Tragedies. Comedies. Sonnets

In our time, the famous English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is one of the most sought-after authors, whose plays are popular all over the world. Editions of his dramatic and lyrical works are sold in numerous copies. This collection includes eleven of Shakespeare's plays, one poem, and several of his sonnets. The translations of all texts were done by the Russian writer, poetess, and playwright Tatiana Lvovna Shchepkina-Kupernik (1874–1952). The publication is adorned with illustrations by British artists who lived and worked at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries: John Bayham Liston Shaw (1872–1919), Hugh Thomson (1860–1920), James Dromgole Linton (1840–1916), Arthur Rackham (1867–1939), and William Hatherell (1855–1928).

It is believed that the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was born into a large family of John Shakespeare, a glover, and his wife Mary Arden. In his childhood, William loved listening to the tales told by his mother; these tales influenced his literary creativity. The future literator attended a grammar school in Stratford and at the age of eighteen married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children. At around twenty years old, Shakespeare left Stratford and moved to London, where he became interested in theater: at first, the young man tried his hand as an actor, and later began staging his own plays. For many years, Shakespeare remained a playwright in the theater troupe “Lord Chamberlain's Men” (renamed “The King's Men” after several years), for which he wrote a significant portion of his works. It was the members of the troupe who worked on creating the first collected works of Shakespeare, without which the plays of the talented playwright would have been lost forever. They acquired rights to the texts, removed distortions introduced by unscrupulous publishers, and brought them into accordance with their original form. The collection “First Folio” was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death. It included thirty-six plays (out of the thirty-eight currently known): comedies, historical chronicles, and tragedies; poetry was not included. Shakespeare received deserved laurels during his lifetime; now he is one of the most sought-after authors, whose plays are popular all over the world, and editions of his dramatic and lyrical works are sold in numerous copies. Some of his most famous works can be found in this publication. It includes eleven of Shakespeare's plays (“All's Well That Ends Well,” “As You Like It,” “Measure for Measure,” “The Merchant of Venice,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Tempest,” “The Winter's Tale,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “King Lear”), one poem (“The Passionate Pilgrim”), and several sonnets. The translations of all texts were done by the Russian writer, poetess, and playwright Tatiana Lvovna Shchepkina-Kupernik (1874–1952).

The publication is adorned with illustrations by five British artists who lived and worked at the turn of the 19th–20th centuries. John Bayham Liston Shaw (1872–1919) was an artist and illustrator recognized for his watercolor and graphic works. Hugh Thomson (1860–1920) was an artist who illustrated works by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, and other famous authors. James Dromgole Linton (1840–1916) was the president of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, awarded a knighthood for his artistic talent. Arthur Rackham (1867–1939) was an illustrator globally known for his works related to classic English literature. William Hatherell (1855–1928) often depicted historical scenes in his works, as well as stories from the legends of King Arthur.