Welcome to the Bantam Classic Shakespeare Website

Here you'll find a wealth of information on the life of William Shakespeare, as well as information on our brand-new editions that will help you fully appreciate each play, and interactive games in Shakespeare's Playhouse to help you better understand the Bard's work.

Join the Bantam Classic "Shakespeare Quote-of-the-Week" Email List

You'll receive a new quote from one of William Shakespeare's classic works every week. Each of these quotes comes from Bantam Classic's library of definitive Shakespeare editions. You'll also receive special offers and links to audio and video content created specially for fans of the Bard. To sign-up, enter your e-mail address below and click submit.

      

Click here to view a sample

Brand new! Get the Shakespeare "Quote-of-the-Week" Application in Facebook.

Now the Shakespeare Quote-of-the-Week can be posted to your Facebook profile every week. You can also select random quotes, buy copies of the featured play, and even share the quotes with your friends.

Click here to add the Shakespeare "Quote-of-the-Week" application to your profile.

The Annual "Bantam Classic Shakespeare Scholar"
2009 Essay Contest for High School Students

Win a $2500 Scholarship and two Bantam Classic Libraries!

Here is the perfect opportunity for high school students to prove their knowledge of the Bard and earn valuable awards to help further their education.

Students who write an essay addressing one of two questions below will be eligible to win. Entries will be judged on:

  • overall critical analysis
  • use of language to provide meaning
  • textual detail and historical context
  • vocabulary
  • sentence structure
  • and effective use of rhetoric

Three prizes will be awarded. The 2009 Grand Prize consists of $2500 plus two sets of a 100-copy Bantam Classics Library (including 30 Shakespeare editions). One set of books is for the winner and the other for donation to a school or other library. In addition, two first prizes will be awarded, consisting of a single aforementioned 100-copy Bantam Classics Library.

Click here for official rules and submission guidelines.

Announcing Three 2009 Bantam Classic Shakespeare Editions:

On sale 1/27/09:
Three Early Comedies

On sale 2/24/09:
King John and Henry VIII

On sale 2/24/09:
Henry VI

Each of these new editions will feature:

  • Explanatory notes positioned on the page facing the text of each play so you can understand each play
  • Contemporary explanations of Shakespeare's prose so you can better understand Elizabethan English
  • The most up-to-date scholarship by renowned Shakespeare academicians including introductions that detail major themes, cultural issues, and critical conflicts

Visit BantamShakespeare.com for more information.

Bantam Classic Shakespeare—The Definitive Editions for Book Lovers, Students, and Scholars

Bantam Classics recently released 4 new Shakespeare editions, adding to the 20 already updated. Each of these features:
• Explanatory notes positioned on the page facing the text of each play so you can understand each play
• Contemporary explanations of Shakespeare's prose so you can better understand Elizabethan English
• The most up-to-date scholarship by renowned Shakespeare academicians including introductions that detail major themes, cultural issues, and critical conflicts.