Here is a short list of Shakespeare-related books to check out:
A Complete Concordance or Verbal Index to Words, Phrases and Passages in the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare
with a supplementary concordance to the poems by John Bartlett (1967)
822.33 SHA
This dusty old volume is right up the alley of a quote nerd like me. The book is arranged by index term and then lists the excerpts containing that term along with the origination of the quote (play, act, scene or poem title).
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Shakepeare's Language by Frank Kermode (2000)
822.33 KER
Kermode writes about the development of the language Shakespeare used in his plays.
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A Theatergoer's Guide to Shakespeare: An Invaluable Companion to the Plots, Characters, Themes, and Enduring Questions of Shakespeare's Plays by Robert Thomas Fallon (2001)
822.33 FAL
This is a helpful book to consult if you're about to attend a production of a Shakespeare play and do not want to be sitting in your seat lost in translation.
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Speak the Speech!: Shakespeare's Monologues Illuminated by Rhona Silverbush and Sami Plotkin (2002)
822.33 SIL
Actors will find this book extremely helpful. The beginning of the book has a chapter entitled "What is This Stuff?" which explains iambic pentameter as well as things like dropping excess syllables. For each monologue the authors list the gender of the monologue's speaker, if the monologue is written in prose or blank verse, and the age range. In addition to the text of the monologue is a short paragraph concerning its background and an in-depth commentary providing further detail on how an actor could interact with the words. Notes at the bottom of the monologue pages explicate the terms and phrases.
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A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, 1599 by James Shapiro (2005)
822.33 SHA
Through this book we accompany Shakespeare as he works on Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and Hamlet.
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Shakespeare and Modern Culture by Marjorie Garber (2008)
822.33 GAR
Okay, maybe you are not a Shakespeare fan. You may say you hate Shakespeare and plays and poetry, but you probably make Shakespearean references quite often without even realizing this. One example: have you ever referred to someone as a Romeo? Garber's premise is that "Shakespeare makes modern culture and modern culture makes Shakespeare."
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