Much Ado About Nothing of the Ratna Sagar Shakespeare Series is enriched with complete text of the original play, plenty of short notes that explain and interpret the text, summary of each scene, as well as useful commentary on the life and times of Shakespeare, Elizabethan theatre, sources and genre, characters, plot, themes, and motifs, literary devices and figures of speech. A comedy of errors, the title of the play is justified by the utter confusion in the plot that arises out of nothing. Replete with sparkling dialogues, the play has also been described as a comedy of wit. This edition of Much Ado About Nothing is enriched with exhaustive annotations and notes.This enriched edition of Much Ado About Nothing has exhaustive annotations and notes. As suggested by its title, the play is a comedy of errors in which a lot of fuss and confusion is created over nothing. The title also plays on the word 'nothing', pronounced as 'noting' in Elizabethan English. 'Noting' refers to the manner in which people note or eavesdrop, and pass on information. The action over the course of the play largely arises because of noting and deceit, as the characters are directly or indirectly affected by eavesdropping and gossip. Claudio and Hero's relationship suffers due to the malicious misinformation of Don John and Borachio. On the other hand, Benedick and Beatrice's relationship develops as a result of the well-intended deceit and gossip of Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato, Hero, and Ursula.   Set in Messina, Italy, the action of the play mostly takes place in and around the house of Leonato, the Governor of Messina, who lives with his daughter, Hero, and his witty niece, Beatrice. The play commences with Don Pedro, the Prince of Arragon, and his followers Benedick and Claudio visiting Leonato with the prince's illegitimate brother Don John, who had rebelled against him but is now reconciled. It is revealed that Claudio loves Hero and wishes to propose to her. While the Claudio-Hero relationship forms the main plot of the play, the sub-plot is provided by the love-hate relationship between Benedick and Beatrice, whose interactions oscillate between fondness and witty sarcasm from the very beginning. In the initial part of the play, there is a masked dance in which Don Pedro pretends to be Claudio, woos Hero on his behalf, and asks Leonato for Hero's hand in marriage to Claudio. As all is settled for the prospective marriage of Claudio and Hero within a week, the bitter and sullen Don John concocts a plan with his underling Borachio to spoil the happiness of Claudio, the 'young start-up' who 'hath all the glory of my overthrow'. As a game of deceit and manipulation begins, Don John and Borachio execute their plan to lead Claudio into believing Hero's infidelity. An enraged Claudio shames and rejects Hero in front of the wedding congregation the next day. Leonato is devastated, and Hero faints, at which Claudio and Don Pedro leave her for dead. Friar Francis believes in Hero's innocence, and devises the plan to publish the report of her death so as to convert the slander against her into pity, and make Claudio realize her worth and repent for disgracing her.   Meanwhile, the scene shifts to the members of the Watch, with the head constable Dogberry, his partner Verges, and two watchmen. Although they are the comedians of the play, these farcical detectives are the ones who finally uncover the truth of Don John's villainy. Once Don John's plot is revealed, Don Pedro and Claudio repent for their action and apologize to Leonato, who asks Claudio to hang an epitaph on Hero's 'tomb', and then marry his 'niece', who is 'the copy of my child that's dead', as penance. Claudio agrees, and on the day of the wedding the lady is revealed to be none other than Hero herself. With the resolution of the Claudio-Hero relationship, Benedick and Beatrice too confess their love for each other, but not without the customary bout of wit. A messenger arrives to inform all that Don John has been captured while trying to flee. With poetic justice served and all conflicts resolved, the play ends with a celebratory dance.

Much Ado About Nothing: Playgoer's Edition (The Arden Shakespeare)

Literature & Fiction

Humphreys, A. R.

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Romeo and Juliet: Playgoer's Edition (The Arden Shakespeare) (ARDEN SHAKESPEARE PLAYGOER'S EDITION)

William. Shakespeare

The Arden Shakespeare is the established edition of Shakespeare's work. Justly celebrated for its authoritative scholarship and invaluable commentary, Arden guides you a richer understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's plays.  This edition of A Midsummer Nights Dream provides, a clear and authoritative text, detailed notes and commentary on the same page as the text, a full introduction discussing the critical and historical background to the play and appendices presenting sources and relevant extracts.

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Playgoer's Edition (ARDEN SHAKESPEARE PLAYGOER'S EDITION)

Brooks, Harold F.

Two of Shakespeare's plays, with information aimed specifically at those going to watch the play.

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Brown, John Russell

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Twelfth Night (Arden Shakespeare: Second Series)

<p>The Arden Shakespeare is the established edition of Shakespeare's work. Justly celebrated for its authoritative scholarship and invaluable commentary, Arden guides you a richer understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's plays. This edition of Twelfth Night provides, a clear and authoritative text, detailed notes and commentary on the same page as the text, a full introduction discussing the critical and historical background to the play and appendices presenting sources and relevant extracts.</p>

The Arden Shakespeare is the established edition of Shakespeare's work. Justly celebrated for its authoritative scholarship and invaluable commentary, Arden guides you a richer understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's plays. This edition of The Poems provides, a clear and authoritative text, detailed notes and commentary on the same page as the text, a full introduction discussing the critical and historical background to the play and appendices presenting sources and relevant extracts.

The Poems - Arden Shakespeare: Second Series - Hardback (The Arden Shakespeare)

Prince, F.T.

Coriolanus (Arden Shakespeare: Second Series)

The Arden Shakespeare is the established edition of Shakespeare's work. Justly celebrated for its authoritative scholarship and invaluable commentary, Arden guides you a richer understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's plays. This edition of Coriolanus provides, a clear and authoritative text, detailed notes and commentary on the same page as the text, a full introduction discussing the critical and historical background to the play and appendices presenting sources and relevant extracts.

John Dover Wilson's New Shakespeare, published between 1921 and 1966, became the classic Cambridge edition of Shakespeare's plays and poems until the 1980s. The series, long since out-of-print, is now reissued. Each work is available both individually and as a set, and each contains a lengthy and lively introduction, main text, and substantial notes and glossary printed at the back. The edition, which began with The Tempest and ended with The Sonnets, put into practice the techniques and theories that had evolved under the 'New Bibliography'. Remarkably by today's standards, although it took the best part of half a century to produce, the New Shakespeare involved only a small band of editors besides Dover Wilson himself. As the volumes took shape, many of Dover Wilson's textual methods acquired general acceptance and became an established part of later editorial practice, for example in the Arden and New Cambridge Shakespeares.

Richard III: Playgoer's Edition (The Arden Shakespeare)

Hammond, Antony

Humor & Entertainment

The new editions contain new sections: Classwork and Examinations and Background to Shakespeare's England . There are also short sections on Date and Text, and Source.

As You Like It: (2nd series) Playgoer's Edition (The Arden Shakespeare)

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