Shakespeare

About the Book

Shakespeare: A Study Guide summarizes and analyzes the plays and poems of William Shakespeare. It lists themes, describes characters, identifies figures of speech and allusions, discusses writing techniques, and provides a wealth of other background information. What caused the feud between the families of Romeo and Juliet? Why didn’t Hamlet succeed to the thrones of Denmark after the murder of his father? What do the witches in Macbeth mean whey they say “fair is foul and foul is fair”? This guide answers all those questions. It also discusses in detail the format and meaning of Shakespeare’s sonnets and other poems.

About the Author

After teaching English in public schools, Michael J. Cummings entered journalism in 1968, serving as a reporter, news editor, editorial writer, and managing editor of a national publication. In 1984, he became a freelance writer, publishing several thousand articles over the next two decades. While freelancing, Cummings also began teaching college English part time. Over the years, he has maintained a passionate interest n Shakespeare, reading and analyzing his complete works. To share his knowledge, he developed a free web site, Shakespeare, as a study guide. Its success led to publication of this book as a guide for students.