William Shakespeare was rarely concerned with a back-story. Introductory scenes usually exist only to give us the bare amount of information necessary to set the stage. How we got to that point is of no importance. Events are already in motion; we are there simply to see how it all plays out. And yet sometimes we can't help but wonder, "What led up to this?" In Romeo & Juliet, what was the long-running feud about? In The Merchant of Venice, why was Shylock so intent on taking that pound of flesh from Antonio? What made Lady MacBeth so murderously ambitious, yet so loved by her husband? How did Jack Falstaff become such a loveable scoundrel? Shakespeare doesn't tell us, but we'd really like to know.
In this collection of six short stories, award-winning author John Missall delves into those questions and others, taking us on a journey that is both humorous and tragic, looking into the lives and minds of characters we'd like to know better.
John Missall is an historian and novelist who specializes in the Seminole Indian Wars. He is a life-long student of Shakespeare and has authored a three-volume study of all Shakespeare's plays, entitled An Ancient Tale New Told.
Contents:
The Nature of the Feud 'Twixt Capulet and Montague
The Unfortunate Tale of the Merchant and the Moneylender
The Merry Tragedy of Sir John Falstaff
The Beautiful and Evil Lady MacBeth
The Most Lamentable Tragedy of Theseus and Hippolyta
The True and Lawful Testimony of Marcus Andronicus
