Review (PDF)

CliffsComplete Macbeth

In the CliffsComplete guides, the novel's complete text and a glossary appear side-by-side with coordinating numbered lines to help you understand unusual words and phrasing. You'll also find all the commentary and resources of a standard CliffsNotes for Literature.CliffsComplete Othello makes you familiar with one of the most staged of all of Shakespeare's plays. Othello is a tale of love and betrayal, secrets, passion, and intrigue. Psychology and wit pit strength and virtue against jealousy and evil agendas. The results leave no winners, only tragedy in the lives of the jealous Moor, Othello, and his wife, Desdemona.Enhance your reading of Othello and save valuable studying time — all at once — with CliffsComplete Othello. Additional features include:A summary and insightful commentary for each sceneBibliography and historical background on the playwright, William ShakespeareA look at the historical context and structure of the playDiscussions on the play's symbols and themesA character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the charactersReview questions, a quiz, discussion topics (essay questions), activity ideasA Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sitesStreamline your literature study with all-in-one help from CliffsComplete guides!

Series: Cliffs Complete

Paperback: 204 pages

Publisher: Cliffs Notes; 3rd edition (May 8, 2000)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 076458572X

ISBN-13: 978-0764585722

Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #38,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #19 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British & Irish > Shakespeare > Literary Criticism #26 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Reference #51 in Books > Literature & Fiction > British & Irish > Dramas & Plays

I am taking a Shakespeare course at my high school and I bought this to help me in my study of Macbeth. I didn't want a book that "translated" Shakespearean verse into modern English, because that actually hurts more than it helps. You may "understand what's going on" if you read something like that, but Shakespeare chose the words he did for a reason: he rhymed, made allusions, used alliteration, metaphors, similes, backspeak, poetic compression, and all the rest, for a reason. And you can't find that complexity when you use the modern English versions. So I really loved the Cliffs Complete version. It has the original (or as close as you can come to it) text on one page, and helpful definitions of outdated words on the adjacent page, as well as interpretations of certain references and allusions.I like that the book starts out by talking about Will's life and times. It helps put things into historical context. Readers need to know that King James VI of Scotland and I of England had just ascended the thrown, and that Shakespeare would be performing this with his fellow actors infront of him. They need to know that attempts to take the King's life using "black magic" were made, and tales of witches and sorcery abounded. It also talks a bit about the play's themes/motifs, and the writing style/language used.At the beginning of each scene is a brief summary, and at the end a very thorough one. Commentary is easy to understand, and helpful for the more complex bits. My only beef is the lack of interpretation of certain lines of verse - most things can't be taken at face value, and have multiple interpretations that need to be unearthed and mulled over.The margins are good for taking notes, and it's not that tan, grainy book paper that doesn't take lead well. There's also note pages.

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