Many people throw aside the plays of William Shakespeare in a mixture of confusion and frustration. The plots can seem foreign and convoluted, the iambic pentameter unusual, and the vocabulary daunting. Given a little time and effort, however, everyone can enjoy Shakespeare.
This book gives a brief introduction to eighteen of the best-known Shakespearean plays: what happens in each play, what makes each one unique, and an explanation of some of the key lines. You’ll get a taste of what is interesting, beautiful, emotional, and universal in Shakespeare’s plays.
So please enjoy your painless—and, hopefully, fun—guide to Shakespeare.
![Shakespeare book project](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Cover-Shakespeare-book_v1.jpg)
I wrote, researched, illustrated, and designed this 56-page book as my senior design project at George Mason University.
Selected pages:
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - Introduction](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_spread1-1024x512.jpg)
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - Hamlet](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_spread2-1024x512.jpg)
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - Julius Caesar](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_spread3-1024x512.jpg)
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - Richard II](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_spread4-1024x512.jpg)
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - Henry IV](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_spread5-1024x512.jpg)
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - The Tempest](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_spread7-1024x512.jpg)
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - Twelfth Night](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_spread6-1024x512.jpg)
![Your Painless Guide to Shakespeare - Back Cover](https://katherinebeutner.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/shakespeare_bacover-1024x1015.jpg)