Shakespeare Plays Annotated Bibliography

Shakespeare, William. Measure For Measure: The Folio of 1623. Edited by Grace Ioppolo. Routledge, 2017.

Shakespeare highlights the Chalmers' arguments that critics have failed to figure out in real events. Vincentio, the Vienna's Duke reveals his intent to flee the city and leaves the powers to Angelo, who was considered as a strict judge. Shakespeare's book further explains how the transition takes place as they try to maintain law and order through the established justice system. Aspects such as the lack of fear, and the upholding of justice and trade were identified as the major qualities of a wisdom-endowed leader. Chalmers notes statues and events as well as a description of young James exhibiting resemblance to events in Measures for Measure. Chalmers assumes that Shakespeare will have access to James spy account intended for Queen Elizabeth. Additionally, due to lack of knowledge on the date of publication of Measure for Measure, Chalmers assumes some statutes, laws, and events took place before Measure for Measure was written.

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Shakespeare uses the play to portray themes such as justice, which is exhibited in the context of Mercy and Mortality in Vienna, as well as the dichotomy between purity and corruption. This is based on the main idea of the book that; some rise through the aid of virtual fall, while others rise by aid of sin, where the play justifies and glorifies acts of forgiveness and compassion. Justice is also presented throughout the play as the final scene reveals moral justice as a move to temper ultimate civil justice, where a large portion of the characters attain leniency and understanding as an alternative of the hard punishment stipulated for them. Therefore, Measure for Measure can be said to be a comic representation of justice and conflict resolution in the society.

Shakespeare, William. "The merchant of Venice." The Merchant of Venice. Edited by M. Lindsay Kaplan. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2002. 25-120.

Shakespeare discusses the deal between Antonio, a merchant of Venice who makes his money from trading fine goods carried to and from in his sailing ships, and Shylock a Jewish moneylender. According to Shakespeare, the deal goes wrong when a number of Antonio's ships perish at sea and threaten him with ruin. Lindsay also considers Shylocks to earn the pound from Antonio's flesh, which was promised him at the expense of interest at the time of acquiring the loan. Lindsay leaves the reader in question whether Antonio can escape death or not. The Shakespeare's book also discusses the rendezvous Portia and Bassanio. Portia plays a trick on Bassanio to test his love for her. Shakespeare also narrates the elopement of Shylock's Jewish daughter, Jessica, with the Christian Lorenzo.

Shakespeare's book seeks to present the shylock entrepreneurs as villains in the society, which brings more harm than good. For instance, the book associates shylock business as a presentation of an odious character, which leads to persecutions, scattering the members of the society more than the Inquisition itself. However, Jessica tries to overwrite this characteristic by representing herself as a sympathetic, generous, and a kindhearted woman, who defied his father's wish, forcing him to convert to Christianity and forfeit all his wealth. She was the first to try and revert the long-held perception about the context. Therefore, the Lindsay's book can be said to represent an analysis of shylocks and how the society perceives them in the long run and assist the students in attaining general life lessons and exposure.

Shakespeare, William. All's well that ends well. Edited by Suzanne Gossett. Vol. 20. Oxford University Press, USA, 1998.

In this publication, Shakespeare, highlights the events of Helena and Bertram. Helena falls in love with Bertram but unfortunately, she is of low birth, and Bertram is a nobleman. Suzanne's book points out the events that take place with Helena getting Bertram, hand after healing the King. The marriage falls at risk when Bertram joins to the army of the Duke of Florence and demands a baby from Helena. The author points the shift of events that unites the marriage with Helena using the help of old widow's daughter fulfilling Bertram's demands.

The setting of the Shakespeare's book tries to justify the idea that the pitfalls and the problems underwent in the process of achieving a set objective is normally forgotten or justified as long as the end turns out to be successful. Helena exhibits this in All's Well That Ends Well when she highlights that the milestones are prepared and involve varied approaches, therefore terming the end to be renown regardless of the course taken in actualizing it. This is also considered as one of the proverbial themes presented in the book.

Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida. Edited by David Bevington. Vol. 26. Classic Books Company, 2000.

Shakespeare narrates of an incident during the seventh Trojan War Troilus. According to David, Iliad from Achilles' refuses to participate in battle up to the time of Hector's death. Shakespeare gives two storylines in the play. The book gives an account of one story of Troilus, a son to Priam, Cressida, another Trojan whose father had defected the Greek. The narration is characterized by a comedy tone, which represents a love affair between Troilus, who was a prince and Cressida, who was a daughter to a Trojan priest. The war emerges after Cressida is traded to the Greeks after which she later accepts Diomedes as her lover. This triggers fury, where Hector takes to the field as the Trojans bring back the Greeks and Patroclus is murdered in the process. Later, Hector is also killed in the combat, and this acts as the end of the fight as the Trojan soldiers retreat to mourn their fallen hero.

Shakespeare's book is utilized to represent the theme of warfare and its impacts on the society. He utilized the prevailing war in Troilus and Cressida to represent the shameful, dishonorable, and gruesome acts prevailing in the warfare. David uses an illustration of Achilles, who is a soldier to show how he kills an innocent and unarmed soldier, and further drags his body across the field on a horse. Additionally, conflict is represented as harmful and a major cause of countless money, lives, and time. This is exhibited in the stipulated cause of the trojan and the Greeks war, which was initiated by the fact that Hellen was stolen by Paris from Menelaus, who was then the Greek King. Thus, such a scenario represents the pettiness associated with wars, especially with factors that are tied to sexual relationships, which are not worth to be considered as causative agents to such war.

Shakespeare, William. King John. Edited by Barry Cornwall. Vol. 3. Henry PB Jewett, 1857.

Shakespeare presents Shakespeare`s King John's history play which dramatizes the reign of King John the limitations of kings and their rights. He narrates the responsibility of the kings during those historical times and how the citizens regarded their kings either as evil, heroes, weak, or mad kings in relation to how such leaders exercised their power. The piece starts with the presentation of King Johns' legitimacy being challenged leading to an eruption of war between the French forces and the English armies. According to Shakespeare, Arthur who is claimed to be the rightful inheritor of the throne is captured and sentenced to death, but he is pitied by the executioner who is charmed with Arthur`s innocence. Additionally, Arthur's tragic death and the process and approaches used by the king to deal with his subjects leads to the king's assassination by a monk.

Shakespeare aims at examining power, especially in the processes of answering the three vital questions regarding power. These were the factors that make a monarch appropriate to rule, factors that award a monarch the rights and legal privileges to rule, and finally, the repercussions accruing an individual who has the right to rule, but does not fit to be considered a monarch. The play represents Arthur, who possesses the ultimate legal claim to the throne regardless of the fact that he was just a toddler and not fit to be a ruler. Thus, this presents the reason for the ultimate twist, where John is awarded the Kingship since he fulfills the basic requirements for him to be considered as a ruler. The book also explores the relationship between the monarch and the Catholic Church, where King John tries to defy the Pope and the Pandolf and use his King status to get away with it. Therefore, this presents the need for a King to maintain a balance and respect between spiritual power and military power, since the church holds the moral authority also to control the society.

Works cited

Shakespeare, William. "The merchant of Venice." The Merchant of Venice. Edited by M. Lindsay Kaplan. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2002. 25-120.

Shakespeare, William. All's well that ends well. Edited by Suzanne Gossett. Vol. 20. Oxford University Press, USA, 1998.

Shakespeare, William. King John. Edited by Barry Cornwall. Vol. 3. Henry PB Jewett, 1857.

Shakespeare, William. Measure For Measure: The Folio of 1623. Edited by Grace Ioppolo. Routledge, 2017.

Shakespeare, William. Troilus and Cressida. Edited by David Bevington. Vol. 26. Classic Books Company, 2000.