This Day In History: William Shakespeare

Today we commemorate both the birth and death dates of William Shakespeare (b. 1564; d. 1616). Shakespeare is one of the world's most famous dramatists and poets, although few details of his personal life are known. His plays -- probably the most widely read and translated literary works in history besides the Bible -- have been produced on the stage for centuries, and turned into feature films. Generations of authors writing long after Shakespeare's death have alluded to his ideas, characters and familiar phrases.

The NCC Libraries are full of resources on this amazing and enigmatic author, including materials to help the novice Shakespeare reader understand his stories. Stop by and find out what we have in our collection!

Works by William Shakespeare:

The Complete Works
PR 2755 .W45 2005 Monroe

Complete Pelican Shakespeare
PR 2754 .O73 2002 Stacks, Main and Monroe

Shakespeare's Sonnets
PR 2848 .A2 B6 2000 Stacks

The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare: The Complete Works Annotated
PR 2753 .S8 1993 Stacks

The Folger Book of Shakespeare Quotations
PR 2892 .S63 1979 Reference

Critical analysis of his works:

Shakespeare, Love and Service
by David Schalkwyk
PR 3069 .L6 S36 2008 Stacks

He Says/She Says Shakespeare
by Francesco Aristide Ancona
PR 2976 .A65 2008 Stacks

Macbeth: New Critical Essays
by Nicholas Rand Moschovakis
PR 2823 .M235 2008 Stacks

Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays
by Colin McGinn
PR 3001 .M38 2007 Stacks, Main and Monroe

Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry
by Anne Marie Hacht
PR 2987 .S474 2007 Reference, Main and Monroe (3 volumes)

Film adaptations:

Hamlet [DVD]
starring Kenneth Branagh
Media Tower, fiction section

Titus [DVD]
starring Anthony Hopkins
Media Tower, fiction section

Romeo and Juliet [DVD]
directed by Franco Zeffirelli
Media Tower and Monroe, fiction section

Othello [DVD]
starring Laurence Fishburne
Media Tower and Monroe, fiction section

Image courtesy of:
Shakespeare, William. Photograph of an oil painting. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. < https://libprox.northampton.edu/login?url=http://search.eb.com/eb/art-69353>.