Classic Plays

Everything Agatha Christie would become begins in these thirteen books. This annotated collection includes: • A 15,000-word critical study of the author's first decade • A full life of the author, from wartime dispenser to Queen of Crime • An introduction: how to read the early work • A Note on the Texts and their United States public-domain status • Thirteen complete works, 1920–1930, in one volume Everything the world's best-selling novelist would become begins in these thirteen books. Between 1920 and 1930 an unknown Englishwoman published the novels that invented modern ...

Petruchio arrives in Padua determined to gain his fortune by marrying the volatile Katherina. Their tempestuous meeting and marriage leads to a great love affair. This is perhaps the most famous play ever written about the battle of the sexes. (A full-cast production.)

The Game of Life and How to Play It, published in 1925, teaches the philosophies of its author, Florence Scovel Shinn. The book holds that ignorance of, or carelessness, with the application of various 'Laws of Metaphysics' can bring about undesirable life events.

Hamlet is one of the great classics, if not the greatest, of English drama. Set in Denmark, the play recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father, the King, and then taken the throne and married Gertrude, Hamlet's mother.

The war at Troy did not end when the city fell. For the Greeks who sailed home, and the women they carried off as slaves, the worst was still to come — and it is the tragedians, not Homer, who tell that story. Twenty-five centuries ago, in the open-air theater on the slope of the Athenian Acropolis, three poets created an art form that has never been surpassed. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides took the old stories of gods and heroes — the house of Atreus, the fall of Troy, the curse of Oedipus, the fury of Medea — and turned them into something the world had never seen: tragedy. ...

In the 1880's, an American senator observes, with some perplexity, English country life and all of its social echelons. To add some spice along the way, we follow the romances and intrigues of the flirtatious Arabella Trefoil.

In an era where Shakespeare's majestic works may feel distant, Jeanette Vigon bridges the past and present with her adaptation of "Julius Caesar" for the Simple Shakespeare series. Her contemporary reimagining infuses new life into the classic tale of power, betrayal, and fate, making the dense narrative of political intrigue and moral ambiguity engaging and accessible for today's readers. Vigon preserves the drama's gravity and historical depth while converting its sophisticated oratory into language that speaks to the modern sensibility. Ideal for Shakespeare beginners as well as seasoned...

The dead do not sleep in Denmark. Thrice the vision of the suddenly departed king has haunted the night watchmen. Upon seeing his own son, prince Hamlet, the ghost calls him away to divulge most nefarious secret. This most noble king was murdered by his own brother, Hamlet's uncle, who now wears his crown and beds his bride. To the prince he charges with the unholy quest to avenge his death and kill his murderer. Young Hamlet, shocked and amazed, swears to do the bloody deed. Thus begins one of the greatest works by the greatest English author - William Shakespeare.

Master the art of slow, strategic chess with Classical Chess Made Simple—a complete guide designed to help you think deeper, play smarter, and win more consistently. Whether you're a beginner looking to build a strong foundation or an intermediate player aiming to level up, this book breaks down complex chess concepts into clear, practical lessons you can apply immediately. What You’ll Learn How to think like a classical chess player Proven opening principles without memorization Middlegame strategies and planning techniques How to calculate accurately and avoid blunders Endgame ...

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare's finesse to Oscar Wilde's wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim's Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites listeners to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.

This annotated edition includes: All two hundred and one stories Constance Garnett translated, her thirteen volumes (1916–1922) printed here entire, in her own order, in a single file for the first time All twelve of Chekhov's surviving plays — four from Marian Fell's 1912 volume, eight from Julius West's 1916 volume — the complete dramatic output between them An afterword tracing the six years of hundred-line comic sketches that this edition cannot include, and arguing that they are where Chekhov's method was actually built A biographical portrait, a corrected chronology, and a Note ...

A book that contains another book — a fictional play in two acts whose second act drives every reader insane. The play does not exist. Robert W. Chambers never wrote it. What he wrote instead, in 1895, was one of the most audacious works of horror fiction in the English language. This Erato Press critical edition reads The King in Yellow as the structurally radical and genuinely disturbing book it has always been. Published at the height of the decadent movement — the same moment that produced Oscar Wilde's trial and The Yellow Book — Chambers drew on his years as an art student in ...

In this contemporary reinterpretation of "As You Like It," William Shakespeare's pastoral comedy finds new expression, exploring themes of romance, adventure, and self-discovery through a modern lens. Set in an eclectic urban park that serves as the play's Forest of Arden, the story follows Rosalind as she flees her usurping uncle's court to find refuge in this green sanctuary. Disguised as a young man named Ganymede, Rosalind navigates questions of love and identity while accompanied by her loyal cousin Celia and the jester Touchstone. In this transformed forest, they encounter the ...

This annotated edition includes: • A 16,000-word critical study of Aeschylus and the birth of tragedy • The complete Oresteia — the only surviving Greek trilogy • All seven surviving plays, including Prometheus Bound • A life of Aeschylus (c. 525–456 BCE), the soldier of Marathon • The Plumptre verse translation, public domain worldwide Before Aeschylus, there was no drama. One actor faced a chorus, and nothing could happen. He added a second — and with two figures who could disagree, tragedy, and all theatre after it, was born. Aeschylus is the oldest of the great ...

Jeanette Vigon's adaptation of Macbeth in the Simple Shakespeare series translates Shakespeare's darkest tragedy into contemporary English, making the story of ambition, guilt, and fate accessible without diminishing its power. This retelling preserves the psychological complexity of Shakespeare's characters—Macbeth's descent from honored warrior to murderous tyrant, Lady Macbeth's ruthless ambition and eventual breakdown, and the witches' cryptic prophecies that set catastrophe in motion. Vigon captures the moral conflicts and paranoia that drive the narrative while presenting them in ...

At a black-tie gala in June 1988, Golf Magazine assembled the “100 Heroes of American Golf” in the grand ballroom of New York’s Waldorf Astoria. Among the legends making a rare public appearance was Ben Hogan. He was joined by Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, and many of the most celebrated figures in the men’s and women’s game. Only two amateurs were in attendance, as the early legends like Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, and Chick Evans had long since passed away. Bill Campbell, past his competitive prime, was acknowledged for his USGA administrative leadership. The other ...

There is no finer way to welcome young people (or adults!) to the pleasures of Shakespeare than with these four masterful retellings of the Bard's most beloved plays. Ranging from the pure magic of A Midsummer Night's Dream to the heartbreak of young love in Romeo and Juliet, featuring the spine-tingling tragedy of Macbeth (complete with ghost and witches) and culminating in the laugh-out-loud hijinks of Twelfth Night.

This annotated edition of Hamlet includes: • A 16,000-word critical study, "Frighted With False Fire" • A Note on the Text naming which early text each passage comes from • A full life of Shakespeare — and the thin record behind the legend • The complete, unabridged received text: all five acts • On the three Hamlets of 1603, 1604, and 1623 — and why they differ There is no such object as Hamlet. There are three early printed texts, they disagree, and the play everyone knows is a hybrid of two of them, stitched together by editors in the eighteenth century. No version ...

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic prose and verse read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly remastered stories are now available to download for the first time...

Medea is a tragedy written by the Stoic philosopher Seneca the Younger. It depicts the tragic conclusion of the marriage between the leader of the Jason, the leader of the Argonauts, and Medea, the most infamous and fierce woman in antiquity. This translation rendered Seneca's Latin in modern English which is readable to the 21st century yet reflects the gravity of the play. This edition also includes the following: a preface with a brief introduction to the play and brief reflections on the themes of the play; and explanatory footnotes for classical references within the text.