Shakespeare's Stories

By Khoa Le and Samantha Newman

This beautifully illustrated compendium brings the Bard's timeless tales to life for a younger generation, with wit and panache.

Shakespeare's plays have been beloved for so many years that his characters and words have shaped our world today. This collection has adapted these works adapted for younger readers, introducing them iconic characters such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.

Sam Newman's cleverly reworked text retains many of Shakespeare's own inimitable turns of phrase, while simplifying and clarifying the language to make stories accessible to children.

The opulent full-colour illustrations by award-winning illustrator Khoa Le's will delight young and old alike.

Stories include:
• Antony and Cleopatra
• As You Like It
• Comedy of Errors
• Hamlet
• King Lear
• Love's Labour's Lost
• Macbeth
• The Merchant of Venice
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Othello
• Romeo and Juliet
• The Tempest
• The Winter's Tale
• Twelfth Night

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781398810433

Khoa Le

Khoa Le is an illustrator, graphic designer, painter and freelance author. She graduated from Fine Arts University in Ho Chi Minh, where she lives and works. She has authored and/or illustrated 10 books.

Book preview

Introduction

William Shakespeare was born nearly five hundred years ago, in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. When he grew up, he moved to London to write plays—and he was very good at it! He wrote thirty-nine plays in his lifetime, as well as many poems, and his plays were really popular.

When we think of going to see a play today, we might think of beautiful indoor stages, soft seats, and bright lights. We know we are meant to be quiet while the play is on and we only make noise at the end, when we applaud. In Shakespeare’s day, the venues and the rules were very different. For a start, the stages were open air and most people had to stand. As for keeping quiet—it was quite the opposite! The audience loved to shout, cheer, and boo whenever they felt like it. It was more like being at a sports game than the shows we know today.

But even though they were written at a very different time, Shakespeare’s stories are still performed all around the world today.

So, what is it that makes these stories so popular? Many people believe that the whole of life can be found in Shakespeare’s plays. He wrote things that were funny, things that were sad, adventure stories, love stories, and even ghost stories. He wrote about people from all walks of life, from kings to peasants.

So maybe you’d like to read about the pranksters playing in a fine country house in Twelfth Night? Or the sad ghost story of Hamlet? Perhaps you’d like to read the funny love story of Much Ado About Nothing. If you like your stories with a little magic, you could try The Tempest, which features the wizard Prospero and his spirit servant, Ariel. Or A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is populated with fairies who like to use magic potions to play tricks on mortals. All of these things and more are now living between the covers of this book—and it was Shakespeare who wrote them all.

Shakespeare’s plays have been beloved for so many years that his characters and words have shaped our world today. You might meet some characters in these pages who you have already heard of, such as Romeo and Juliet, the young lovers from Verona, or Macbeth, the power-hungry Scottish lord, as well as people who really did exist, such as Queen Cleopatra of Egypt.

One thing to remember when reading Shakespeare’s tales is that they were written a very long time ago, and for an adult audience. In retelling them for today’s children, we have skipped over some parts of the tales, but have left all the key story elements in place. If something in one of the stories worries you, show that story to a trusted grown up and have a chat about it. The stories are meant to be exciting, but if you find any of them too scary, you can just turn the page and choose a different one.

In the meantime, settle in and prepare to be transported to far-flung lands to have fun and adventures with the most interesting cast of characters you are ever likely to meet.

The Comedy of Errors

A long time ago, the city of Syracuse in Sicily was at war with the city of Ephesus in Greece. The Duke of Ephesus forbade any man from Syracuse to enter his city. The penalty for breaking this law was death. One day, an elderly man from Syracuse was caught in Ephesus and dragged before the Duke. The Duke was not an unkind man. I don’t want to have to put you to death. Why would you risk such a thing? he asked the old man.

The old man said, "My name is Egeon and I used to be a merchant. I sailed from port to port with my wife, selling the finest wines. My wife gave birth to twin boys in a foreign land. Another lady also gave birth at the same time as my wife. She also had twin sons, but she did not feel blessed. Instead, she wailed with worry, for she had nothing to feed them and no way to make money. So, I offered her a large amount of money in exchange for her sons. They would grow up to be companions and servants for my boys and always be well taken care of. The woman accepted on the spot. We set sail for home with four baby boys.

But our ship hit a terrible storm. It broke the ship into pieces, and we all fell into the water. All I could think of was saving the babies. I grabbed the two nearest me—one was my own son and the other was his companion—and tied them—and myself—to part of the mast floating near me. I saw my wife do the same with the other two boys. We hoped that the mast pieces would keep us afloat long enough to find the shore. Then, we saw two ships sailing toward us. Before they reached us, a huge wave swept between us and we were separated. When the wave had passed, I couldn’t see my wife and the two boys anymore, or one of the ships. The ship near us picked us up and took us home. I’ve always hoped that they got picked up by that other ship, but we’ve heard nothing of them. It’s been eighteen years. The boys and I can bear it no longer. We must find out what happened to my wife and the other two. We’ve searched everywhere else with no luck. So, I decided to take my chances and search here, despite the danger."

The Duke had listened to this all and felt sorry for the man. That is a sad tale indeed my friend. If you can find someone to pay your bail, you can go free.

Egeon was led away to jail.

Meanwhile, unbeknown to Egeon, his remaining son, Antipholus, and the remaining twin servant, Dromio, had just arrived in Ephesus too, to search for their brothers and Antipholus’s mother.

They hadn’t been in town long when an angry lady stamped up to them. There you are, Antipholus. What’s taken you so long? I sent Dromio to find you ages ago! Lunch is all ready, come inside. Dromio, guard the door and don’t let anyone in. I’ve not had a nice quiet lunch with my husband in ages.

Antipholus and Dromio were surprised. They had never seen this lady before in their lives!

We’d better do as she says, Antipholus murmured. If she’s ill, we don’t want to anger her.

So, they went to lunch. Dromio stood outside the door. To his surprise, a man who looked just like Antipholus came along and demanded to be let inside.

I’m sorry, I can’t, said Dromio. My master is inside, having lunch with his—um —wife.

Dromio, what’s wrong with you? I’m your master, Antipholus, exclaimed the man. I know I’m late for lunch but it’s because I was ordering a gold necklace for Adriana, my wife.

Dromio wasn’t sure what was going on, but he knew his master was definitely already inside, so he refused to open the door.

What poor Dromio did not understand was that he was speaking to one of the very men he had been looking for. Antipholus’s twin was alive and well and had been living all this time in Ephesus, and he was also named Antipholus!

Antipholus of Ephesus stomped off in a huff to find his lunch somewhere else.

Meanwhile inside, the lady Adriana was telling Antipholus of Syracuse that he ought to