Tales from Shakespeare was written by Charles Lamb and his sister Mary Lamb. It was published in 1807. This book is a retelling of the plays for children and young persons. It was prose adaptations of William Shakespeares plays. Charles contributed the 6 tragedies and Mary wrote the preface and the 14 comedies and histories. The book was highly successful, and it established literary reputation of both brother and sister. The book contains tales from 20 of Shakespearean plays.
Tales from Shakespeare may be regarded as an English children’s book in which siblings Charles and Mary Lamb have retained as much Shakespearean language as possible. They didnt incorporate complex historical tales, and modified those they chose to retell in a manner sensitive to the needs of young. Their retelling remains uniquely faithful to the original and as such can be useful to children when they read or learn the plays as Shakespeare wrote them.
About the Author
Mary Lamb is best known for the collaboration with her brother Charles on the collection Tales from Shakespeare. Although she was confined to mental facilities for most of her life, she and Charles were the part of a literary circle in London that included several well-known poets of that period. In addition to this book, Charles and Mary published two works together in 1809 — Mrs. Leicester’s School, a book of children’s stories, and Poetry for Children.
