Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare, by E. Nesbit, includes twenty romantic stories, each based on one of Shakespeare’s plays. These beautifully illustrated stories are retold in lively prose by an extraordinary storyteller, who makes the Bard’s greatest dramas accessible to young people. Edith Nesbit was a popular children’s writer of the early 20th century and her graceful, vivid retellings are the perfect introduction to Shakespeare’s works. The plays represented in Nesbit’s collection include Shakespeare’s most famous comedies and tragedies but only a few of his historical works.
October is upon us, so it is time for another FREE classical history e-Book from Heritage History. This month, we’re giving away Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare by E. Nesbit. This book contains twenty wonderfully illustrated stories, retold by an extraordinary storyteller who makes the great playwright’s dramas accessible to young teens. It is the perfect introduction to Shakespeare for young people, or even for adults who have limited knowledge of the great Bard’s works.
Nesbit’s work focuses mainly on Shakepeare’s comedies and tragedies, rather than his historical plays because they are far easier for students who do not have a strong background in English and Classical history to understand. Virtually all of Shakespeare’s best known comedies, however, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like it, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Taming of the Shrew, are included. Likewise, all his most famous tragedies including Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.
Most students need to be high school or older to really appreciate Shakespeare’s genius, but he is best understood and appreciated by students who are already familiar with his stories. And many of his most
famous characters, including Puck, Shylock, Portia, and especially the title characters of his plays, are so well known that they are referred to frequently in all types of literature. Like the Greek Gods, they represent universal human foibles, predicaments, and personality types. This makes a passing knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays valuable for everyone.
You can download your own copy here, or if you are interested in similar books, you can purchase the British Middle Ages Curriculum. This CD includes “Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare” as well as dozens of other fascinating volumes that cover English history from the time of the Roman invasion to the rise of the British Empire in the 18th century.
If you haven’t used Heritage History e-books before, and would like instructions on how to download them to your Tablet or e-Reader, our Electronic Text User Guide is available online.
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