Shakespeare Criticism

This short biography of William Shakespeare by world famous writer Bill Bryson brims with the author’s inimitable wit and intelligence. Includes an exclusive Q&A session with the author. Shakespeare’s life, despite the scrutiny of generations of biographers and scholars, is still a thicket...

Brought to you by Penguin. Discover the work of the greatest writer in the English language as you've never encountered it before by listening to internationally renowned actor Dame Judi Dench's SHAKESPEARE: The Man Who Pays The Rent - a witty, insightful journey through the plays and tales of...

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic prose and verse read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of This Is Shakespeare, written and read by Emma Smith. A genius and prophet whose timeless works encapsulate the human condition like no others. A writer who surpassed his contemporaries in vision, originality and literary mastery. Who wrote like an angel...

These remarkable letters represent a wealth of as-yet-undiscovered knowledge about Shakespeare's relationships, personality, and career as he carved out his place in the chaotic world of 16th-century London. Whether you are a Shakespeare scholar, merely a fan, or even if you have never read any of his works, the stories of the The Lost Letters will enthrall you with their fascinating and true tale.

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Retold by William Shakespeare and James Anthony, with a foreword by Stephen Fry. Read by Stephen Fry, Paapa Essiedu and the author. 'James Anthony has done something I would have confidently stated to be impossible. He has...

Shakespeare’s extraordinarily ordinary life condenses into a charming but brief biography in this arresting tale of love, loss and return. Beginning with the early departure to the final homecoming, Paul Menzer considers the wonder of Shakespeare’s story with the little facts we have about...

An electrifying new study that investigates the challenges of the Bard’s inconsistencies and flaws, and focuses on revealing—not resolving—the ambiguities of the plays and their changing topicality A genius and prophet whose timeless works encapsulate the human condition like no other. A...

Why Shakespeare? What explains our continued fascination with his poems and plays? In Living with Shakespeare, Susannah Carson invites 40 actors, directors, scholars, and writers to reflect on why his work is still such a vital part of our culture.

VOL. 4: THE ONLIE BEGETTER. Literary Stardom and Royal Patronage. (c. 1601 - death, 1616) Peter Ackroyd's insightful new biography positions Shakespeare in the close context of his world. In this way, Ackroyd not only richly conjures up the texture of Shakespeare's life, but also imparts an...

An engagingly annotated edition of Shakespeare’s famous star-crossed tragedy, with irreverent margin notes, historical context, informational sidebars, and more! Perfect for students, independent readers, and lifelong learners. Experience the Montagues and Capulets’ feud like never before...

Brought to you by Penguin. From 'Best of the Booker' winner Salman Rushdie, an incisive and inspiring collection of non-fiction essays, criticism and speeches that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the evolution of language and culture Gathering pieces written between 2003 and 2020...

Cleopatra is one of the most famous women in history - and thanks to Shakespeare, one of the most intriguing personalities in literature. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom delivers exhilarating clarity and invites us to look at this character as a flawed human who might be living in our world. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character: Just as we encounter one Anna Karenina or Jay Gatsby when we are in high school and college and another when we are adults, Bloom explains his shifting understanding of Cleopatra over the course of his own lifetime.

Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare's more brilliantly populated plays and remains among the most widely read. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom investigates Macbeth's interiority and unthinkable actions with razor-sharp insight, agility, and compassion. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character. The book also becomes an extraordinarily moving argument for literature as a path to and a measure of our humanity.

Ya seas un entusiasta de Shakespeare, un estudiante de literatura o alguien simplemente cautivado por el poder del lenguaje, “Shakespeare en Metáforas” ofrece una nueva perspectiva sobre cómo la maestría metafórica de Shakespeare moldea su legado. Sumérgete y redescubre al Bardo bajo una luz que nunca antes habías visto.

The discovery of a 16th century manuscript version of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 144 is the most important historical and literary find ever made relating to Shakespearean studies. The date of composition of this manuscript indicates ca.1577-78 when William Shakespere (the original spelling of his family name) was aged between 13-14 which would suggest that he couldn’t have written this Sonnet because he was too young.

What if Shakespeare understood you better than you understand yourself? In Shakespeare’s Heartbeat, actor Sofia Barclay examines 40 of Shakespeare’s most powerful sonnets as emotional guideposts for modern life. Blending personal insight with timeless poetry, she transforms these works into everyday tools for navigating love, heartbreak, desire and uncertainty.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE A BOSTON GLOBE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR This remarkable work about women writers in the English Renaissance explodes our notion of the Shakespearean period by drawing us into the lives of four women who were committed to their craft long before...

A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune keep hitting beleaguered English professor Jason Fitger right between the eyes in this hilarious and eagerly awaited sequel to the cult classic of anhedonic academe, the Thurber Prize-winning Dear...

In Richard III’s Bodies from Medieval England to Modernity, Jeffrey Wilson tracks disability over 500 years, from Richard’s own manuscripts, early Tudor propaganda, and x-rays of sixteenth-century paintings through Shakespeare’s soliloquies, into Samuel Johnson’s editorial notes, the first play produced by an African American Theater company, Freudian psychoanalysis, and the rise of disability theater.