Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare is a collection of stories of some
plays by William Shakespeare and is re-told by Edith Nesbit. It contains
twenty stories and so attractively presented that readers of every age
group can enjoy them. In her inimitable way, the author tries to capture
the readers imagination. Nesbit always felt that children and young ones
should be introduced to Shakespeare in an easier and enjoyable way. In
the book, a glossary of difficult names in the plays and a guide on how
to pronounce them are also included. Nesbit has also added useful
inclusion of memorable quotations from Shakespeares plays.
Nesbits retelling comprises plays like King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth and
Othello. While retaining the milieu of the plays, she makes the text
simpler for children to understand. For example, in Macbeth, the
witches, the crimes and the final tragic climax are wonderfully
recreated. Also, while retelling comedies like A Midsummer Nights Dream,
As You Like It, Measure for Measure and Twelfth Night, the author
strikes a lighter note.