{"title":"Shakespeare books","description":"\u003cp\u003eOur collection of Shakespeare books features a range of titles from monologues to study guides, biographies to special edition playtexts. \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"as-you-like-it","title":"As You Like It","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith its explorations of sexual ambivalence, As You Like It speaks directly to the twenty-first century. Editor Juliet Dusinberre demonstrates that Rosalind's authority in the play grows from new ideas about women and reveals that Shakespeare's heroine reinvents herself for every age. But the play is also deeply rooted in Elizabethan culture and through it Shakespeare addresses some of the hotly debated issues of the period.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701276557384,"sku":"9780141396279","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396279.jpg?v=1720711902"},{"product_id":"the-two-noble-kinsmen","title":"The Two Noble Kinsmen","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsidered by Thomas de Quincey to be 'perhaps the most superb work in the language', The Two Noble Kinsmen is set in Athens and was co-written by Shakespeare with John Fletcher. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by N. W. Bawcutt with an introduction by Peter Swaab. 'Once, he kissed me. I loved my lips the better ten days after'. When Theseus, Duke of Athens, learns that the ruler of Thebes has killed three noble kings he swears to take revenge. But after Athens triumphs over the rival city, Theseus is struck by the bravery of two Theban cousins and orders his surgeons to attend to them. Soon, the cousins' lifelong friendship is threatened, as both become overwhelmed with love for the duke's beautiful sister.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to the play, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701276590152,"sku":"9780241200568","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780241200568.jpg?v=1722528178"},{"product_id":"henry-v","title":"Henry V","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the most well-loved of William Shakespeare's history plays, Henry V is the gripping conclusion to the story of young 'Prince Hal' begun in Henry IV, edited by A R Humphreys with an introduction by Ann Kaegi. 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers For he today that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother' Young King Henry wages war on France. But, tainted by his father's crimes, and with enemies among his own men, he must confront the difficult responsibilities of kingship. In rousing speeches, first at the siege of Harfleur where he urges his men 'Once more into the breach', and again on St Crispin's Day before the Battle of Agincourt, Henry rallies the English troops to spectacular victories which change the course of history. But even with the battles won, the war is not yet over - for to make safe his success, Henry must secure a marriage with the French princess, Catherine of Valois. And can triumph in France prevent civil war in England?\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701276688456,"sku":"9780141396675","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396675.jpg?v=1721218062"},{"product_id":"a-midsummer-nights-dream","title":"A Midsummer Night's Dream","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a raucous comedy that thrusts a quartet of reckless young lovers headfirst into a world of magic and fantasy, William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is edited by Stanley Wells with an introduction by Helen Hackett in Penguin Shakespeare. \"Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, such shaping fantasies that apprehend more than cool reason ever comprehends.\" (Lovers Lysander and Hermia flee). Athens to escape the authority of their parents, only to be pursued by Hermia's betrothed Demetrius, and her friend Helena. Unwittingly, all four find themselves in an enchanted forest where Oberon, the king of the fairies, and Titania, his queen, soon take an interest in human affairs, dispensing magical love potions and casting mischievous spells. In this dazzling comedy, confusion ends in harmony, as love is transformed, misplaced, and - ultimately - restored.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to A Midsummer Night's Dream, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701276721224,"sku":"9780141396668","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/AMidsummerNight_sDream9780141396668.jpg?v=1720004712"},{"product_id":"richard-iii","title":"Richard III","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith a history play whose villainous usurper is one of William Shakespeare's most memorably cunning and sinister characters, Richard III is edited by E.A.J. Honigmann with an introduction by Michael Taylor in Penguin Shakespeare. 'Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this sun of York'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard of York, the bitter, deformed brother of King Edward IV, is secretly plotting to seize the throne of England. Charming and duplicitous, powerfully eloquent and viciously cruel, he is prepared to go to any lengths to achieve his goal. In his skilful manipulation of events and people - coercing the king into eliminating the Duke of Clarence, next in line to the throne; imprisoning the King's sons, princes Edward and Richard, in the Tower of London; and purging court of any who might oppose his rule - Richard is a chilling incarnation of the lure of evil and the temptation of power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Richard III, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701276917832,"sku":"9780141396651","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396651.jpg?v=1721906382"},{"product_id":"richard-ii","title":"Richard II","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the first part of the 'Henriad', continued with the two parts of Henry IV and concluded by Henry V. William Shakespeare's Richard II is a history play dramatizing the rebellion of Henry Bolingbroke, that would eventually see him made King of England. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by Stanley Wells with an introduction by Paul Edmondson.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBanishing his cousin, Bolingbroke, King Richard II prevents a dispute from turning bloody. But Richard is an arrogant and despotic ruler, prone to tyranny and vanity, who listens only to his flatterers. As favour turns against him and Bolingbroke returns to reclaim his land, Richard is humbled and grieved to see that the throne given to him by God might be taken from him by men.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Richard II, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701276950600,"sku":"9780141396644","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396644.jpg?v=1721906331"},{"product_id":"pericles","title":"Pericles","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePericles was Shakespeare's first full-blown tragicomedy, the precursor to The Winter's Tale, Cymbeline and The Tempest, and one of his most popular plays in the seventeenth century. This Penguin edition is edited by Eugene Giddens. 'One sin, I know, another doth provoke; Murder's as near to lust as flame to smoke'. Pericles, Prince of Tyre, must solve a riddle in order to marry the daughter of the King of Antioch, or be put to death. But when the answer reveals a horrific secret, the young man faces his greatest dilemma. Danger and adventure follow as Pericles flees the city to find his fortune elsewhere, in a romantic drama of families lost and reunited, evil punished and virtue rewarded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Pericles, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701276983368,"sku":"9780141396637","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396637.jpg?v=1721817813"},{"product_id":"henry-viii","title":"Henry VIII","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliam Shakespeare's Henry VIII is a compelling history play, recreating a crucial moment in the Tudor dynasty, and the events that marked the beginning of the English Reformation. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by A.R. Humphreys, with an introduction by C.M.S. Alexander.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConspiracies and intrigue are rife in the court of Henry VIII as the Duke of Buckingham is executed for treason, having been tricked by his enemy Cardinal Wolsey. And when the King falls in love with Anne Boleyn and decides to divorce his wife, Katherine of Aragon, he causes an irrevocable rift with the Catholic Church. After the King's secret marriage to Anne, courtiers fall in and out of favour and deaths abound, with far-reaching consequences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Henry VIII, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277081672,"sku":"9780141396620","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396620.jpg?v=1721218124"},{"product_id":"the-taming-of-the-shrew","title":"The Taming of the Shrew","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKing Lear is on the English Literature A-Level syllabus for the AQA exam board. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA relentlessly witty battle of the sexes, William Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew is edited by G.R. Hibbard, with an introduction by Margaret Jane Kidnie in Penguin Shakespeare. The beautiful but sharp-tongued 'shrew' Katherina has sworn never to accept the demands of any would-be husband. Her younger sister Bianca, meanwhile, is forbidden to be married until Katherina finds a suitable match - much to the dismay of Bianca's suitors, Hortensio and Gremio. But when Katherina is pursued by the wily Petruchio, it seems that she has finally met her match. And as he meets her own caustic words with a feigned, capricious cruelty, Katherina quickly comes to understand the absurdity of her shrewish behaviour, in one of the greatest of all comic conquests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFamously adapted into Cole Porter's musical Kiss Me, Kate and filmed as 10 Things I Hate About You with Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, The Taming of the Shrew is an unforgettable battle of wits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to The Taming of the Shrew, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277179976,"sku":"9780141396583","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396583.jpg?v=1722527129"},{"product_id":"the-merry-wives-of-windsor","title":"The Merry Wives of Windsor","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliam Shakespeare's comic encore for one of his best-loved characters - the rascally Falstaff from Henry IV and Henry V - The Merry Wives of Windsor is edited by G.R. Hibbard with an introduction by Catherine Richardson in Penguin Shakespeare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'We'll leave a proof, by that which we will do, Wives may be merry, and yet honest too'. In need of money, the fat and foolish Falstaff devises a scheme to seduce two married women and steal their husbands' wealth. By talking to each other, however, the wives soon discover his plan and begin to plot their own revenge. Relentlessly inventive, this comic humiliation of a foolish would-be seducer is a lively, compelling and ultimately joyous celebration of the all-conquering power of laughter. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to The Merry Wives of Windsor, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary. \"It never yet had reader or spectator, who did not think it too soon at end.\" (Samuel Johnson).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277245512,"sku":"9780141396576","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396576.jpg?v=1722348586"},{"product_id":"the-winters-tale","title":"The Winter's Tale","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThough sometimes classified as a 'problem play' for its mix of turbulent emotional and light-hearted comedy, William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale is a timeless study of jealousy and desire. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by Ernest Schanzer with an introduction by Russ McDonald.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeontes, the jealous King of Sicily becomes convinced that his wife, Hermione is carrying the child of his best friend Polixenes. Imprisoned and put on trial, the Queen collapses when the King refuses to accept the divine confirmation of her innocence. The child is abandoned to die on the coast of Bohemia. Sixteen years later, Polixenes' son Prince Florizel, incurs his father's wrath by eloping with Perdita, the daughter of a local shepherd. But Perdita's origins are not as humble as they appear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and the Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to The Winter's Tale, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277278280,"sku":"9780141396569","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396569.jpg?v=1722529290"},{"product_id":"measure-for-measure-1","title":"Measure For Measure","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasure for Measure is on the English Literature A-Level syllabus for the AQA exam board. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLabelled as a 'problem play' for its marriage of comic overtones to serious moral inquiry, William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure is a peerless black comedy of justice, pride and desire. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by J.M. Nosworthy with an introduction by Julia Briggs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Duke Vincentio's absence from Vienna, his strict deputy Angelo revives an ancient law forbidding sex outside marriage. The young Claudio, whose fiancee Juliet is pregnant, is condemned to death by the law. His sister Isabella, soon to become a nun, pleads with Lord Angelo for her brother's life. But her purity so excites Angelo that he offers her a monstrous bargain - he will save Claudio if Isabella will visit him that night.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Measure for Measure, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277311048,"sku":"9780141396552","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396552.jpg?v=1721314134"},{"product_id":"the-merchant-of-venice","title":"The Merchant of Venice","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eThe Merchant of Venice is on the English Literature GCSE syllabus for the AQA, OCR and Edexcel exam boards.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliam Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is both a witty comedy and a moving exploration of bigotry and stigmatisation, and this Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by W. Moelwyn Merchant with an introduction by Peter Holland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBassanio, a noble but impoverished Venetian, asks his friend the merchant Antonio for a loan to impress an heiress. Antonio agrees, but is forced to borrow the sum from a cynical Jewish moneylender, Shylock, who forces him into a chilling contract, which stipulates he must honour the debt with a pound of his own flesh. But Bassanio's beloved is not as demure as she seems, and disguising herself as a lawyer, Portia proves herself one of Shakespeare's most cunning heroines, in a witty attack on Shylock's claim. A complex and controversial comedy, The Merchant of Venice explores prejudice and the true nature of justice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to The Merchant of Venice, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277343816,"sku":"9780141396545","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396545.jpg?v=1722348539"},{"product_id":"julius-caesar","title":"Julius Caesar","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJulius Caesar is on the English Literature GCSE syllabus for the AQA exam board. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet at the birth of the Roman Empire, William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is a taut historical drama exploring the violent consequences of betrayal and murder. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by Norman Sanders with an introduction by Martin Wiggins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen it seems that Julius Caesar may assume supreme power, a plot to destroy him is hatched by the senators Brutus and Cassius, who are determined to preserve the threatened Republic. But the different motives of the conspirators soon become apparent when high principles clash with malice and political realism. Seizing his opportunity, the ambitious young Mark Antony turns public opinion against the conspirators, plunging the nation into a bloody civil war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Julius Caesar, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277376584,"sku":"9780141396538","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396538.jpg?v=1721302002"},{"product_id":"king-john","title":"King John","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKing John - today remembered as the villainous opponent of Robin Hood and the Magna Carta - was for Shakespeare and his audience a heroic figure who stood up to England's enemies. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by R L Smallwood with an introduction by Eugene Giddens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnder the rule of King John, England is forced into war when the French challenge the legitimacy of John's claim to the throne and determine to install his nephew Arthur in his place. But political principles, hypocritically flaunted, are soon forgotten, as the French and English kings form an alliance based on cynical self-interest. And as the desire to cling to power dominates England's paranoid and weak-willed king, his country is threatened with disaster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Richard II, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277409352,"sku":"9780141396521","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396521.jpg?v=1721302886"},{"product_id":"othello","title":"Othello","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOthello is on the English Literature A-Level syllabus for the Edexcel and AQA exam boards and GCSE syllabus for Eduqas.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInexorably poisoned against the woman he loves by his trusted friend Iago, Shakespeare's Othello is a timeless tragic figure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by Kenneth Muir with an introduction by Tom McAlindon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA popular soldier and newly married man, Othello seems to be in an enviable position. And yet, when his supposed friend Iago sows doubts in his mind about his wife Desdemona's fidelity, and his friend Cassio's true intentions, he is gradually consumed by suspicion. In this powerful tragedy, innocence is corrupted and trust is eroded as every relationship is drawn into a tangled web of jealousies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Othello, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277507656,"sku":"9780141396514","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396514.jpg?v=1721742939"},{"product_id":"hamlet","title":"Hamlet","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHamlet is on the English Literature A-Level syllabus for the Edexcel exam board. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps the single most influential work of English drama, William Shakespeare's Hamlet is a timeless tragedy of the conflicted loyalties, madness, betrayal and terrible revenge. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by TJB Spencer with an introduction by Alan Sinfield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomething is rotten in the state of Denmark. When young prince Hamlet is confronted by his father's ghost on the battlements of Castle Elsinore, he is burdened with a terrible task: slay King Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, who the ghost alleges murdered him. Wrestling with his conscience, Hamlet feigns wild madness while plotting a brutal revenge, alienating his mother Queen Gertrude and spurning his lover Ophelia. But the act of insanity takes Hamlet perilously close to the reality, wreaking havoc on guilty and innocent alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Hamlet, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay by Paul Prescott discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"National Theatre Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31701277573192,"sku":"9780141396507","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/9562\/5032\/files\/9780141396507.jpg?v=1721216416"},{"product_id":"timon-of-athens","title":"Timon of Athens","description":"\u003cp\u003eby William Shakespeare\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA tragicomedy, a satire on materialism and a scream of pain and injustice, Timon of Athens depicts Shakespeare's greatest optimist and his most vehement pessimist in its central character, the wealthy and deluded Timon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by G. R. Hibbard with an introduction by Nicholas Walton. 'What viler thing upon the earth than friends, Who can bring noblest minds to basest ends!' After squandering his wealth with prodigal generosity, a rich Athenian gentleman finds himself deep in debt. Unshaken by the prospect of bankruptcy, he is certain that the friends he has helped so often will come to his aid. 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Having fled to Rome, the exiled husband makes a foolish wager with a villain he encounters there - gambling on the fidelity of his abandoned wife. 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