We Love Shakespeare Week: Tales From Shakespeare Book Review

     I picked this treasure up at the bookstore I was volunteering at and was floored to discover that it was a vintage find and dates all the way to the 1870's! I've never been a big Shakespeare reader, although I love what stories I grew up knowing about. And while the book was written for children, I found it very accessible into the entry into the world of Shakespeare.

     The Lambs' took Shakespeare's most popular plays and translated them into prose form. The primary reason was to introduce young children at the time to the works of Shakespeare with less difficulty. It certainly helped me to understand his plays better. 

     Original text: 

BASSANIO In Belmont is a lady richly left; And she is fair, and, fairer than that word, Of wondrous virtues: sometimes from her eyes I did receive fair speechless messages: Her name is Portia, and she owns my heart. Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth, For the four winds blow in from every coast Renowned suitors, for her sunny locks Hang on her temples like a golden fleece, And many Jasons come in quest of her — Great lords, with rich and lustrous gifts, And here I am with nothing but myself — Less! — myself minus all my debt. O my Antonio, had I but the means To hold a rival place with one of them, Then I believe she favors me enough To sweep the rest away, and give me joy. 

ANTONIO And yet, without thy debt, thine own estate Is bountiful enough that it would serve. 

BASSANIO Here’s my hope, that, seeing how I’m changed, You’ll lend enough for me to pay my debts. You’ll have it back when Portia marries me, Or if she loves me not, then year by year.

ANTONIO Thou know'st that all my fortunes are at sea; Neither have I money nor commodity To raise a present sum: therefore go forth; Try what my credit can in Venice do: We’ll wring it dry to furnish you for Portia. Go, presently inquire, and so will I, Where money is, and what I borrow now, I trust I can repay when my ships come in, And you I trust to pay me next in turn. 

Charles Lamb's translation:

     One day Bassanio came to Antonio, and told him that he wished to repair his fortune by a wealthy marriage with a lady whom he dearly loved, whose father, that was lately dead, had left her sole heiress to a large estate; and that in her father's lifetime he used to visit at her house, when he thought he had observed this lady had sometimes from her eyes sent speechless messages, that seemed to say he would be no unwelcome suitor; but not having money to furnish himself with an appearance befitting the lover of so rich an heiress, he besought Antonio to add to the many favours he had shown him, by lending him three thousand ducats.

     Antonio had no money by him at that time to lend his friend; but expecting soon to have some ships come home laden with merchandise, he said he would go to Shylock, the rich money-lender, and borrow the money upon the credit of those ships.

     Now of course the language for the translated edition is dated and I normally don't read classic literature because of I have a difficult time understanding the writing. However, I was able to understand what the general storyline was even though I had to read through it again. Upon finishing reading Tales From Shakespeare I've discovered several favorite stories such as Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice, however I wasn't overly fond of A Comedy of Errors. I understand it was meant to be confusing, but it made my mind dizzy!

     I believe Tales From Shakespeare is a perfect introduction to the creative genius of Shakespeare. Once you can understand the meaning of the story, you can read the original works and truly construct and grasp his language.