The Theatre Globe Theatre: Description, location, builders, actors, owners, sets, special effects, costumes, acoustics, motto of the playhouse. Stage Directions, Drama Terms: Definitions of alarum, aside, exeunt, exit, fair copy, foul papers, flourish, induction, master of revels, prologue, stationers' register, and other playwrighting terms used by Shakespeare. Why Low-Tech Special Effects Made Shakespeare a Better Writer: How lack of sophisticated special effects at the Globe Theatre affected Shakespeare's writing for the better. The article includes descriptions of effects to create thunder, introduce gods and demons, and release blood during swordplay. Shakespeare Films: The plays on DVD. Shakespeare in the Modern Era: The story of Harley Granville-Barker, the actor and producer who rescued Shakespeare from the overblown productions of the nineteenth century and laid the foundations for modern interpretations of the plays. Explanation of Folio and Quarto Texts: Definitions and descriptions of these printing terms used in Shakespeare's time.  Shakespeare's
Views
on
Acting:
Speaking
through
Hamlet,
Shakespeare
says
a
performer
must
exhibit
restraint
and
subtlety;
he
must
temper
his
emotions,
especially
when
he
thinks
a
passage
requires
outbursts
of
fury
and
frenzy.Shakespeare Festivals, Workshops and Theaters: List of Shakespeare events in the U.S. and foreign countries. Shakespeare's
Life  .London in 1600: Everyday Life, Occupations: In 1600, London was big and beautiful, dirty and dangerous. This page tells what everyday life was like for Shakespeare after he arrived in London from Stratford. Included is a glossary of the names of common occupations, such as ostler, turner, cooper, chandler, and saddler. The Age of Shakespeare: Shakespeare lived during a time of experiment, invention, discovery, and revolution. This essay looks at the major events of the epoch. Shakespeare's Taverns: Whenever an ill humor or a bleak sky oppressed Shakespeare during his theater years in London, he could count on a tavern to revitalize his spirits. This essay describes the typical taverns of Shakespeare's day.. . Glossaries and Lists Chronology of Shakespeare's Works: List of the probable dates when Shakespeare wrote his plays and poems. Shakespeare's Characters as Symbols: List of Shakespeare characters representing themes or motifs. Shakespeare Festivals, Workshops and Theaters: List of Shakespeare events in the U.S. and foreign countries. Glossary of Animals and Animal Parts in Witches' Brew (Macbeth): Definitions and descriptions of adder's fork, blindworm, newt, fillet of fenny, tiger's chaudron, and other ingredients that go into the cauldron. Glossary of Allusions to Greek and Roman Mythology 
Glossary
of
Common
Shakespeare
Words: Definitions and usage of words in Shakespeare's
plays and poems. These words include alack, avaunt, beseech,
cuckold, durst, ere, fain, forsooth, liege, orison, rheum, sirrah,
vouchsafe, wherefore, and zounds.Glossary of Drama Terms: Definitions of alarum, aside, exeunt, exit, fair copy, foul papers, flourish, induction, master of revels, prologue, stationers' register, and other playwrighting terms used by Shakespeare. Glossary of Elizabethan Occupations: From actor, apothecary, armorer, and cordwainer to skinner, tiler, and washerwoman. Glossary of Feudal Terms: Gallant knights, beautiful princesses, and clashing swords are the stuff of many Shakespeare plays, notably his histories. This page defines all of the major terms of feudalism. Glossary of Literary Terms: All the major literary terms explained, from allegory to zeugma. Included are some examples from Shakespeare's works. Glossary of Musical Instruments in Shakespeare's Time Glossary of Stage Directions: Explanation of such terms as alarum, aside, exeunt, induction, prologue, sennet, solus, arras, excursion, and flourish. List of Globe Theatre Actors: The names of the twenty-six actors who performed most frequently in Shakespeare's plays. Anatomy of a Shakespeare Play: Divisions of the script and the stage drama with a glossary of terms. Fascinating Facts About Shakespeare Kings and Queens of England: The royal line from the first monarch to the present. Lord Mayors of London: 1590-1616: List of all the lord mayors during Shakespeare's time in London. Royalty and Nobility: How They Ranked: In most of Shakespeare's plays–including Hamlet, King Lear, Richard III, Macbeth, As You Like It,The Tempest, and Measure for Measure–it was the high-born, the royals and nobles, who were the central focus. This page explains the ranking system. Thou or Thee? You or Ye? Rules governing the use of Shakespearean pronouns, including thou, thee, thy, thyself, thine and ye. What Is Meter in a Play or a Poem? Explanation of iamb, trochee, spondee, anapest, and dactyl, as well as monometer, dimeter, trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter, hexameter, heptameter, octameter, and catalexis. .
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Who
Quilled Shakespeare?
Debates flourish today on whether William Shakespeare really wrote the
plays and poems attributed to him. Among those promoted as the true
author of the plays and sonnets are Edward de Vere, Sir Henry Neville,
Christopher, Marlowe, Francis Bacon, William Stanley, and Queen
Elizabeth I. This essay maintains that evidence against Shakespeare is
weak and that there is no reason to doubt that William Shakespeare of
Stratford was indeed the author of the plays and sonnets.
New on This Site: The Complete Annotated Text of Macbeth With Numbered Lines New on This Site: The Complete Annotated Text of Romeo and Juliet With Numbered Lines Explanation of Folio and Quarto Texts: Definitions and descriptions of these printing terms used in Shakespeare's time. Quarto Editions of the Plays: Early editions that preceded the publication of the First Folio, a collection of plays published in 1623. First Folio and Early Quartos, U of Virginia: Free access to texts of great importance to researchers. Concordance: Open Source: Find any word or phrase in Shakespeare's works. Shakespearean Prompt Books: U of Virginia Expressions and Quotations Famous Sayings From Shakespeare: Fool's paradise, one fell swoop, cold comfort, elbow room, green-eyed monster, Greek to me, spotless reputation, strange bedfellows, too much of a good thing, eaten me out of house and home, it smells to heaven, the short and the long of it, and other expressions originated by Shakespeare. Shakespeare Quotations for All Occasions : A page of quotations from Shakespeare's plays and poems on a variety of subjects ranging from acting and adversity to words and the world. Curses and Insults in Shakespeare's Plays Glossary of Common Shakespeare Words: Definitions and usage of words in Shakespeare's plays and poems. These words include alack, avaunt, beseech, cuckold, durst, ere, fain, forsooth, liege, orison, rheum, sirrah, vouchsafe, wherefore, and zounds. Essays and Short Articles Shakespeare and Medicine: Discussion of Shakespeare’s knowledge of both physical and mental illness, as well as common diseases, disorders, and cures during his age. A glossary of afflictions appears at the end of the essay. Shakespeare and the Bible: Discussion of Shakespeare's allusions to Scripture. Shakespeare and Music: Discussion of the role of singers, instrumentalists, and dancers in Shakespeare's plays.  Shakespeare,
Shylock,
and
Anti-Semitism: This essay asserts that close scrutiny of The
Merchant of Venice reveals that Shakespeare wrote it mainly to
condemn the moral and ethical values of errant Christians, not Jews.Why Hamlet Did Not Become King of Denmark: Keen readers and audiences often ask why Claudius acceded to the throne in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Should not the crown have passed to the dead king’s son, Prince Hamlet? Romeo and Juliet: Why the Capulets and Montagues Hate Each Other: This essay provides the answer. Although Shakespeare himself did not address this question, the source play on which he based Romeo and Juliet identifies the cause of the feud. Titus Andronicus: Shrewd Business Coup: Aware that Elizabethan audiences had a huge appetite for bearbaiting, bullbaiting, dog-fighting, and cock-fighting, Shakespeare may have decided to give the people what they wanted—another bloody spectacle—when he staged Titus Andronicus, his goriest play. Troilus and Cressida: Tragedy of Ignorance: The real tragedy in this play lies in the major characters' ignorance of who they are and what spurs them to action. Troilus, Cressida, and other characters fail to learn from the mistakes they make. In Macbeth, True is False and Fair Is Foul: The world of Macbeth and his wife is a world of contradiction. Good is bad. True is false. Light is dark. Nothing is what it seems. Shakespeare holds up a mirror that reflects not only the outward substance of man but also his conflicting inner essence. This mirror reveals glory as blood-stained, safety as dangerous, friends as inimical. Fate vs Free Will in Shakespeare's Works: Is an individual in complete control of his destiny? The Suicides of Romeo and Juliet: Had the lovers lapsed into insanity? Why Low-Tech Special Effects Made Shakespeare a Better Writer: Discussion of how special effects at the Globe Theatre affected Shakespeare's writing for the better. The article includes descriptions of effects to create thunder, introduce gods and demons, and release blood during swordplay. Shakespeare's Ships: Ships are important turning points, or plot catalysts, in many of Shakespeare plays. Rather than mere vessels of haulage, ships are carriers of hope and despair, fortune and misfortune, death and rebirth. Shakespeare’s ships, in short, represent humankind on the sea of life encountering the most formidable of antagonists: caprice. Hamlet and Oedipus: This short article notes that Hamlet exhibits the symptoms of an Oedipus complex in his relationship with his mother, Gertrude, and stepfather-uncle, Claudius. The article also provides a brief summary of the Oedipus myth. Shakespeare's Swooping Imagery: Birds of prey help Shakespeare make apt comparisons. Portia: Mean, Detestable Hypocrite: Close examination of The Merchant of Venice reveals its leading lady, Portia, as deeply flawed and even detestable. Especially reprehensible is her racial bigotry. How Shakespeare Prepared Manuscripts: Writing tools, illumination, manuscript preparation, word choice, censorship, prompt copy, printing and registration, editing, meter, pirated plays, texts, glossary of drama terms. What Is Meter in a Play or a Poem? Explanation of iamb, trochee, spondee, anapest, and dactyl, as well as monometer, dimeter, trimeter, tetrameter, pentameter, hexameter, heptameter, octameter, and catalexis. Explanation of Folio and Quarto Texts: Definitions and descriptions of these printing terms used in Shakespeare's time. Shakespeare's Openings.Shakespeare knew how to open a play. Forging words into magical keys, he opened doors into the labyrinth of the human mind and bid the audience enter. Shakespeare's Blunders: Although William Shakespeare can stun audiences with the brilliance of his muse, his plays are not without shortcomings. This essay discusses them. Was Shakespeare a Plagiarist? Evidence indicates that Shakespeare is innocent of all charges of plagiarism. Authorship Question Feudalism: Gallant knights, beautiful princesses, and clashing swords are the stuff of many Shakespeare plays, notably his histories. This page explains feudalism. A glossary of feudal terms accompanies the explanation. Shakespeare's Use of Allusions and Direct References Shakespeare's Four Writing Periods: Analysis of Shakespeare's four writing periods: Early, Balanced, Overflowing, and Final. Blank Verse and Iambic Pentameter: Explanation of the verse form of Shakespeare's plays and poems. Prose vs Poetry and Verse in Shakespeare's Plays: Why Shakespeare used three modes of expression: prose, poetry, and verse. The difference between poetry and verse. Curses and Insults in Shakespeare's Plays Do you know the meaning of these
Shakespearean words? bezonian, exsufflicate, kersey,
lakin, lozel, mome,
quoif, and roynish?
Feudalism: Gallant knights, beautiful princesses, and clashing swords are the stuff of many Shakespeare plays, notably his histories. This page explains feudalism. Royalty and Nobility: How They Ranked: In most of Shakespeare's plays—including Hamlet, King Lear, Richard III, Macbeth, As You Like It,The Tempest, and Measure for Measure—it was the high-born, the royals and nobles, who were the central focus. This page explains the ranking system. Kings and Queens of England: The royal line from the first monarch to the present. Internet Sources Sources of Shakespeare Information: Thousands of books, journals, newsletters, and web sites devote themselves to Shakespeare and his works. Entire libraries reserve shelf space primarily for Shakespeare-related publications. Shakespeare students, teachers, and authors thus have an abundance of sources to tap when preparing essays, lesson plans, and books. Playing With Plays: Site that focuses on Shakespeare for children.
How to Write a Research Paper on Any Topic Shakespeare Films on DVD and VHS ..
About the Developer of This Site Michael J. Cummings, a native of Williamsport Pa., was a public-school teacher, journalist, freelance writer, author, and college instructor before retiring and devoting his time to writing. He graduated from King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and undertook additional studies at Elmira (N.Y) College and Lycoming College in Williamsport. He also underwent training at the American Press Institute. Mr. Cummings is the author of five books and more than 2,500 newspaper and magazine articles. Among those he interviewed were former U.S. President George W. Bush, actors Peter Ustinov and Dennis Weaver, Merrill-Lynch chairman William Schreyer, and Indy race-car champion Rich Mears. Mr. Cummings continues to reside in his hometown. He welcomes feedback at mcum.mings@mail.com |
