Charles Lamb & Mary Lamb 
Tales from Shakespeare (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) 

This edition includes a modern introduction and a list of suggested further reading.


 



Charles and Mary Lamb’s classic of children’s literature
Tales from Shakespeare is characterized by almost fairytale-like plot devices-complications arising from identical twins, magical forests, ghosts and witches, and foolish kings. The prose renditions of fourteen comedies and six tragedies are just as captivating for adults. Far from being mere plot summaries, the Tales closely follow the plays, frequently incorporating Shakespeare’s exact language into the narratives and refusing to impose simplistic moral conclusions on the often-messy philosophical universe of Shakespearean drama.

A propos de l’auteur

Charles and Mary Lamb were not only creatures of the English Romantic Movement, they were also at its vanguard.  Charles was considered one of the greatest essayists in English letters for his imaginative and witty prose styling published under the pseudonym of “Elia, ” and Mary wrote poetry and prose that have enjoyed a renewed scholarly interest with the rise of women’s studies.