This wonderful collection of 20 hardback books + free audiobooks via QR code brings together forbidden love, guilt and greed into adapted and illustrated stories from Shakespeare's plays.
These adapted and illustrated editions are a great way to introduce children and students to the famous plays before approaching the original texts. Each book includes a QR code for the FREE audiobook - listen along as you read!
Titles in this set:
- The Winter's Tale
- All's Well That Ends Well
- Antony & Cleopatra
- As You Like It
- The Comedy of Errors
- Cymbeline, King of Britain
- Julius Caesar
- King Lear
- A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Much Ado about Nothing
- Othello
- Romeo & Juliet
- Richard III
- Macbeth
- The Two Gentlemen of Verona
- Timon of Athens
- Twelfth Night
- Hamlet
- The Tempest
- The Taming of the Shrew
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1. A Winter's Tale
The Winter's Tale is one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies. This story was first published in 1623, and has since been performed worldwide with great success. It is set in Sicily, and revolves around the main character, King Leontes, who is consumed by doubts about his wife's loyalty. Jealousy drives him to plot his best friend's murder, imprison his wife and disown their unborn child. The play stretches over a period of sixteen long years during which Leontes realises his mistakes, and he is finally reunited with his estranged wife and daughter.
2. All's Well That Ends Well
All's Well That Ends Well is one of the most popular comedies of the master playwright, William Shakespeare. The play is woven around Helena, the orphaned daughter of a famous physician, and Bertram, the son of her guardian, the Countess of Rousillon. Helena is in love with Bertram, but he does not return her feelings. Nevertheless, Helena uses her intelligence to win Bertram as her husband.
3. Antony & Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra is a brilliant drama of love and war by William Shakespeare. Hailed as one of the master playwright's greatest tragedies, the play is set in ancient Rome and Egypt, and portrays actual events from Roman history. It revolves around its two main characters, Antony, a Roman General, and Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt. Antony falls in love with Cleopatra, and throughout the play remains torn between his duty and his love for her.
4. As You Like It
"All the world's a stage..." One of the most quoted lines of Shakespeare was first heard in this play. As You Like It is set in the enchanted Forest of Arden, where Rosalind, the daughter of an exiled duke, and Orlando, the son of one of her father's courtiers, become entangled in a game of love and mistaken identity.
5. The Comedy of Errors
"The Comedy of Errors is one of the earliest plays of the great playwright, William Shakespeare. It revolves around two sets of identical twins who were separated at birth. Years later, fate brings them to the same city, and this unleashes the drama caused by mistaken identities.
6. Cymbeline, King of Britain
Cymbeline, King of Britain is one of the best-known works of William Shakespeare. It is a romantic play interwoven with war and tragedy. It revolves around Cymbeline and his daughter, Imogen. Imogen does not abide by her father's wishes, and marries a lowborn gentleman, Posthumous. After their marriage, Posthumous is banished from Britain and Imogen is held as a prisoner in the palace. As the play unfolds, the evil plots of the queen, Imogen's stepmother, the jealousy of Posthumous and the loyalty of Imogen come to light.
7. Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar is one of the greatest tragedies of William Shakespeare. The play is set in ancient Rome and portrays actual events from Roman history. As the play unfolds, the evil conspiracy of Caesar's murder is revealed. Great tragedy strikes Rome when Caesar is murdered, and this is followed by the downfall of his conspirators.
8. King Lear
King Lear is one of the greatest tragedies of the master playwright, William Shakespeare. The play is focused around Lear, the aging King of Britain, and his three daughters, Goneril, Regan and Cordelia. When Lear wants to step down from the throne, he decides to divide his kingdom between his three daughters and asks each daughter how much she loves him. Goneril and Regan, greedy for their share, give him flattering answers, while Cordelia remains silent, which enrages Lear and forces him to disown her. The play tells of Lear's fate once he has given up his kingdom and destroyed his relationship with his daughters.
9. A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of the most popular comedies of the legendary playwright, William Shakespeare. The play revolves around Hermia and her best friend, Helena. Hermia runs away into the woods with her lover, Lysander, and Demetrius, the man of her father's choice, follows them. Helena follows Demetrius, as she is in love with him and wishes she could win his love. In the woods, they come across Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the Fairies. Much confusion is created when Puck, one of the fairies, uses love drops on Lysander and Demetrius, which makes both of them fall in love with Helena.
10. Much Ado about Nothing
Much Ado about Nothing is a popular comedy of the greatest playwright of all time, William Shakespeare. The play is set in the quiet town of Messina in Sicily, where two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero, meet at the house of Leonato, Hero's father and Beatrice's uncle. Benedick and Beatrice engage in a war of witty exchanges, while Claudio and Hero pledge their love for each other and decide to get married. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Hero and Claudio are estranged and Benedick and Beatrice confess their love.
11. Othello
Othello is one of the most powerful tragedies of William Shakespeare. Othello is a Moorish general who falls in love with Desdemona, the daughter of a powerful senator of Venice. The play is about their love and Othello's mistrust and jealousy, which ultimately leads to a murder.
12. Romeo & Juliet
Hailed as one of the greatest romantic tragedies ever written, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is the tragic love story of the 'star-crossed lovers', Romeo and Juliet. Set in the city of Verona, Italy, the play revolves around the feud between two affluent families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Despite the enmity, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall passionately in love and wed in secret. However, the curse of enmity overpowers and everything goes terribly wrong.
13. The Merchant of Venice
The Merchant of Venice is one of the most outstanding romantic comedies of William Shakespeare. The play revolves around the legendary characters of Antonio, a rich Italian merchant, Shylock, a rich Jew, and Portia, a rich heiress. When Antonio asks to borrow money from Shylock to help his friend Bassanio, Shylock agrees on the condition that if he is unable to repay it by the date specified, he will have to repay it with a pound of his flesh. As the play unfolds, Antonio is trapped by Shylock's condition, but the beautiful and intelligent Portia comes to his rescue.
14. Macbeth
Macbeth is one of the darkest tragedies of William Shakespeare. The play revolves around a power-hungry Scottish lord, Macbeth, and his lady, who conspire to kill King Duncan. After Duncan's death, Macbeth ascends the throne, only to be consumed by guilt, panic and paranoia, which ultimately lead him to his doom.
15. The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a popular romantic comedy by the master playwright, William Shakespeare. It is believed to be his first comedy and probably his first play. It is about two inseparable friends, Valentine and Proteus, and how their friendship is affected when they fall in love.
16. Timon of Athens
Shakespeare's Timon of Athens is the tale of a rich Athenian who lived a lavish life, spending his wealth on his friends. Eventually, when his wealth ceases and he asks his friends for help, Timon is shocked to find that none of them are prepared to do so. This fills him with hatred for humanity, and he goes on to live the life of a hermit.
17. Twelfth Night
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare is a delightful comic love story. The play begins with a shipwreck, during which Voila, a young aristocratic-born woman, is separated from her identical twin brother, Sebastian, and is swept onto the shores of the Kingdom of Illyria. Thus begins this entertaining tale of mistaken identities and thwarted love.
18. Hamlet
Hamlet is one of the most popular tragedies of the legendary playwright, William Shakespeare. It tells the sad story of Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, who, upon his father's death, returns from Wittenberg to discover the evil plot of his Uncle Claudius and his mother, Queen Gertrude. The play is focused around how Hamlet learns the truth about his father's death and seeks revenge.
19. The Tempest
The Tempest is one of the most popular plays of William Shakespeare. The play is set on a remote island inhabited by Prospero, the banished Duke of Milan, and his daughter, Miranda. Prospero, now a magician, uses his magic to control the spirits of the island. With the help of the spirit Ariel, he conjures a tempest in the sea to draw in his brother, Antonio, and Alonso, King of Naples, who had unlawfully stolen his dukedom. The play revolves around Prospero's attempt to restore himself and his daughter to their rightful position.
20. The Taming of the Shrew
One of Shakespeare's most robust comedies, The Taming of the Shrew, is about Katherine, the ill-tempered daughter of a wealthy merchant in Padua. Katherine is so petulant that her father always believed no man would ever want her as his wife. However, Petruchio, a rich young man, comes into Katherine's life and brings about a great change in her behavior.
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.
