William Shakespeare
2016 marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death - so what better time to read his plays!
Our seven Shakespeare titles are playscripts that have been carefully adapted and simplified for learners of English. They include character lists, synopses, activities and extracts of key speeches in Shakespeare's original language.
Download your eBooks and then head to the Macmillan Readers website, where you'll find accompanying lesson plans, infographics, quizzes, videos and more!
A Midsummer Night's Dream
When four young lovers get lost in the forest, the fairies that live there play jokes on them - turning love into hate and hate into love.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. This Macmillan Reader eBook is written as a play script and includes original extracts.
Hamlet
Retold for students of English, this English Language Teaching (ELT/ESL) eBook is a intermediate-level Macmillan Reader. William Shakespeare's famous story of the young Prince Hamlet's journey into despair and revenge after learning that his uncle is his father's murderer.
Macbeth
William Shakespeare’s Scottish story of witchcraft and murder is probably one of his darkest works. This Macmillan Reader eBook is written as a play script and includes original extracts. Macbeth’s bloody rise to power is encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth. Like her husband, Lady Macbeth’s ambition leads her into a dark world of guilt and madness which slowly destroys their marriage, and ends in tragedy.
Much Ado About Nothing
Shakespeare’s famous comedy/drama about the war of power and understanding between men and women and the disguises they wear in their romantic relationships.
Othello
"I have got to do it, because she has given me a reason to do it which I will not say out loud. She must die, because if she doesn’t die she’ll deceive other men. I’ll put out the light of this torch, and then I’ll put out the light of her life."
When Othello, the Moorish general of Venice, marries Desdemona, the daughter of a rich Venetian, he must prove that they are really in love. But his ‘honest’ friend Iago has other plans, for power and revenge. They travel to the island of Cyprus, and Iago works to set Othello against his new wife and his lieutenant, Cassio. Iago mixes lies with the truth to push Othello into mad jealousy. Will Othello realise the real truth before it’s too late?
Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare's story of the tragic lovers Romeo and Juliet is as relevant and popular now as it was over 400 years ago. Retold for students of English at English Language Teaching (ELT/ESL) pre-intermediate level, this Macmillan Reader eBook is written as a play script and includes original extracts from Romeo and Juliet.
The Merchant of Venice
Shylock lends money to the merchant Antonio but the stakes are high. When Antonio cannot pay him back, Shylock demands a terrible punishment. This Macmillan Reader is written as a play script and includes extracts from Shakespeare's original.
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