A midsummer night's dream / William Shakespeare ; [written out by Graily Hewitt ; illustrated and decorated and the cover designed by Arthur Rackham].
By: Shakespeare, William [author].
Contributor(s): Rackham, Arthur | Hewitt, Graily | New York Public Library. Spencer Collection.
Material type: BookPublisher: London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1977Description: [140] p. : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 31 cm.ISBN: 0297777777.Subject(s): Rackham, Arthur, 1867-1939 | Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Midsummer night's dream | English dramaDDC classification: 822.23Item type | Current library | Call number | Copy number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds |
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General Lending | MTU Crawford College of Art and Design Library Lending | 822.23 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 00063404 |
Reproduction of the original manuscript commissioned by the Spencer Collection in the New York Public Library on April 11, 1928.
Excerpt provided by Syndetics
Reviews provided by Syndetics
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up-There is no shortage of graphic-novel adaptations of Shakespeare for teens. Often the process of rendering the language accessible will strip the text of its beauty, the result becoming noticeably awkward. This version of Romeo & Juliet has suffered such a fate, with numerous narration boxes standing in for expository dialogue and lines like "I'll try to like him, Mother, and hope in getting to know him that he will inspire my love." A teen-friendly, expressive illustration style makes this book easier to look at than to read. With its broad comedy and frenetic activity, Midsummer Night's Dream fares better. The drawing style is manga-inspired: characters have big eyes and hair, exaggerated expressions, and a lot of teeth. Color palettes and backgrounds are harmonious, with appropriate color distinctions between the magical forest scenes and Theseus's palace. Occasional editing gaffes undermine the effort, but all in all, these are serviceable graphic-novel adaptations.-Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.CHOICE Review
This is the premiere volume in what promises to be the valuable new "Shakespeare in Production" series, which is devoted to chronicling salient details of performance interpretation gleaned from the stage history of individual plays (in a format instigated by Junction Books' ill-fated "Plays in Performance" venture). Griffiths opens with a cogent introductory overview examining how different ages have brought this comedy of romance and fantasy to life on English stages, from the 1590s to the 1990s. Like recent critical histories of discrete Shakespearean works already in print (e.g., the volumes in Manchester University Press's "Shakespeare in Performance" series or the Garland Reference Library of the Humanities Shakespeare Criticism sequence), Griffiths's study addresses current scholarly fascination with theatrical productions as reflections of shifting patterns in complex cultural values. The distinguishing feature of this new series is inclusion of the full text of the play--richly footnoted with concise glosses detailing how various productions staged particular moments, projected interpretive emphasis, cut or transposed lines, or departed from the script by adding bits of action. Although Griffiths's referents are limited to British stagings, the variora of performative choices recorded in his lucid annotation provide a useful resource for teachers and students of the play. Highly recommended for all academic collections. P. D. Nelsen Marlboro CollegeHorn Book Review
Four of ShakespeareÆs best-known plays are retold as modest short stories, with plot and characterizations boiled down to the basics. ShakespeareÆs language--the most important component of the work--is lost, but those seeking accessible summaries of these great works may find the books helpful. The volumes are illustrated in a combination of black-and-white and color art that matches the tone of each story. [Review covers these Shakespeare Collection titles: [cf2]A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest[cf1].] From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.Kirkus Book Review
Manga that brings to life Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy.This third entry in Manga Classics' adaptations of Shakespeare's plays maintains their practice of reproducing the full text of the original. The black-and-white illustrations allow readers to easily follow the plot while also picking up on subtle themes that are significant to understanding the play. For example, the abundant imagery surrounding the moon is emphasized by the moon's presence in the backgrounds of many panels throughout the book, drawing readers' attention. Long dialogues are also explained visually, which allows young readers to grasp what is being discussed without the need for a glossary or translation into modern English. The nobility is portrayed in a typical manga fashion with large eyes, small noses, and well-defined earsbut with appropriate Grecian clothingwhile the commoners are easily visually distinguishable from them in style. The guide to reading manga at the beginning unfortunately describes the right-to-left reading order as "backwards from the normal books you know," a strangely judgment-laden description for a book using manga to broaden the cultural exposure of young readers. However, the creators' notes at the end offer fascinating insights into the adaptation process and may inspire budding manga artists to attempt their own works.Shakespeare's fantastical dream in an appealing format that can be shared with a wider audience. (cast, creators' notes, character design sheet) (Graphic fiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.Author notes provided by Syndetics
William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616 Although there are many myths and mysteries surrounding William Shakespeare, a great deal is actually known about his life. He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, son of John Shakespeare, a prosperous merchant and local politician and Mary Arden, who had the wealth to send their oldest son to Stratford Grammar School.At 18, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, the 27-year-old daughter of a local farmer, and they had their first daughter six months later. He probably developed an interest in theatre by watching plays performed by traveling players in Stratford while still in his youth. Some time before 1592, he left his family to take up residence in London, where he began acting and writing plays and poetry.
By 1594 Shakespeare had become a member and part owner of an acting company called The Lord Chamberlain's Men, where he soon became the company's principal playwright. His plays enjoyed great popularity and high critical acclaim in the newly built Globe Theatre. It was through his popularity that the troupe gained the attention of the new king, James I, who appointed them the King's Players in 1603. Before retiring to Stratford in 1613, after the Globe burned down, he wrote more than three dozen plays (that we are sure of) and more than 150 sonnets. He was celebrated by Ben Jonson, one of the leading playwrights of the day, as a writer who would be "not for an age, but for all time," a prediction that has proved to be true.
Today, Shakespeare towers over all other English writers and has few rivals in any language. His genius and creativity continue to astound scholars, and his plays continue to delight audiences. Many have served as the basis for operas, ballets, musical compositions, and films. While Jonson and other writers labored over their plays, Shakespeare seems to have had the ability to turn out work of exceptionally high caliber at an amazing speed. At the height of his career, he wrote an average of two plays a year as well as dozens of poems, songs, and possibly even verses for tombstones and heraldic shields, all while he continued to act in the plays performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men. This staggering output is even more impressive when one considers its variety. Except for the English history plays, he never wrote the same kind of play twice. He seems to have had a good deal of fun in trying his hand at every kind of play.
Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets, all published on 1609, most of which were dedicated to his patron Henry Wriothsley, The Earl of Southhampton. He also wrote 13 comedies, 13 histories, 6 tragedies, and 4 tragecomedies. He died at Stratford-upon-Avon April 23, 1616, and was buried two days later on the grounds of Holy Trinity Church in Stratford. His cause of death was unknown, but it is surmised that he knew he was dying.
(Bowker Author Biography)