About the Book:
An indispensable aid in the study and understanding of Shakespeare.
Shakespeare's Words is for people who love Shakespeare, or who love language, or both. David Crystal, one of the world's leading experts on the English language, and his actor son, Ben Crystal, have created an immensely practical and enlightening guide to understanding Shakespeare's language for readers, audiences, students, directors and actors.
They have collected over 14,000 words that can cause difficulty or be ambiguous to the modern reader. Each word is glossed and illustrated by at least one quotation. There are succinct précis of the plays, lists of dramatis personae and a unique diagrammatic circle for each play demonstrating the interaction of characters and their allegiances. With special panels on intriguing areas such as archaisms, greetings, farewells and swear words, as well as dialects, Greek mythology, weapons and money, Shakespeare's Words will greatly enrich every reader's understanding and appreciation of the plays, and will encourage a new generation to treasure them.
What people say:
"Detailed, comprehensive, fascinating." — Kenneth Branagh
"This is a fascinating guide to Shakespeare's language, an indispensable treasure chest for anyone who loves watching or reading the plays and is curious about the meaning, use and derivation of the language." — Sir Richard Eyre
"Shakespeare's Words is entertaining and engrossing and brings Shakespeare into direct contact with today's readers and theatregoers." — Nicholas Hytner, Director of the Royal National Theatre
"This book is a wonderful thing… Shakespeare's Words is much more than just a glossary. It is an excellent companion to Shakespeare for the student and general reader, and, with a wealth of short selections that can be read independently, it is also the ideal bedside book… a delight." — The Times Literary Supplement
"Magnificent… a huge work of user friendly scholarship." — Economist
About the Authors:
David Crystal is Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. He has published over 90 books, and was awarded the OBE for services to the English language in 1995. He is also the editor of The Penguin Factfinder and author of How Language Works. He lives in Holyhead, Anglesey.
Ben Crystal, David Crystal's son, is an actor and lives in London.