Shakespeare's Drama Stories

Author: Lamb
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This book selects twelve stories suitable for young readers, all with the theme of punishing evil and promoting good, resembling China's "Three Words and Two Films" in tone, and also conveying the moral significance of cause and effect. The Tempest and As You Like It tell stories of court struggles, both ending with the evil usurper reforming. In Macbeth, the usurper faces a downfall. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark describes how easy it is to destroy the old order but difficult to restore stability. A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Second Night, and Romeo and Juliet celebrate the protagonists breaking free from feudal constraints to pursue free love. The Winter's Tale and Othello criticize baseless suspicion and emphasize the need for mutual understanding and communication to be coordinated between subjective and objective factors. Much Ado About Nothing both criticizes misbelief and uses misunderstandings to resolve them. King Lear and The Merchant of Venice illustrate how a single misstep can lead to terrible consequences. Of course, beyond the main plots of these stories, there are also subplots, and their themes are largely similar.