Charles & Mary Lamb's condensed versions of Shakespeare are a good introduction for younger readers and those who want a brief, prose-based summary of the plots. Initially, Charles was listed as the sole author. Later editions such as this added Mary Lamb as co-author. It's such a powerful rendition of Shakespeare's plays in a very accessible format, interesting and easy to read for adults and children alike. Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare are a prose form of Shakespeare's plays for children by the writer siblings Charles and Mary Lamb. While certainly keeping the magic alive by use of Shakespeare's original words but also not letting go of convenience at any point, the language is very easy, but still perfect for Shakespeare. The Tempest: I've never understood all the fuss about The Tempest, and this adaptation doesn't change my mind. I think kids under 12 would understand this story, I'm just not sure they'd find it to be that fascinating. It's a little bit of a boring story as told in this book, and it takes a lot to grab and hold kids' attention these days. I'm not sure this would do it. Selections from Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare: Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, King Lear, with extracts from the plays

Tales from Shakespeare by Lamb, Rackham - AbeBooks Tales from Shakespeare by Lamb, Rackham - AbeBooks

OurTales From Shakespearefilmswere originally designed to be a helpful introduction for young people studying Shakespeare, but will now be available for anyone to watch online.The stories are told by Michael along with members of the RSC acting company. I love Shakespeare and have had the opportunity to see many of his plays at the Stratford Festival. Measure for Measure is one of the most brilliant of Shakespeare's comedies, but the laughter is bitter. It does not deal with people as they would like to be as too many of them are . . ." (Marchette Chute) Note: This play is about Isabella remaining true to her honor and virtue even when compromising could save the life of her beloved brother. Lamb's and Nesbit's versions sanitize the circumstances, and even Shakespeare himself manages to be a bit vague, but you won't want to read your children online summaries that graphically spell out what's going on. Some parents may wish to use AO's slightly expurgated version, or just read the Lamb's or Nesbit's version.

That's a pretty good sample of this text. It's considered a children's book, remember, and I found the sentences to be lengthy and the vocabulary a bit daunting for modern children.

Tales from Shakespeare by Charles Lamb | Goodreads

a b "A Double Life: A biography of Charles and Mary Lamb, by Sarah Burton". The Independent. 17 August 2003. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022 . Retrieved 31 October 2020. As You Like it: Cousins (what is it with Shakespeare and cousins?), Duke (has nicer, prettier daughter, gets exiled by brother, lives in forest like Robin Hood), false Duke (kinda evil, of course), daughter falls for father's friends's son who her uncle dislikes, follows father, cousin comes along, daughter dresses up as a boy, befriends beloved who also has come to the forest and has been taken under the wing of the Duke. Macbeth: Another adaptation that's probably too complex for younger kids. The language in this one is very Victorian again, and if that could be modernized a bit, then I think kids under 12 could understand the story here, I just don't think they'd understand the depth of it. For an excellent adaptation of the play, teens and adults should take a look at Macbeth by A.J. Hartley and David Hewson. That was gooood.... Several users, including some on the Advisory, have found that Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare is actually easier to follow in many instances than Nesbit's Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children, even though Lamb's is a bit more advanced. Nesbit's is very good, no question - and you will not err in choosing to continue using it. But we did side-by-side comparisons and found that Nesbit's often simplifies a story to the point that it is actually harder to follow - you miss some plot twists and turns that help it all make sense.Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb is a 1001 Children's Book. I've had a copy of it for a long time, and I'd originally planned to read the chapter from this book at the same time I read the play. I did this for two chapters before I realized it might take me an eternity to get through this book if I continued to read at that pace. I decided, instead, to read it during Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon; children's books are usually perfect for a readathon. OK, first: I am literature purist, and generally am very adverse to "children's versions" of anything. I would instead start by teaching a simpler play like Romeo and Juliet or Julius Caesar in say, sixth or seventh grade as an introduction to Shakespeare. I suppose the Lamb version is all right to introduce the Bard to very young students. For my fifth grade class, I taught the Lamb version and I still fear it may have done them a disservice. Actually, I was so concerned that it might bleed out any interest they had in the Bard, that I condensed Romeo and Juliet (every line was unedited Shakespeare, as I wanted them to get familiar with the sheer poetry and power of his language) into a 10 minute play for them to perform, which they nailed! They absorbed and understood an impressive amount of all that Shakespearean English, and by the end, they could all recite the entire skit from memory. Reading the real thing makes students hungry for more and eager to become better readers. Being spoon-fed the toothless Lamb version, runs the risk of students wrongly assuming that Shakespeare is as dry as the Lambs. Acquired as part of a multi-book deal brokered by Ann-Janine Murtagh, Executive Publisher at HarperCollins Children's Books, and Veronique Baxter at David Higham Associates, Morpurgo’s Tales from Shakespeare will be a landmark event in a decade-long publishing partnership between HarperCollins Children’s Books and Michael Morpurgo. Personally, I prefer the tragedies. I used to think it was because there was something wrong with me, but reading the plays all together like this, it is easy to see the tragedies are each uniquely unforgettable whereas the comedies are similar, repetitive, and start to to run together in your mind after you have read a few … like so many modern romance movies and books? Not that they aren’t clever. They are, but many of the same devices (women dressing as men, twins/doubles, lovers switching) are repeated, undoubtedly because they were successful and popular. I vaguely recall some years ago Venezuela set up a government department called the Ministry of Love. The idea was to inculcate in poor women the understanding that their babies from the very moment they were born would respond to any stimuli. Poverty shouldn't stop mothers from giving their babies experience of smell and sound and touch and...

Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb - AbeBooks Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb - AbeBooks

A perfect introduction for all ages to the breadth and beauty of Shakespeare's work. Tales from Shakespeare has become a classic work in its own right. The tales bring vividly to life the power of Hamlet and Macbeth, the fun of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the drama of The Tempest. Blending detailed narrative with original dialogue and poetic language, they fully convey the wit, wisdom and imagination of Shakespeare's magnificent plays. A Midsummer Night's Dream: It is what it was meant to be; a fairy tale. I suppose if the kid in question likes fairy tales, then he or she might enjoy A Midsummer Night's Dream. The kids in my life wouldn't latch on to this, however, because the love interests do get a little tangled up. Kids under 12 might find this to be a bit confusing.

Richmond, Velma Bourgeois. Shakespeare as Children's Literature: Edwardian Retellings in Words and Pictures. p.17. If I am conquered, well, I was never happy; if I am killed, well I am willing to die. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I have none to weep for me. I shall do the world no harm for in it I have nothing. For I only take up a place in the world which may be better filled when I have made it empty.” Now that I know the stories of these plays maybe I'll be more comfortable reading the originals. I'm noticing out of these only Macbeth is one without a happy ending, hmm.

Tales From Shakespeare - RSC Michael Morpurgo introduces his Tales From Shakespeare - RSC

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Magic is in the air. Magical forest, invisible fairies bring lovers together, undetected. Love is created by magic when it isn't there. Everyone lives happily ever after. Crafted by renowned writers and essayists of the 18th century, siblings Charles and Mary Lamb. Tales From Shakespeare vividly bring to life the power of Shakespeare's stories with wit and wisdom. First published in 1807, and never out of print, these stories, adapted from 20 of Shakespeare's plays, are clever and powerful summaries designed to provide children with enough plot and characterisation to allow them to understand the plays themselves when they later see or read the authentic versions. Independent Nem vagyok nagy Shakespeare-rajongó, de ezzel az olvasással tartoztam – leginkább magamnak. A történetek mondjuk harmadát ismertem (ezek töredékét olvastam is drámaformában, a maradékot inkább film- és/vagy színházi feldolgozásból.)Then my father would play a game with us. He knew quite a few Shakespeare plays by heart and we'd get to test him. Well, being the oldest and best at reading, I got the supporting role. I'd read a line from the play and he'd say who said it and when. He was always right, I'd be reduced to trying things like 'Halt' and we'd wait with breath bated while he decided if that was guard one or guard two. It was exciting!