English Literature books summary

passing over of the lieutenant position that was given to Michael Cassio)

with the idiot Roderigo, who desires Desdemona (Othello's wife). Iago tells

Desdemona's father that she has eloped with Othello. He then tells Othello

to take heed of Brabantio's hostility, a warning the Moor shrugs off. The

two almost fight, but both are summoned by the Duke.

Act II: The scene shifts to Cyprus, and news comes that a tempest has

elimated a Turkish war threat. Othello declares a holiday and Iago uses

this to get Michael Cassio drunk. Iago cleverly sets the scene for a

trashed Cassio to chase Roderigo and wound Montano, followed by Othello

conveniently being woken and forced to discharge Cassio.

Act III: Now Iago tries to break up Othello and Desdemona by telling Cassio

to try and earn reinstatement by getting Desdemona to like him and talk to

Othello for him. Iago cleverly puts people in the right places so that

Othello begins to think Ca ssio is pursuing Desdemona. He also steals a

hankerchief Othello gave to Desdemona and puts it in Cassio's possession.

He lies some more and gets Othello to order Cassio's assassination,

question Desdemona, begin to lose rational thought, and ultimately d estroy

his noble record.

Act IV: Ludovico and other Venetian officials arrive, saying they want

Othello back. Desdemona speaks well of Cassio in hopes that he might

succeed the Moor, and for that Othello slaps and degrades her. Ludovico

wonders if Othello is sane, and Iago seizes the moment to cast Othello in a

bad light. Roderigo starts to realize that the jewels he has been giving

Iago to give to Desdemona have not been making it past Iago, and he

threatens to kill him. But Iago uses his rhetoric to convince Roderigo to

just wait a little longer.

Act V: Roderigo attacks Cassio, both are wounded, and Iago comes upon them

and kills Roderigo. Othello decides to kill Desdemona by strangling her in

her bed. Emilia then enters and tells him the news. She screams at seeing

Desdemona and the others come into the room as well. Emilia tells about how

she gave the hankerchief to Iago, and the truth starts to come out. Othello

realizes what Iago has done, and although he cannot kill him, Iago is

captured. Othello kills himself.

King Lear, 1594

Act I: King Lear announces that he wants to give his kingdom to his three

daughters. He has them all tell him they love him, but when Cordelia

refuses to pour on the compliments, she gets nothing. Kent is banished for

trying to tell the King he is making a mistake, but returns disguised and

serves the King again. Regan and Goneril discuss their problems with their

father. Burgundy loses interest in Cordelia, but France does not. The Earl

of Gloucester's bastard son, Edmund, tricks his father into t hinking that

his other son, Edgar, plans to kill him. Edmund then makes Edgar flee by

telling him that he is in danger.

Act II: Regan and Cornwall arrive at Gloucester's castle. Edmund fools his

father into thinking Edgar has struck him and left. Kent insults Oswald for

his refusal to respect the King and is thrown in the stocks by Cornwall as

an insult to the King. Lear continues to lose his sanity along with his

authoritative presence. After running to Regan, Lear finds that she, too,

will not be hospitable to him.

Act III: Lear rages out at a storm. The fool continues his important

commentary. Kent finally brings the King to safety in a rock sheltering.

Edmund turns his back on his father by informing Cornwall that France is

coming with Cordelia to restore t he King's power. A disguised Edgar meets

the King and Co. in their shelter. Gloucester then comes by and sends them

all to Dover. Gloucester returns to his castle, is tied up by Regan and

Cornwall, has his eyes plucked out, and is thrust outside towards D over.

Act IV:Edgar meets a suicidal Gloucester and agrees to help him. Albany

shows his nobility, Cornwall dies, and Edmund moves closer to control of

the English army. Cordelia longs for her father as France prepares for a

battle. Regan discloses to Osw ald her affection for Edmund and tells him

to kill Gloucester. Edgar saves Gloucester by tricking him into believing

he survived a huge fall, and then by killing Oswald. Lear remorsely meets

Cordelia.

Act V: France loses to England and Lear and Cordelia are taken prisoners by

Edmund. Edgar kills Edmund. Goneril poisons Regan and then kills herself.

Lear is unable to save Cordelia from Edmund's ordered execution and then

dies himself after a touch ing moment of remorse.

The First Part of King Henry IV

Act I: This follows Richard II, and King Henry begins by again putting off

his promised crusade because of Westmoreland's reports of battles at home.

Shakespeare introduces the conflict between Hotspur and Prince Hal. Prince

Hal is the son of King Henry and Hotspur the son of Westmoreland, who will

eventually try to take down the King. In a tavern, Hal and Falstaff engage

in a battle of wits, and then Poins enters and plans with Hal to use a

robbery to embarrass Falstaff. Back at Windsor Castle, Ho tspur will not

give the King prisoners he has captured because the King will not agree to

ransom his brother-in-law Mortimer. Worcester and others plan out how to

overtake the King.

Act II: Falstaff and others rob the traveling pilgrims and are then robbed

by a disguised Poins and Hal. Falstaff returns to the tavern and

exaggerates what happened to Poins and Hal, not knowing they are playing a

trick on him. Hal hides Falstaff from the sherriff, who comes looking for

him. Hotspur receives news of when the rebellion will occur, but does not

tell his curious wife.

Act III: An exuberant Hotspur makes his fellow conspirators angry with his

brash statements. Meanwhile, the King gives Hal a scolding for his

behavior, and Hal promises to shape up, for he had originally intended to

be bad so that he could eventual ly look all the better. Hal gives Falstaff

a post in the royal forces.

Act IV: The confident conspirators receive a blow when they learn that the

Earl of Northumberland is sick and they will not have his forces. Also, the

royal army is now swiftly approaching them and Glendower's forces are also

unavailable to the reb ellion. Falstaff admits he has wasted his money and

hired beggars for his battalion, surely leading them to their deaths.

Act V: The rebels forces will surely lose, and the King offers Worcester

amnesty for all if they will surrender. But he does not trust the King and

tells Hotspur they will fight. Prince Hal saves the King from death, and

his own reputation, by kill ing Douglas. Then the climax - Hal fights

Hotspur. Hotspur falls. Falstaff takes credit for this killing, which takes

the hope away from the rebels. They dispurse, but the rebellion carries on

into part two.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Act I: Caesar has just emerged victorious in a series of Roman civil wars.

The populous swarms to see his homecoming, but tribunes question the

celebration. A Soothsayer foreshadows the play by giving Caesar a warning,

which he ignores. Cassius beg ins to subtly sway Brutus against Caesar. The

conspirators meet and decide they need Brutus to join them, for tomorrow

they must kill Caesar before he becomes king.

Act II: Brutus joins, but Cicero is left out. Brutus foolishly decides they

should not kill Mark Antony. Calpurnia tells her husband Caesar to stay

home that day, but Caesar still goes to the senate.

Act III: The conspirators pretend to petition for a recall so that they may

crowd around him, and then stab him to death. Caesar fights back at first,

but when Brutus takes his turn, Caesar gives in dramatically. As the

conspirators try to calm the city, Mark Antony steps in and wins Brutus

over with flattery. Cassius fears him, but Brutus foolishly lets him speak

to the crowds. At the funeral, Brutus gives a short but well-put speech and

then his mistake proves costly. Antony riles up the crowd ag ainst the

conspirators with a magnificent oration. Antony agrees to join Octavius

Caesar and General Lepidus in a three-man government.

Act IV: Civil war now erupts between the new government and the

conspirators. In Asia Minor, Cassius' army comes to join Brutus' army.

Cassius and Brutus argue and make up. Brutus finds out that Portia is dead,

along with many senators including Ci cero. Caesar's ghost visits Brutus

and says they will meet again.

Act V: The armies sit opposite each other near Philippi, waiting for

battle. Antony tells Cassius things might be better had he been in charge

instead of Brutus. Cassius and Brutus exchange good-byes, knowing they may

never see each other again. Br utus poorly leads his men, and turns a sure

victory into a possible defeat. Cassius mistakenly thinks he is prisoner

when in fact the conspirators are winning, and commits suicide. Brutus

continues to mislead, avoiding a sure victory, and eventually it co sts

him. He commits suicide in the face of defeat. Antony's forces win.

Macbeth

Act I: The Witches foreshadow the evil in Macbeth. King Duncan decides to

kill the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. Back to the witches - after some junk-

talk, they are encountered by Macbeth with Banquo, and they say that he is

now Thane and will be Ki ng. However, the King tells Macbeth he will make

Malcolm the next king. Macbeth plans to kill the King when he dines at his

house that night, and Lady Macbeth helps convince him to go ahead with that

plan.

Act II: Lady Macbeth drugs the guards, Macbeth kills the king, and then the

guards are framed. Macduff arrives with Lennox at the door, goes to get the

king, and discovers his murder. Macduff is suspicious, but Macbeth is in

the clear for now. Malc olm and Donalbain flee, fearing their lives since

they are prime suspects. Macbeth has killed the servants, and the nobility

feels they were the murderers. Macbeth is now king, but the tragedy is

starting to unfold.

Act III: Macbeth makes arrangements to have Banquo and his son killed. At

dinner, Macbeth is told the Banquo was killed but his son escaped. Banquo's

ghost then appears, but only Macbeth can see it. Hecate, the witch queen,

scolds the witches for d ealing with Macbeth without her. With Banquo dead,

Lennox joins Macduff in increasing suspiscion.

Act IV: Macbeth visits the sisters and three apparitions are shown to him:

an armed head (signifying war), a bloody child (showing that no man born of

a woman shall harm Macbeth), and a crowned child with a tree (saying that

"Macbeth shall never va nquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high

Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him"). Macduff has gone to England to get

Malcolm.

Act V: Lady Macbeth is now unstable and walks and talks in her sleep. The

Scottish noblility has mostly joined the English against Macbeth, but he is

not scared because of the witches' prophecy. Lady Macbeth kills herself.

Macbeth then learns that the enemy is walking towards the castle with trees

from Birnam Wood, and that Macduff was ripped from his mother's womb early,

both explaining the witches' apparitions. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm

is now King of Scotland.

Romeo and Juliet

Act I: Chorus gives a play overview. Sampson and Gregory fight with Abraham

and Balthasar. Benvolio breaks it up, fights with Tybalt, and a riot

erupts. Escalus, joined by the Capulets and Montagues, enters and stops the

fight. Afterwards the Monta gues speak with Benvolio about Romeo. Romeo

follows his parents exit with an entrance and talks with Benvolio about his

love life. Paris works on his hopes for a marriage to Juliet. He is invited

to a ball, which Romeo and Benvolio find out about from Cap ulet's Servant.

Juliet finds out about Paris' offer. Romeo and Co. head to the Capulet's

masked ball. At the ball, Romeo and Juliet meet each other, and the Nurse

tells them who each other is.

Act II: Chorus explains the problems Romeo and Juliet face. After climbing

into a back orchard and hearing Benvolio and Mercutio mock him, Romeo finds

Juliet speaking out of her window. The reveal their love and decide to

marry. Friar Lawrence agre es to marry them. With help from the Nurse,

arrangements are made and the two are wed.

Act III: Tybalt taunts Romeo, battles Mercutio and kills him, and is then

killed by Romeo. Romeo flees, Benvolio reports what happened, and Escalus

exiles Romeo. Juliet weeps, but gets a visit from Romeo that night. Romeo

goes to Mantua. Juliet doe s not want to marry Paris, but sees no way to

disobey her father.

Act IV: Friar Lawrence hatches a plan in which Juliet will fake her death:

he gives her a potion that will put her to sleep for a few days. Found to

be dead, everyone mourns the loss.

Act V: Friar John was supposed to tell Romeo that Juliet is not really

dead, but he reveals that he could not do it. Romeo visits the tomb and

finds Paris already there. Romeo kills him. Romeo kills himself after

kissing Juliet. Juliet awakes, sees Romeo dead, kisses him, and stabs

herself. Everyone comes after the watchmen send for Escalus. Friar Lawrence

explains his mistake. Montague and Capulet put aside their strife.

Full Summaries of Some Shakespeare's Works

Hamlet

Act One, Scene One

Francisco, a soldier standing watch outside the gates of Elsinore Castle in

Denmark, is met by Barnardo who has arrived to replace him. They are soon

joined by Marcellus, another guard, and Horatio. Horatio is a scholar who

speaks Latin, and he has been brought along because Barnardo and Marcellus

claim they have seen a ghost. While Barnardo describes to Horatio exactly

what he has seen, the ghost appears in front of them. Horatio tries to

speak with the ghost in Latin, saying, "Stay, speak, speak, I charge thee

speak" (1.1.49), but the ghost remains silent and then leaves.

Horatio tells Barnardo that the ghost looks like the deceased King Hamlet,

also known as Old Hamlet. Horatio sees that the ghost was dressed the same

way as King Hamlet was when he defeated King Fortinbras of Norway. The

story is that King Hamlet went to Norway and fought Fortinbras in single

combat. The loser agreed to yield all his land to the other king. However,

in the time since King Hamlet died, the son of King Fortinbras, known as

young Fortinbras, has been gathering together troops and is threatening to

attack Denmark.

The ghost enters a second time and Horatio again begs it to speak to him.

Just as it seems the ghost is about to say something, a cock crows and the

ghost disappears. Horatio tells Marcellus that he will inform young Hamlet,

the Prince of Denmark and the son of King Hamlet, that a ghost keeps

appearing in the shape of his father. Marcellus knows where young Hamlet is

and leaves with Horatio to find him.

Act One, Scene Two

King Claudius, who has assumed the throne since his brother King Hamlet

died, is accompanied by Queen Gertrude and other lords and attendants in

Elsinore Castle. He addresses the people, telling them that although his

brother's death is fresh in their minds, it is time for them to celebrate

his royal marriage to Queen Gertrude, who was also his brother's former

wife. He further informs the people that young Fortinbras of Norway has

assembled armies against Denmark. In response to this threat, Claudius

sends two men, Valtemand and Cornelius, as messengers to the uncle of young

Fortinbras with a letter in which he asks the older uncle to stop young

Fortinbras from attempting to attack Denmark.

Claudius next asks a young nobleman named Laertes why he has requested an

audience. Laertes informs him that although he has been fulfilled his

duties and attended the coronation in Denmark, he would rather return to

France. Claudius asks Polonius, Laertes' father, if he has given permission

for his son to go. Polonius assents, and Laertes is allowed to leave

Denmark.

Turning to Hamlet, Claudius asks his nephew why he is still in mourning for

his father's death, hinting that Hamlet might only be pretending to be

grief-stricken. Hamlet's mother, Queen Gertrude, also asks him why he still

dresses in black clothing. Hamlet replies that his grief is quite real and

that he will continue grieving. Claudius tells him it is unnatural for a

man to remain sorrowful for such a long time. Both Claudius and Gertrude

then beg Hamlet to stay with them in Denmark instead of returning to

Wittenberg where his university is located. Hamlet agrees to stay, and

watches as everyone leaves the hall to celebrate his uncle's and his

mother's marriage.

He is upset about the fact that his mother married Claudius within less

than two months after the death of King Hamlet. Hamlet says, "O most wicked

speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!" (1.2.157). He

is interrupted by the arrival of Horatio, Barnardo, and Marcellus, who have

come to tell him about the ghost they have seen.

Horatio tells Hamlet about seeing the ghost of King Hamlet. Hamlet asks

them if they have the watch again that night, and Barnardo says they do. At

this information, Hamlet agrees to join them that night in order to see the

ghost and hopefully to speak with it.

Act One, Scene Three

Laertes, about to leave for France, says farewell to his sister Ophelia. He

warns her to beware of Hamlet, whom he tells her is insincere. "For Hamlet

and the trifling of his favour, / Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood, /

...sweet not lasting" (1.3.5-6, 8). Laertes then lectures Ophelia, telling

her that Hamlet will say anything to win her heart. He tells her to hold

off, and if Hamlet still loves her after he has been made king, only then

should she consider marrying him. Ophelia agrees to remember what he has

told her.

Polonius then arrives and tells Laertes to hurry up and catch his ship

before it leaves the harbor. As he walks Laertes towards the ship, Polonius

gives his son fatherly advice. "Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar. /

The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, / Grapple them to thy soul

with hoops of steel" (1.3.61-63). Laertes promises to obey his father, and

leaves after he reminds Ophelia to remember what he has said.

Polonius asks Ophelia what advice Laertes gave her. Ophelia tells him, and

Polonius gets mad at her for believing what Hamlet has told her. He orders

her to give less of her time to Hamlet in the future, saying, "From this

time, daughter, / Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence" (1.3.120-

121). Ophelia tells her father she will do what he commands: "I shall obey,

my lord" (1.3.136).

Act One, Scene Four

Hamlet and Horatio are outside waiting for the ghost to arrive. They hear a

cannon go off, and Hamlet tells Horatio that the cannon is fired whenever

the king empties a draught of Rhenish wine. Hamlet is upset about the

custom, because he thinks it makes Denmark appear to be a land of

drunkards. The ghost arrives and Hamlet tries to speak to it, but it only

beckons him to follow it. Horatio and Marcellus try to make him stay, but

Hamlet tells them to let go of him. Marcellus and Horatio watch him leave

and decide to follow him. Marcellus remarks, "Something is rotten in the

state of Denmark" (1.4.67).

Act One, Scene Five

Hamlet follows the ghost, who finally speaks and informs Hamlet that he is

the spirit of Old Hamlet, Hamlet's father. The ghost indicates that he is

in purgatory, "I am thy father's spirit, / Doomed for a certain term to

walk the night / And for the day confined to fast in fires / Till the foul

crimes done in my days of nature / Are burned and purged away" (1.5.9-13).

The ghost then tells Hamlet to listen to him closely.

Old Hamlet orders his son to revenge his murder. Hamlet is confused, not

understanding what the ghost is speaking about. The ghost tells him that

"sleeping in mine orchard, / A serpent stung me" (1.5.35-36), alluding to

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