Tales from Shakespeare

Tales from Shakespeare, written by the siblings Charles and Mary Lamb in 1807, is a classic children’s book designed to introduce young readers to Shakespeare’s plays. The Lambs retold 20 of Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays in prose form, adapting the stories to be accessible to children while preserving much of Shakespeare’s original language. Mary Lamb focused on the comedies, and Charles Lamb retold the tragedies. They omitted the more complex historical and Roman plays and softened or removed sexual references and subplots to suit a younger audience. The book was originally credited only to Charles but later editions acknowledged Mary’s significant contribution. Though aimed at young readers, the retellings remain faithful to the original plays and have been widely used to help children and new readers understand Shakespeare’s works. Tales from Shakespeare has been continuously in print and remains a beloved introduction to the Bard’s stories for over two centuries.