DESCRIPTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY (Prepared by Professor F. E. Pierce of Yale) There are several convenient handbooks on Shakespeare, among which may be mentioned: An Introduction to Shakespeare, by MacCracken, Pierce, and Durham. (Macmillan Co., New York, 1910.) Shakspere, by Edward Dowden. (American Book Co., New York.) A simple, compact, and readable book. It should be used in connection with a more modern work, as recent research has changed our ideas of Elizabethan theaters somewhat since the book was written. Life of Shakespeare, by Sidney Lee. (Macmillan Co., New York, 1909.) The latest life of Shakespeare printed. Shakespeare, Life and Works, by Furnivall and Munro. (Cassell and Co., New York, 1908.) Not especially adapted for the use of young students, but full of valuable material in a condensed form. Cartae Shakespeareanae, by D. H. Lambert. (George Bell and A series of reprints of the original documents on which our knowledge of Shakespeare is based. Shakespeare's London, by H. T. Stephenson. (Henry Holt and Co, New York.) An account of Elizabethan London, with numerous valuable illustrations. Shakspere and his Predecessors, by F. S. Boas. (Chas. Scribner's Sons, New York, 1896.) Among the best editions of Shakespeare's works in one volume are: The Cambridge Edition, edited by Professor W. A. Neilson. (Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1908.) The Globe Edition. (Macmillan Co., New York, 1897.) The plays assigned by modern scholarship wholly or in part to Shakespeare are thirty-seven in number. Sixteen of them were published separately during the poet's life, and the others were not printed until after his death. In 1623 thirty-six of the above plays (all except Pericles) were collected by the friends and fellow actors of the dead poet and published together in the First Folio. Pericles was added in the Third Folio in 1664. These thirty-seven plays, loosely classified, comprise the following: I. EARLY PLAYS BEFORE SHAKESPEARE HAD REACHED HIS FULL POWER King Henry VI, Parts I, II, III. A series of historical events, unfolding the gradual decline of English power and the growth of civil war under a weak king. Titus Andronicus. A powerful but brutal play, unlike any of Shakespeare's later work. Love's Labour's Lost. A picture in brilliant dialogue of the lighter side of court life. The Comedy of Errors. A farcical comedy, depending on mistaken identity of twins. The Two Gentlemen of Verona. A romantic comedy, dealing with the disguises and adventures of lovers. A Midsummer Night's Dream. A love story and fairy tale combined. Romeo and Juliet. A tragedy of love, in which the hero and heroine become victims of an ancient feud between their families. Richard II. Richard III. King John. Three historical dramas, each dealing with the struggles and downfall of an English king. II. THE PERIOD OF GREAT HISTORIES AND COMEDIES The Merchant of Venice. The story of two young lovers who are brought together by the devotion of a faithful friend, and who in turn save this friend from the revenge of Shylock the Jew. The Taming of the Shrew. An ingenious farcical comedy, in which a shrewish wife is tamed into gentleness. King Henry IV, Parts I and II. Stately pictures of English civil wars, interspersed with the delightful comedy of Falstaff and his companions. King Henry V. A picture of the English conquests in France, centering around Henry V as a national hero. Merry Wives of Windsor. A laughable series of practical jokes played on Falstaff. Much Ado About Nothing. As You Like It. Twelfth Night. Three romantic comedies of the highest rank. Much Ado combines the delightful wit-combats of Beatrice and Benedict with the touching story of a lady unjustly accused but finally cleared. As You Like It is a picture of pastoral life far from the world's uproar in the forest of Arden. Twelfth Night traces the fortunes of a shipwrecked heroine who by unselfish devotion wins a noble lover. All's Well That Ends Well. Troilus and Cressida. Measure for Measure. Three bitter, sarcastic comedies, revealing the baser aspects of human nature. III. THE PERIOD OF GREAT TRAGEDIES Julius Cæsar. A picture of the national upheaval connected with the death of Cæsar. Its central figure is the noble but misguided patriot Brutus. Hamlet. One of the most thoughtful and poetical of dramas, centering around the story of a son called to avenge a murdered father. Othello. The tragedy of a noble but passionate man who becomes the dupe of a villain, and through mistaken jealousy murders his innocent bride. King Lear. The tragedy of ingratitude. King Lear gives all his lands to his two eldest daughters, but their cruelty leads to his death and that of his one faithful child Cordelia. Macbeth. A terrible picture of the retribution which follows ambition and murder. Macbeth assassinates his predecessor to become king, but is overthrown and dies miserably in the hour of defeat. Antony and Cleopatra. The tragedy of a great soldier who sacrifices an empire for love of a fascinating but wicked woman. Timon of Athens. The tragedy of a noble Athenian who ruins himself by unwise generosity. Coriolanus. The tragedy of a noble Roman whose brave but unreasonably haughty spirit makes him the enemy and desolator of his country. IV. ROMANTIC TALES OF SHAKESPEARE'S LATER YEARS Pericles. The adventures of a family who are long separated and finally united. |