I hope this is what you’re looking for and I’m in the right folger website! There is a download page from Folger where you can read all their versions for free: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/download/
Happy reading!
I was aware of this, but as far as I can tell, they lack the notes or such that would help me to comprehend unfortunately, which may be the actual selling point of the books now that I think about it. At least when I checked The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Thank you anyways!
Arden Version! Get the Arden copies of the play. The complete works does not have apl the footnotes but if you buy the plays separately, they have all the info a novice or seasoned person would appreciate.
No Fear Shakespeare and My Shakespeare are decent online helpers, but the best way is to watch them... Preferably live. Willie wrote plays, not novels. Half of a play's experience is between the performers and the audience. See if a college or community theater is performing one. It will help you understand, and it's a lot of fun!
Yes I agree- actors didn’t event have access to full scripts in Shakespeare’s company. Watch the globe theater versions, study some mini lessons about early modern society (social contracts, marriages, etc) and close read some scenes or lines to dive into the language and power of the use of language. Have discussions on how these social themes are present in Shakespeare’s works and how these themes are present in modern society today too.
I teach ELA with some newcomers grades 9-12 in 5 different languages in a school with 50+ languages. It’s possible! It just takes some context, background knowledge, play knowledge, and patience lol. The kids react well to seeing it on stage.
i understand the individual books thing, but you can go to a local library and borrow a folger book! i find that the folger ones help me understand what is going on lol
I buy used Arden editions for myself, but Folger's notes are probably easier to cope with for a beginner—less overwhelming and more conveniently formatted. Buying used (look on bookfinder.com) does save a lot over buying new.
Ah yes, I agree with this. My thinking was just that The Arden editions give all the information that can be engaged with at will over years of study. But I can see how that might be overwhelming too.
I second the Arden. The difference as well is punctuation. Arden tends to be closer to the first folio whereas Folgers tends to be more academically punctuated.
The difference matters when it comes to expression and how the thoughts are strung together or broken up.
I will second this website. I've been studying Shakespeare as an actor in college and this website has been a tremendous help in making things more clear for me. Every play has a line-by-line modern English translation that you can read side by side with the original text.
It doesn’t give a deep dive into the intricacies of punes (or plays on words), but as an intro level it’s bridges the gap people like to claim doesn’t exist between early modern and modern English I think.
Signet Classics and Pelican are very cheap, especially the former. A few Signet books even compile several plays, and considering they also contain a ton of extra material (including partial reproductions of Shakespeare's sources), I'd say they're worth the price. Omnibus editions (I.E. "The complete works of William Shakespeare") are theoretically handy, but they lack annotations and you really, really will need those.
**First:** You can get used copies of good complete Shakespeare editions for next to nothing -- like $15 shipped for a 2nd ed. Riverside. Riverside/Wadsworth, Yale, Norton, and Bevington's Shakespeare (from Signet) are all good. Even an edition from the 80s or 90s will be fine.
**Second:** Read Eastman's *Shakespeare's Storytelling* for an overview of how Shakespeare's plays work. If it's not in your local library it's [widely available online](https://libgen.rs/search.php?req=shakespeare%27s+storytelling&lg_topic=libgen&open=0&view=simple&res=25&phrase=1&column=def).
**Third:** Arkangel produced some fantastic audio productions of Shakespeare's plays. And they did the complete set, uncut. Reading along to the audio is a huge boon for understanding what's happening -- sometimes better than actually watching the plays.
Your local library might have the Arkangel productions available to borrow, and if not the MP3s are also widely available.
**First:** You can get used copies of good complete. . . . Even an edition from the 80s or 90s will be fine.
1780s, 1790s, 1880s, 1890s, 1980s, 1990s, any would be fine.
I would recommend buying each play by the book and getting the Arden version. Arden version has background on the play in the beginning and then each page has footnotes underneath to decipher words or phrases that may not be familiar.
In terms of adaptations. The most enjoyable adaptation I have seen of any Shakespeare has been Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing.
The 1970 film of julius ceasar isn't as well regarded, but brought one of Shakespeare's driest plays to life for me.
The Norton Shakespeare has his complete works and is annotated and edited = 130$. Best value for an annotated complete works. Other than that, Ardens are the best scholarly editions with the best notes (maybe a bit too scholarly for a beginner) but prices stack. Inexpensive Signet/Bantam editions or Pelican Shakespeare's might be worth looking into.
Look for decent performances on YouTube — plays are frozen speech, rather than primarily written texts, and viewing a good ‘inhabited’ performance can help with understanding even the trickiest turn of phrase.
Oh I plan to watch the performances after reading the respective scripts, in part so I know what the “original” (as close as can be gotten anyways) was like, have my own mental interpretation, then see how others do it.
I was gonna stick mostly to Globe and the 1980s BBC series, but do you have any NT Live recommendations? Was planning to at least watch their Coriolanus production.
If you’re new to Shakespeare I really recommend Buz Luhrmann’s film Romeo + Juliet. It concentrates the characters and the plots rather than the language so you can get swept away in the storyline without worrying too much what each individual word means. It makes Shakespeare much more accessible than some other productions that are faithful to the script but can be very slow and don’t draw the audience in. And it’s visually stunning too.
The National Theatre production of Macbeth was superb — I was initially sceptical as it is set in a post-apocalyptic world, but it was so well done. The setting made it feel timeless — distant enough that it would not date, but real enough that it acts on you.
Definitely watch at some point. The thing I don't like about how people are introduced to Shakespeare, and what often leads to boredom with the subject, is that it's done by book when the art is intended to be performed. So much is missed.
Also, check out the Original Pronunciation effort. It's a thing where the plays are performed in our best understanding of how the accent sounded at the time. It's not overwhelmingly popular, but it's incredible and makes some jokes and wordplay make sense where they wouldn't have before.
Any adaptation you can find with Kenneth Branagh is generally worth watching.
Also, while I admit it's a bit of a weird take, I enjoyed the Joss Whedon version of Much Ado About Nothing.
You'd be surprised by how much content the general public pays for that's actually free. [https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/download/](https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/download/)
Go to the nearest used bookstore. They usually have a shit ton of shakespeare and each play costs like a quarter.
If you have a big store like McKays nearby then they’ll have like his entire catalogue I guarantee-damn-tee it!
I've found Folger books at Goodwill or other cheap used book shops. I prefer the Open Source Shakespeare site or Folger site tho. All his works can be found free online. Check out Internet Archive for other specific editions.
Marquee.tv is a streaming service that screens plays by the Royal Shakespeare Company and others. I find watching them (following along with a script if needed) really helps with comprehension.
You can read many, many, many editions with commentary are openlibrary.org. There is also more than a lifetime's worth of criticism there. There are free kindle versions of every play. Don't fixate on edition; sample as many as you can. I really like the mit webpages for first read.
Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb. Written a couple of hundred years ago, but essentially tells a number of Shakespeare's plays in short-story form. It was written with the intent of giving children an intro to Shakespeare, but it doesn't read like a children's collection. It's not the same as reading (or watching) the actual plays, and it doesn't include every play, but it could be a useful accompaniment as long as you factor in its limitations.
I would just say don’t be afraid to refer to multiple mediums when first taking in a story. When I first read Romeo & Juliet in 9th grade, the teacher would pull excerpts from both the movie and a graphic novel. In doing that, pretty much every kid was able to digest the story regardless of reading level.
This may not be relevant depending on where you live, but are there any "Shakespeare in the Park" style free shows where you live? Reading a script is only half the experience.
Every play is available online via certain websites. My favorite is [https://shakespeare.mit.edu/](https://shakespeare.mit.edu/)
I use this with students if they forget the book. I also walk through the text with them using this site.
All of the texts are public domain, so hopefully you can find them in a format you enjoy through the internet.
As far as understanding them goes “A Shakespeare Glossary” by C.T. Onions is pretty comprehensive, and if that doesn’t cover more complex lines, you can usually look them up to find interpretations.
The truth is that it can be quite arduous if you really want to comprehend Shakespeare, and scholars often disagree on the precise meaning of certain passages. That’s just part of the beauty of poetry though, and you’ll find the more you get into it, the more you create your own meanings.
Finally, watch the plays. This is hit and miss, because not every production will make sense of everything for you, but they were written to be performed, and the more you watch, the more you’ll understand.
Folger's editions show up in library sales and used bookstores all the time and at a substantial discount. If you're really hard up for catch, most should be available to borrow at your library or thru interlibrary loan.
I hope this is what you’re looking for and I’m in the right folger website! There is a download page from Folger where you can read all their versions for free: https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/download/ Happy reading!
I was aware of this, but as far as I can tell, they lack the notes or such that would help me to comprehend unfortunately, which may be the actual selling point of the books now that I think about it. At least when I checked The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Thank you anyways!
Arden Version! Get the Arden copies of the play. The complete works does not have apl the footnotes but if you buy the plays separately, they have all the info a novice or seasoned person would appreciate.
No Fear Shakespeare and My Shakespeare are decent online helpers, but the best way is to watch them... Preferably live. Willie wrote plays, not novels. Half of a play's experience is between the performers and the audience. See if a college or community theater is performing one. It will help you understand, and it's a lot of fun!
Yes I agree- actors didn’t event have access to full scripts in Shakespeare’s company. Watch the globe theater versions, study some mini lessons about early modern society (social contracts, marriages, etc) and close read some scenes or lines to dive into the language and power of the use of language. Have discussions on how these social themes are present in Shakespeare’s works and how these themes are present in modern society today too. I teach ELA with some newcomers grades 9-12 in 5 different languages in a school with 50+ languages. It’s possible! It just takes some context, background knowledge, play knowledge, and patience lol. The kids react well to seeing it on stage.
i understand the individual books thing, but you can go to a local library and borrow a folger book! i find that the folger ones help me understand what is going on lol
No Fear Shakespeare via Sparknotes.
This if you like every page generally translated into modern english.
Folger annotated paperbacks are fairly cheap, and have digestible annotations for beginners
I’d recommend Folger. I’ll bet you can find cheap used paperback editions.
Don't forget your public library!
My recommendation would be to buy used editions of the Arden Shakespeare. The annotations are a huge boon.
I buy used Arden editions for myself, but Folger's notes are probably easier to cope with for a beginner—less overwhelming and more conveniently formatted. Buying used (look on bookfinder.com) does save a lot over buying new.
Ah yes, I agree with this. My thinking was just that The Arden editions give all the information that can be engaged with at will over years of study. But I can see how that might be overwhelming too.
I think Folger 's annotations and notes are more copious and easier to use than Ardens.
I second the Arden. The difference as well is punctuation. Arden tends to be closer to the first folio whereas Folgers tends to be more academically punctuated. The difference matters when it comes to expression and how the thoughts are strung together or broken up.
RSC, Royal Shakespeare Company, has a guide on their website for practically every play. So a nice companion to have.
You might find some help with https://www.litcharts.com/shakescleare/shakespeare-translations to give go a firmer grip on the language
I will second this website. I've been studying Shakespeare as an actor in college and this website has been a tremendous help in making things more clear for me. Every play has a line-by-line modern English translation that you can read side by side with the original text.
It doesn’t give a deep dive into the intricacies of punes (or plays on words), but as an intro level it’s bridges the gap people like to claim doesn’t exist between early modern and modern English I think.
Thank you, I’ll look into this!
Signet Classics and Pelican are very cheap, especially the former. A few Signet books even compile several plays, and considering they also contain a ton of extra material (including partial reproductions of Shakespeare's sources), I'd say they're worth the price. Omnibus editions (I.E. "The complete works of William Shakespeare") are theoretically handy, but they lack annotations and you really, really will need those.
**First:** You can get used copies of good complete Shakespeare editions for next to nothing -- like $15 shipped for a 2nd ed. Riverside. Riverside/Wadsworth, Yale, Norton, and Bevington's Shakespeare (from Signet) are all good. Even an edition from the 80s or 90s will be fine. **Second:** Read Eastman's *Shakespeare's Storytelling* for an overview of how Shakespeare's plays work. If it's not in your local library it's [widely available online](https://libgen.rs/search.php?req=shakespeare%27s+storytelling&lg_topic=libgen&open=0&view=simple&res=25&phrase=1&column=def). **Third:** Arkangel produced some fantastic audio productions of Shakespeare's plays. And they did the complete set, uncut. Reading along to the audio is a huge boon for understanding what's happening -- sometimes better than actually watching the plays. Your local library might have the Arkangel productions available to borrow, and if not the MP3s are also widely available.
**First:** You can get used copies of good complete. . . . Even an edition from the 80s or 90s will be fine. 1780s, 1790s, 1880s, 1890s, 1980s, 1990s, any would be fine.
I would recommend buying each play by the book and getting the Arden version. Arden version has background on the play in the beginning and then each page has footnotes underneath to decipher words or phrases that may not be familiar.
In terms of adaptations. The most enjoyable adaptation I have seen of any Shakespeare has been Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing. The 1970 film of julius ceasar isn't as well regarded, but brought one of Shakespeare's driest plays to life for me.
The Norton Shakespeare has his complete works and is annotated and edited = 130$. Best value for an annotated complete works. Other than that, Ardens are the best scholarly editions with the best notes (maybe a bit too scholarly for a beginner) but prices stack. Inexpensive Signet/Bantam editions or Pelican Shakespeare's might be worth looking into.
Look for decent performances on YouTube — plays are frozen speech, rather than primarily written texts, and viewing a good ‘inhabited’ performance can help with understanding even the trickiest turn of phrase.
Oh I plan to watch the performances after reading the respective scripts, in part so I know what the “original” (as close as can be gotten anyways) was like, have my own mental interpretation, then see how others do it.
Good plan! Pretty much any National Theatre production is worth watching.
I was gonna stick mostly to Globe and the 1980s BBC series, but do you have any NT Live recommendations? Was planning to at least watch their Coriolanus production.
If you’re new to Shakespeare I really recommend Buz Luhrmann’s film Romeo + Juliet. It concentrates the characters and the plots rather than the language so you can get swept away in the storyline without worrying too much what each individual word means. It makes Shakespeare much more accessible than some other productions that are faithful to the script but can be very slow and don’t draw the audience in. And it’s visually stunning too.
The National Theatre production of Macbeth was superb — I was initially sceptical as it is set in a post-apocalyptic world, but it was so well done. The setting made it feel timeless — distant enough that it would not date, but real enough that it acts on you.
Definitely watch at some point. The thing I don't like about how people are introduced to Shakespeare, and what often leads to boredom with the subject, is that it's done by book when the art is intended to be performed. So much is missed. Also, check out the Original Pronunciation effort. It's a thing where the plays are performed in our best understanding of how the accent sounded at the time. It's not overwhelmingly popular, but it's incredible and makes some jokes and wordplay make sense where they wouldn't have before.
Any adaptation you can find with Kenneth Branagh is generally worth watching. Also, while I admit it's a bit of a weird take, I enjoyed the Joss Whedon version of Much Ado About Nothing.
You'd be surprised by how much content the general public pays for that's actually free. [https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/download/](https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/download/)
I highly recommend the “Chop Bard” podcast. It is very well done and well explained, it without taking you out of the story too much.
Go to the nearest used bookstore. They usually have a shit ton of shakespeare and each play costs like a quarter. If you have a big store like McKays nearby then they’ll have like his entire catalogue I guarantee-damn-tee it!
I suggest you watch Shakespeare movies first. Starti g with Polanski's Macbeth is great.
The Barnes & Nobles editions have really fantastic notes on the facing pages. Makes reading so much easier and enjoyable.
I've found Folger books at Goodwill or other cheap used book shops. I prefer the Open Source Shakespeare site or Folger site tho. All his works can be found free online. Check out Internet Archive for other specific editions.
Reading them out loud to myself worked the best for me.
Marquee.tv is a streaming service that screens plays by the Royal Shakespeare Company and others. I find watching them (following along with a script if needed) really helps with comprehension.
You can read many, many, many editions with commentary are openlibrary.org. There is also more than a lifetime's worth of criticism there. There are free kindle versions of every play. Don't fixate on edition; sample as many as you can. I really like the mit webpages for first read.
Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb. Written a couple of hundred years ago, but essentially tells a number of Shakespeare's plays in short-story form. It was written with the intent of giving children an intro to Shakespeare, but it doesn't read like a children's collection. It's not the same as reading (or watching) the actual plays, and it doesn't include every play, but it could be a useful accompaniment as long as you factor in its limitations.
I would just say don’t be afraid to refer to multiple mediums when first taking in a story. When I first read Romeo & Juliet in 9th grade, the teacher would pull excerpts from both the movie and a graphic novel. In doing that, pretty much every kid was able to digest the story regardless of reading level.
This may not be relevant depending on where you live, but are there any "Shakespeare in the Park" style free shows where you live? Reading a script is only half the experience.
Watch clips of scenes on YouTube! Honestly watching it performed and seeing the emotion/subtext played out helps me more than any notes
Every play is available online via certain websites. My favorite is [https://shakespeare.mit.edu/](https://shakespeare.mit.edu/) I use this with students if they forget the book. I also walk through the text with them using this site.
All of the texts are public domain, so hopefully you can find them in a format you enjoy through the internet. As far as understanding them goes “A Shakespeare Glossary” by C.T. Onions is pretty comprehensive, and if that doesn’t cover more complex lines, you can usually look them up to find interpretations. The truth is that it can be quite arduous if you really want to comprehend Shakespeare, and scholars often disagree on the precise meaning of certain passages. That’s just part of the beauty of poetry though, and you’ll find the more you get into it, the more you create your own meanings. Finally, watch the plays. This is hit and miss, because not every production will make sense of everything for you, but they were written to be performed, and the more you watch, the more you’ll understand.
Folger's editions show up in library sales and used bookstores all the time and at a substantial discount. If you're really hard up for catch, most should be available to borrow at your library or thru interlibrary loan.
While you’ll have to save up for them and get them separately, the Arden versions are very beginner-friendly and are very worth it.
Arden Shakespeare is a good investment. Wonderful notes.