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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 822.33
EAN num: 9780743482752
ISBN number: 0743482751
Label: Washington Square Press
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 304
Printing Date: January 01, 2004
Publishing house: Washington Square Press
Sale Popularity Level: 45856
Studio: Washington Square Press
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Product Description:
Folger Shakespeare Library
The world's leading center for Shakespeare studies
Each edition includes:
• Freshly edited text based on the best earlyprinted version of the play
• Full explanatory notes conveniently placed on pages facing the text of the play
• Scene-by-scene plot summaries
• A key to famous lines and phrases
• An introduction to reading Shakespeare's language
• An essay by an outstanding scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
• Illustrations from the Folger Shakespeare Library's vast holdings of rare books
Essay by Gail Kern Paster
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs.
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Rated by buyers 
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The Folger Library editions of Shakespeare's work are very readable, and easy to understand, with plenty of notes that help to explain the idiom and syntax of his English. Sadly, the trial, Kindle editions I have downloaded bear no resemblance to what is available in Hardcopy. They are lacking notes, as well as the standard introductions contained in all the Folger editions. The product looks like a fair rendering of Shakespeare, with the "Folger" cover stamped on it (well....not actually. The downloaded versions don't even have the cover graphic ). From what I have seen so far, the online Folger editions are a waste of time and money.
Rated by buyers -
Good but not great. Although considered a comedy, this one lacks the sparkle of "Merry Wives of Windsor", "Loves' Labour Lost", or some of the others. It was a long slow wind-up of misunderstandings and heated emotions that resolves itself in the last scene. "Merry Wives" had some real laugh out loud moments, even reading the script. These were conspicuous by their absence. I suspect there were current events at the time of the very first stage production of "Much Ado" that were hinted at in the play, providing the true comedy that is not obvious to the modern reader. It comes across as protracted and deliberate misunderstandings, and has too much of a ring of truth to be hilarious. There were, however, many quiet smirks as I read, from having seen similar behavior only 400 years removed from the penning of this manuscript.
Still, it's better than ninety-nine percent of the dreck written in the past decade.
E.M. Van Court
Rated by buyers 
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Set in Messina, Sicily, "Much Ado About Nothing" is one of William Shakespeare's romantic comedies that depicts the love story and follies typical of any Shakespearean play. While the play follows the typical Shakespearean plot of boy-meets-girl, boy-falls-in-love-with-girl, and quickly tips over a conflict, it does resolve to a happy ending at the end. The follies committed by the characters invite the audience to laugh with them, instead of at them. The dilemma in the story is reminiscent of those from a handful from Shakespeares' other plays: the false gossip from Othello, the separated lovers and the fake death from Romeo and Juliet, just to name a few. Even the characters themselves are similar, with the blocking character, the lovers, the friar, the parents, etc. It is Shakespeare's clever manipulation of the same plot and characters that gives new insight into each of the plays, however similar they might be.
Unlike other Shakespeare plays, Much Ado About Nothing is a much lighter burden to read; it is not written in blank verse, and is easily understood by modern readers of all ages. It is a delightful read, departing from his historical or tragic works (i.e. Antony and Cleopatra) and drawing it towards the genre of romantic comedies (i.e. A Midsummer's Night Dream). Both its comedic elements and advancement of events come from the motif of deception. Although the action of eavesdropping leads to multiple misunderstandings, some of which contribute to the conflict between Claudio and Hero, it does some good in uniting Benedick and Beatrice. The witty repartee between those characters also adds to the overall comedic feel of the play.
The play is definitely a page-turner for those seeking for a lighter read.
Rated by buyers -
This play focuses on two love affairs. Shakespeare plays on misconceptions, and nothing is at it seems. There are a lot of double entendres throughout the play, and the audience's perception of what is going on, is totally the opposite of what the characters are feeling. This is another good play to see performed.
Rated by buyers 
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Cute romantic comedy by Shakespeare which is short and entertaining. I am not a huge fan of the Bard, but I enjoyed this play despite the less than spectacular translation. Other plays like Hamlet, Julius Caesar and Othello are good reads as well.
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