The Tempest: A Guide

The Shakespeare Handbooks provide a helpful, straightforward guide to the work of the world’s most celebrated dramatist. Along with a clear, easy-to-follow description of the plot, each book contains plenty of quotations from the text - with simple explanations of any unfamiliar words and phrases - and some thought-provoking comments from critics, past and present. The Shakespeare Handbooks include a few intriguing Shakespearean facts and figures, too. How old was Shakespeare when he wrote The Tempest? What did his friend and rival Ben Jonson think of the play? Why is Bermuda mentioned in it? Which everyday expressions were first coined in The Tempest? Which famous science fiction movie did it inspire? And what is a ‘wezand’? And a ‘doit’?

If you’re apprehensive about approaching a Shakespeare play, the Shakespeare Handbooks provide the perfect introduction. They’re ideal for students, theatregoers - in fact, anyone curious to know more about the greatest plays in the English language.

These are a few of the appreciative comments we’ve received about the Shakespeare Handbooks

Tremendously useful in helping to understand Shakespeare’s works - Dame Judi Dench.
Very readable, very helpful - Kenneth Branagh.
The Shakespeare Handbooks open the plays up admirably. Excellent for all levels of reader - everybody will get something from them. - Simon Callow.