“Tales From Shakespeare”
by Charles and Mary Lamb, illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
Pook Press, First edition, 1807, reprint in 2013, 322 pages, Grades 6-10.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is considered by many to be the greatest writer of English literature. So towering is his reputation that most of his works have been translated into numerous languages and are still eagerly read. Though Shakespeare wrote poems and sonnets, he is most famous for the outstanding plays he composed. His four great tragedies—“Hamlet,” “King Lear,” “Othello” and “Macbeth” — are considered masterpieces of artistic composition.
Since modern English was just being formed during his life, some of the plays occasionally present linguistic difficulties. This is particularly true for young readers lacking the historical development of the language. For this reason, Charles (1775-1834) and Mary Lamb (1764-1847) rewrote 15 of Shakespeare’s plays for children.
The Lambs — brother and sister — rewrote the plays to be readable short stories so that children would not get lost in the dramatic wordplay of the original works. The result of their efforts is a delightful collection of Shakespeare’s most famous plays that can be enjoyed and appreciated by younger readers. The Lambs include all four of Shakespeare’s great tragedies previously listed. There are also comedies like “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Much Ado About Nothing.”
Not all of Shakespeare’s plays fall into the neat categories of comedy, tragedy or history. Some, like “The Tempest,” are multifaceted. The genius of the Lambs’ writing is that the plays are condensed in a manner that allows children to understand the plots of the plays without feeling overwhelmed by the writing.
The Lambs’ work is not intended to be a substitute for reading the original works. They did not write the text to serve as an early version of Cliff Notes. Rather, they wanted to introduce younger readers to the magnificent writing of the greatest playwright in English history. Charles Lamb also wrote a number of essays and was in constant communication with the prominent writers of the day. His most famous stories are “Essays of Elia” (1823) and “Later Essays of Elia” (1833). Mary Lamb had some health problems and Charles lovingly provided for her care.
I highly recommend “Tales From Shakespeare” by Charles and Mary Lamb. It is an excellent introduction to the great literature written by Shakespeare. It is much easier for junior high students to read and understand English that is 200 years old instead of English that is 400 years old. Since the format is that of a short story, modern-day students will find the format familiar.
I hope you get a chance to check out a copy of “Tales From Shakespeare” by Charles and Mary Lamb. It is often available in public libraries in e-book form. Have fun with the Lambs’ lovely work. You will enjoy it.
