Bøker av John Missall

The stories told in the plays of William Shakespeare are among the most beloved in all literature. In this unique three-volume set, award-winning author and historian John Missall retells each play in modern prose while retaining Shakespeare's original language for the characters' conversations. The stories closely follow the action of the plays, retaining the Act/Scene structure of the originals. By using little added embellishment and minimal paraphrasing, the author allows the reader to easily understand these timeless dramatic works and appreciate Shakespeare's powerful yet beautiful wording. Volume I: The Tragedies includes the most familiar works, such as "Hamlet," "MacBeth," and "Romeo & Juliet," plus the lesser-known plays, such as "Coriolanus," "Troilus & Cressida," and "Timon of Athens." Illustrated with numerous Shakespeare-inspired works of art (print version only), "An Ancient Tale New Told" is the perfect tool for those who would like to become familiar with the greatest works in the English language. From the text: Hamlet enters the room, deep in thought and not noticing that Ophelia is there. His mind is still on suicide. "To be or not to be: that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them. To die-to sleep. No more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep." So why not take one's own life? There's a catch: "To sleep, perchance to dream. Aye, there's the rub. For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause. There's the respect that makes calamity of so long life; for who would bear the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely [contempt], the pangs of despised love, the law's delay, the insolence of office, and the spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes, when he himself might his quietus [settlement] make with a bare bodkin [dagger]?" It is the fear of the unknown that keeps us from ending our own lives. "Who would fardels [burdens] bear, to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death, the undiscovered country from whose bourn [borders] no traveler returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have, than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, and thus the native hue of resolution is sickled over with the pale cast of thought, and enterprises of great pitch and moment with this regard their currents turn awry and lose the name of action."

The stories told in the plays of William Shakespeare are among the most beloved in all literature. In this unique three-volume set, award-winning author and historian John Missall retells each play in modern prose while retaining Shakespeare's original language for the characters' conversations. The stories closely follow the action of the plays, retaining the Act/Scene structure of the originals. By using little added embellishment and minimal paraphrasing, the author allows the reader to easily understand these timeless dramatic works and appreciate Shakespeare's powerful yet beautiful wording. Volume II: The Histories includes the most familiar works, such as "Henry IV," "Henry V," Henry VI", and "Richard III", along with "King John," "Richard II," and "Henry VIII." Also included is "The Merry Wives of Windsor," so that all the plays featuring the popular Sir John Falstaff will be in one volume. Illustrated with numerous Shakespeare-inspired works of art (print version only), "An Ancient Tale New Told" is the perfect tool for those who would like to become familiar with the greatest works in the English language. From the text: Montjoy, the French herald, arrives with a message to Henry from the King of France. "Thus says my king: Though we seemed dead, we did but sleep. Tell him we could have rebuked him at Harfleur. Now we speak upon our cue, and our voice is imperial. England shall repent his folly, see his weakness, and admire our sufferance. Bid him, therefore, consider of his ransom, which must proportion the losses we have borne, the subjects we have lost, the disgrace we have digested. For our losses, his exchequer is too poor; for the effusion of our blood, the muster of his kingdom too faint a number; and for our disgrace, his own person kneeling at our feet, but a weak and worthless satisfaction." Then, to engender fear in Henry's troops, he says, "To this add defiance, and tell him, for conclusion, he hath betrayed his followers, whose condemnation is pronounced." The French will take no prisoners. Henry is not impressed. "Turn thee back, and tell thy king, I do not seek him now. My people are with sickness much enfeebled; my numbers lessened; and those few I have, almost no better than so many French. Go, therefore, tell thy master here I am; my ransom is this frail and worthless trunk; my army but a weak and sickly guard." Henry may be in a weak position, but he will not be deterred. "Yet, God before, tell him we will come on, though France himself, and such another neighbor, stand in our way. If we may pass, we will; if we be hindered, we shall your tawny ground with your red blood discolor. We would not seek a battle, as we are; nor, as we are, we say, we will not shun it." So informed, Montjoy departs to deliver his message.

The stories told in the plays of William Shakespeare are among the most beloved in all literature. In this unique three-volume set, award-winning author and historian John Missall retells each play in modern prose while retaining Shakespeare's original language for the characters' conversations. The stories closely follow the action of the plays, retaining the Act/Scene structure of the originals. By using little added embellishment and minimal paraphrasing, the author allows the reader to easily understand these timeless dramatic works and appreciate Shakespeare's powerful yet beautiful wording. Volume III: The Comedies includes the most familiar works, such as "Much Ado About Nothing," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "The Merchant of Venice," and "The Tempest," plus the lesser-known plays, such as "Cymbeline" and "Pericles." Illustrated with numerous Shakespeare-inspired works of art (Print edition only), "An Ancient Tale New Told" is the perfect tool for those who would like to become familiar with the greatest works in the English language. From the text: Act III. Scene 1: Another part of the forest. Later, in the same woods, the Athenian craftsmen have come to rehearse their play. Not far off, but unseen by the men, is the sleeping fairy queen, Titania. As the would-be actors gather, Bottom voices a concern: "There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill himself; which the ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?" Snout doesn't know what to do; Starveling says they must leave the killing out. Bottom has already come up with his own answer. Quince will give a Prologue and will tell the audience that, "We will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and, for the more better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver. This will put them out of fear." Snout has another concern: "Will not the ladies be afraid of the lion?" Bottom agrees. "Masters, you ought to consider with yourselves. To bring in-God shield us!-a lion among ladies is a most dreadful thing; for there is not a more fearful wild-fowl than your lion living; and we ought to look to it." Again, it is agreed upon that the Prologue will inform the audience that the lion is actually Snug the joiner. Quince has noticed other problems. First there is the fact Pyramus and Thisbe meet by moonlight. How will they provide the moonlight? Snout wonders if the moon will be shining that night. They check an almanac, and it will be. Bottom suggests leaving a window open for the moonlight to shine in, but Quince has a better solution: "One must come in with a bush of thorns and a lantern, and say he comes to disfigure, or to present, the person of moonshine." Next there is the problem of needing a wall, "for Pyramus and Thisbe, says the story, did talk through the chink [hole] of a wall." Snug remarks, "You can never bring in a wall. What say you, Bottom?" Bottom thinks a bit, then comes up with a solution. "Some man or other must present 'Wall'; and let him have some plaster, or some loam, or some rough-cast about him, to signify wall; and let him hold his fingers thus, and through that cranny shall Pyramus and Thisbe whisper."

William Shakespeare was rarely concerned with a back-story. Introductory scenes usually exist only to give us the bare amount of information necessary to set the stage. How we got to that point is of no importance. Events are already in motion; we are there simply to see how it all plays out. And yet sometimes we can't help but wonder, "What led up to this?" In Romeo & Juliet, what was the long-running feud about? In The Merchant of Venice, why was Shylock so intent on taking that pound of flesh from Antonio? What made Lady MacBeth so murderously ambitious, yet so loved by her husband? How did Jack Falstaff become such a loveable scoundrel? Shakespeare doesn't tell us, but we'd really like to know. In this collection of six short stories, award-winning author John Missall delves into those questions and others, taking us on a journey that is both humorous and tragic, looking into the lives and minds of characters we'd like to know better. John Missall is an historian and novelist who specializes in the Seminole Indian Wars. He is a life-long student of Shakespeare and has authored a three-volume study of all Shakespeare's plays, entitled An Ancient Tale New Told. Contents: The Nature of the Feud 'Twixt Capulet and MontagueThe Unfortunate Tale of the Merchant and the MoneylenderThe Merry Tragedy of Sir John FalstaffThe Beautiful and Evil Lady MacBethThe Most Lamentable Tragedy of Theseus and HippolytaThe True and Lawful Testimony of Marcus Andronicus

When we published our initial work on the Seminole Wars in 2004, we lamented the fact that such an important series of events was widely unknown to the American public in general and to the majority of Floridians. Not that we should have been surprised: The war was fought in one small corner of the nation and therefore of little concern to Americans as a whole, and most Floridians weren't born in the state and would have had little opportunity to learn about the wars. Yet it shouldn't have been that way. The Seminole Wars were a major conflict for the nation and arguably one of the most formative events for the State of Florida. The Indian Wars of the American West are famous worldwide, yet the Seminole Wars were bigger than any western Indian war. The foundations for most of Florida's great cities are a result of the Seminole Wars, yet few of those cities' residents are aware of the fact. It was an historical oversight we felt was in need of correction.