What's Inside
This collection rewrites twenty of William Shakespeare's dramas into prose narratives intended for a young audience. The volume splits the workload between siblings: Mary Lamb handles the comedies while Charles Lamb tackles the tragedies. The entries preserve the original plots and many famous phrases but strip away the complex verse and stage directions in favor of direct storytelling. Readers find a variety of scenarios, from the magical storms and sprites in THE TEMPEST to the grim family betrayals of KING LEAR and the romantic catastrophes in ROMEO AND JULIET. The stories focus on the moral consequences of the characters' actions and the social rules governing their worlds.
Works & figures
- Prospero
A learned man who uses magic to rule an enchanted island. (in “THE TEMPEST”)
- Ariel
A lively little sprite who serves a master after being freed from a tree. (in “THE TEMPEST”)
- Hermia
An Athenian daughter threatened with death for refusing her father's choice of husband. (in “A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM”)
- Shylock
A hard-hearted usurer in Venice who meditates revenge against a rival merchant. (in “THE MERCHANT OF VENICE”)
- Cordelia
The youngest daughter of a king who refuses to flatter him for land. (in “KING LEAR”)
- Angelo
A man with a saintly reputation appointed to enforce neglected laws in Vienna. (in “MEASURE FOR MEASURE”)
- Timon
A lord of Athens who gives away his fortune to flatterers and followers. (in “TIMON OF ATHENS”)
- Othello
A brave Moorish general whose adventures win the heart of a senator's daughter. (in “OTHELLO”)
What it's really about
- Parental Authority
- Fathers frequently use laws or inheritance to control their daughters' marriages.
- Disguise and Deception
- Characters often mask their identities to test loyalty or pursue love.
Why it's memorable
- Ariel tormenting Caliban to settle a grudge held against the monster's witch mother.
- King Lear demanding his daughters quantify their love to determine the size of their inheritance.
Where to start
Start with THE TEMPEST for a clear introduction to how the authors translate stage magic and complex character motives into a straightforward narrative.
For your book club
- Whether the strict laws in Athens and Vienna reflect genuine justice or mere tyranny.
- The contrast between Timon's limitless generosity and the sincerity of those he feeds.