Shakespeare was a great observer, who was able to see deeply into the patterns of human character. Dare anyone say that these insights are irrelevant to living in the real world? For many in an older generation the Bible and the Collected Shakespeare were the two indispensable books.

Leithart’s perceptive walk through these plays is written especially for a high school level course, but older students will benefit as well. The six plays discussed are: Henry V, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing.