The classic, Romeo and Juliet is meant to be performed and watched, not read. But there are many people, especially my young students, who look at the original text and their lips tremble. Well, the makers of Cliffsnotes have a wonderful solution to help any and all of those in fear. They have created a new series of books call CliffsComplete and personally, I like them. Well, at least I like their guide to Romeo and Juliet.
The book is expensive at $10, but worth the price especially if your students or you have never read anything by Shakespeare. The text comes in a nice size font as I can read the main text of the play without my glasses.
It begins with a general biography of Shakespeare. Then it has a chronology of his plays, and also notes on the language.
It also contains a brief history of this era encompassing the religious, political, and social circumstances of the Elizabethans.
This CliffsComplete doesn’t ignore the literary devices, but supplies definitions, usage, and also critical questions that are helpful to students, readers, and teachers alike.
Just before the main text of the play, there is a wonderful character map that would make a perfect transparency for overhead instruction use. It could also be enlarged, color coded, and be placed on the wall for students to refer to.
At the beginning of each act there is a small paraphrase in large letters that identifies something that the reader should be aware of. The footnotes are beside the text instead of at the bottom of the page which makes them more accessible. Throughout the book there are commentaries on the literary devices that are used, plus summaries that can help a lost reader comprehend the language.
Between each act there is also a section for writing notes. I would prefer more margin space for notes, but these pages are adequate.
Cliffscomplete comes with some great resources. It contains a selection of films, websites, books, and audio materials that could be helpful while studying the play. A section that has discussion questions can also be found.
There is one ‘scary’ part for me. It is the test section. It contains assessments in a variety of contexts: identify the quote, multiple choice, fill in the blank, and also a set of 10 activities. Wow, what a brain squeezer.
In some ways, it is troublesome to know that students can read only the summaries in this book and develop an understanding of the story. But, hopefully, through classroom study, they can and will develop an appreciation for the language of Shakespeare. With this new understanding, self-confidence could increase. Who knows what new worlds they will venture into? Perhaps Milton's ?
This book is multifaceted. Its indepth material is a worthy preparatory guide to studying other works by Shakespeare without support.
To see an online version, check out their website at Cliffsnotes.com. It has a number of resources.
The textbook, Romeo and Juliet : Texts and Contexts, by William Shakespeare, available in Paperback. Published by: MPS. Edition: . ISBN10: 031219...More at Textbooks.com
The general editors of the new series of forty volumes--the renowned Shakespeareans Stephen Orgel of Stanford University and A. R. Braunmuller of UCLA...More at Christianbook.com
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