15 Best William Shakespeare Books- Tribute To Modern Literature

This legendary writer doesn’t require any introduction, “Bard of Avon” and you know his importance in modern literature. The time has been passed and it is almost 400 years since William Shakespeare died but his plays and sonnets became immortal and are still performed with grace and legacy. You might have encountered a lot of Shakespeare references in your daily lives and admired his unending works. 

Well, Old English is indeed hard to read and a little difficult to understand but when it comes to Shakespeare it’s much more than just English. William Shakespeare has written some best pieces of literature using drama and comedy as the main elements. Shakespeare has his best works in all genres whether it is drama, thriller, psycho-thriller, drama, romance, and comedy. Additionally, most of the books have got a film adaptation and has run successfully worldwide.

There aren’t many authors whose work is as spontaneously recognizable as William Shakespeare’s. It’s tough to choose the best work of this legend, yet this article comprises some of his best works which are been cherished worldwide. Let’s inspire yourself with the Shakespeare mesmerizing, timeless beauties, that should definitely not be missed by any individual. It doesn’t matter whether you are fond of reading or not, you might definitely have encountered Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, that been performed on stage, theater, or even movie.

15 Best William Shakespeare Books- Tribute To Modern Literature

The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice is a lively tale of Bassanio, willing to impress the wealthy heiress Portia but lacks the necessary funds. He lends himself into trouble by borrowing a loan from the vengeful Shylock.

However, the money comes at a cost, the story is full of wit and presence of mind. This book is a must-read for anybody who is seeking the actual essence of Shakespeare. This book is a sheer example of his classic writing and the can be sensed that it is way ahead of its time.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy- Shakespeare intertwined love polygons begin to get complex from the start. The tale is of two young lovers, Hermia and Lysander, who attempt to run away and get married, in spite of her father’s wishes that Hermia marries Demetrius. The story has a hilarious plot, mischievous Puck, lots of chaos, and disastrous consequences. No one can deny that Shakespeare’s all work is worth the praise and if you are book worm then you cannot resist your self from reading it. The tale contains compilations that are drastically funny and should not be missed.

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy that plays with love and power. It is the story of twins Viola and Sebastian who are shipwrecked. The problem starts when Viola believes her brother is dead and assumes his identity in order to work as a page to the nobleman Orsino. This romantic comedy is a must-read in order to understand the true beauty of Shakespeare’s writing. The most important thing about Shakespear’s work is, you get an exceptional experience while reading his work.

Romeo and Juliet

You will hardly find anybody in the whole world who doesn’t know about Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This iconic love story has been an inspiration for years. Romeo and Juliet is the tragedy written by Shakespeare on two young stars crossed son and daughter of feuding families fall in love at a masked ball.

Romeo and Juliet belong to the tradition of tragic romances and has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, musical, and opera venues. Well, you might be thinking that the story is known to you and have seen several times on the stages then why should you read it? We as mentioned above reading Shakespeare is another level experience, you get to understand the depth of words.

Macbeth

Macbeth is that classic gem that definitely non have missed out and if you haven’t gone through this legendary experience that you are missing out something life-changing. The story is iconic and contains elements that you might have never heard before. The plot is based on three witches that make a prophecy on Macbeth and clarifies that he will be crowned King of Scotland, he is skeptical.

That may sound weird but In the backstage world of theatre, some believe that the play is cursed, and will not mention its title aloud, referring to it instead as “The Scottish Play”. Astonishing isn’t it. Well, you haven’t gone through classic then get one and raise the worth of your bookshelf.

Love Poems & Sonnets of William Shakespeare

Shakespeare poetry gained popularity faster than his plays and for those interested in poetry rather than plays, Love Poems & Sonnets of William Shakespeare is a collection of odes compiled in a handsomely illustrated volume. His sonnets are the English language’s most remarkable anatomy of love in all its dimensions. No matter its desire and despair, longing and loss, adoration, or disgust author will leave you inspired wit his elegantly written timeless compositions. This modern edition is ideal for all students and general readers that set new standards for Shakespearean literature.

Othello, The Moor of Venice

Othello, The Moor of Venice is another tragedy by William Shakespeare that has captivated audiences for centuries due to its sour take on betrayal, racism, and inherent vulnerability. Othello is being frequently performed in professional and community theatre alike and has been the source for numerous operatic, film, and literary adaptations. This jealousy and anger filled novel are definitely enduring and captivates your attention with themes of racism, love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge, and repentance.

Hamlet

Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play with 30,557 words. Hamlet is considered to be Shakespeare’s most powerful and influential works of world literature, with the capable story of seemingly endless adaptations by others. This is another level experience that explores insanity, the supernatural, and regicide with thrilling introspection. The story shows the bizarre truth of blood relations and what impact that shows on a person.

This book was counted as the author’s most influential and popular work of his time and still, the charm hasn’t faded. It ranks among his most performed, topping the performance list of the Royal Shakespeare Company. If you haven’t seen it any adaptation then wait for it to choose to read the book to understand the real meaning of modern literature.

Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is the amalgam of two quite different stories of romantic love. This book is the product of the time when the author was in the middle of his career. The story is fueled with witty one-liners and a will-they-won’t-they romance. Much Ado About Nothing is a book that involves Shakespeare’s illustration that how mischief can ensue when there are multiple cross-connection.

Shakespeare being Shakespeare has done full justice to the work he includes the complete text supplemented with scene-by-scene summaries and helpful discussion questions. Stories of lovers feeling deceived into believing each other false are quite common and the reader found relativity while turning down the pages.

King Lear

King Lear is a tale of a king that bequeaths his power and land to two of his three daughters after they confess their love for him in an extremely obsequious and servile manner. King Lear is a sheer example of magnitude and intensity. The book takes you the journey of madness with a sheer duration of the pain that it represents. It shares the heart battle and tries to engage in violence and alleviate the suffering of others. The play is based on a struggling family that includes greed, hatred, cruelty where on the other hand it has a different face that includes affection, support, and consolation.

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar is another highly celebrated play, which has been part of almost everybody’s high school. Without a doubt, Shakespeare has become Oxford’s schools preferred introduction to the literary legacy of the greatest playwright in the English language.

Julius Caesar is a play wrote on a Roman statesman and general who played a critical role in the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. Well, though Shakespeare’s legendary work is cherished worldwide still cannot be denied that it’s not a piece of cake. You require great knowledge of modern literature in order to understand the plays of Shakespeare. Julius Caesar is of those powerful plays that are still being performed on stage elegantly.

The Tempest

The Tempest is thought to be one of the last plays that Shakespeare wrote alone. The Tempest begins with the spectacle of a storm-tossed ship at sea and then the story is set on the remote island where the sorcerer Prospero, a complex and contradictory character, lives with his daughter Miranda, and his two servants—Caliban, a savage monster figure, and Ariel, an airy spirit, now that much is enough for you to get an estimation of characters. The Tempest is considered to be the first of Shakespeare’s comedies. Well, till now it must be very clear that Shakespeare plays are what you might be seeing in many movies and never thought it to be a part of any book. Then you must remember that there are lots and lots in a book for you to embrace.

The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy genre crafted beautifully by the author. The plot is revolved around the two main characters Petruchio and Katherina, who keep a different kind of relationship in front of the world that probably hard to digest in older times. The time when women use to be sweetly simple and homely, it shows the unique character that is strong-headed and goes through the whole journey to become an ideal woman. This is definitely one the precious gift by the author given to the world.

As You Like It

As You Like It- well this will shock you but Shakespeare’s this play is one of the favorite plays of high school teenagers. The story is based on four main characters that include Rosalind, Orlando, Celia, and Oliver. This is a pastoral comedy and is greeted with delight by readers. Though the critical response has been varied with some critics finding the play a work of great merit and some find it to be of lesser quality than other Shakespearean works. However, the play remains favorite among audiences and has been adapted for radio, films, musical theater.

Conclusion

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. It’s next to impossible that anyone could find any flaw in Shakespeare’s writing. His immensely loved and cherished work includes 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. The best part is his plays have been translated into every possible language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

His early plays mainly include comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. He is often called England’s national poet and Bard of Avon. Shakespeare produced most of his work between 1589 to 1613. Shakespeare was not revered in a lifetime but he received a large amount of praise in 1598 stood out as “The Most Excellent” in both comedy and tragedy.

The legendary author has gifted us with some of the most magnificent masterpieces of his writing in his whole writing career that is incomparable and always been on top. However it cannot be denied that legendary William Shakespeare was one of the most versatile writers who ha contributed to all genres be it comedy, tragedy, humor, and has justified each emotion in his all works. He is still been celebrated as the world’s greatest dramatist and his work is still being adapted as a film, theater, and any other playwright. This article includes a glimpse of his world-renown work that should not be missed by any individual. The above mentioned were some of the greatest read by the author. Do let us know in the comment section how you liked this article and if you have any queries you can ask them as well by commenting.

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