Article #573-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Tales from Shakespeare, by Charles Lamb

PREFACE

The following Tales are meant to be submitted to the young reader as an
introduction to the study of Shakespeare, for which purpose his words
are used whenever it seemed possible to bring them in; and in whatever
has been added to give them the regular form of a connected story,
diligent are has been taken to select such words as might least
interrupt the effect of the beautiful English tongue in which he wrote:
therefore, words introduced into our language since his time have been
as far as possible avoided.

In those tales which have been taken from the Tragedies, the young
readers will perceive, when they come to see the source from which
these stories are derived, that Shakespeare's own words, with little
alteration, recur very frequently in the narrative as well as in the
dialogue; but in those made from the Comedies the writers found
themselves scarcely ever able to turn his words into the narrative
form: therefore it is feared that, in them, dialogue has been made use
of too frequently for young people not accustomed to the dramatic form
of writing. But this fault, if it be a fault, has been caused by an
earnest wish to give as much of Shakespeare's own words as possible:
and if the 'He said,' and 'She said,' the question and the reply,
should sometimes seem tedious to their young ears, they must pardon it,
because it was the only way in which could be given to them a few hints
and little foretastes of the great pleasure which awaits them in their
elder years, when they come to the rich treasures from which these
small and valueless coins are extracted; pretending to no other merit
than as faint and imperfect stamps of Shakespeare's matchless image.
Faint and imperfect images they must be called, because the beauty of
his language is too frequently destroyed by the necessity of changing
many of his excellent words into words far less expressive of his true
sense, to make it read something like prose; and even in some few
places, where his blank verse is given unaltered, as hoping from its
simple plainness to cheat the young reader into the belief that they
are reading prose, yet still his language being transplanted from its
own natural soil and wild poetic garden, it must want much of its
native beauty.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Preface to Tales from Shakespeare by Charles Lamb**

Context and Background

Tales from Shakespeare (1807) is a collection of prose retellings of Shakespeare’s plays, adapted by Charles Lamb (who wrote the tragedies) and his sister Mary Lamb (who handled the comedies). The book was intended as an introduction to Shakespeare for young readers, making his works accessible before they encountered the original plays. At the time, Shakespeare’s language and complex themes were considered too challenging for children, so the Lambs sought to simplify the stories while preserving as much of Shakespeare’s original wording as possible.

This Preface serves as Lamb’s justification for his approach, explaining his method, limitations, and goals in adapting Shakespeare for a younger audience.

Key Themes and Ideas in the Preface

Accessibility vs. Fidelity to Shakespeare
- Lamb’s primary goal is to introduce Shakespeare to young readers in a way that prepares them for the original plays.
- He acknowledges that his retellings are imperfect—like "faint and imperfect stamps" of Shakespeare’s "matchless image"—because adapting poetry into prose necessarily dilutes some of its beauty.
- However, he defends his use of Shakespeare’s original words whenever possible, believing that even a partial exposure to the Bard’s language will benefit young readers.
The Challenge of Adapting Tragedy vs. Comedy
- Tragedies (handled by Charles) lend themselves better to narrative retelling because their soliloquies and dramatic speeches can be woven into prose with minimal alteration.
- Comedies (handled by Mary), however, rely heavily on dialogue and wit, making them harder to convert into straightforward prose. Lamb admits that the comedies may feel too dialogue-heavy for young readers unaccustomed to dramatic writing, but he justifies this as a necessary trade-off to preserve Shakespeare’s voice.
The Problem of Language and Style
- Lamb avoids modern words (those introduced after Shakespeare’s time) to maintain the Elizabethan flavor of the original.
- He regrets that some of Shakespeare’s poetic beauty is lost when converted to prose, comparing it to transplanting a wildflower from its natural soil—it survives but loses some of its vitality.
- Even when he keeps Shakespeare’s blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) intact, he hopes young readers will mistake it for prose due to its "simple plainness," easing them into the original works.
Humility and the Limits of Adaptation
- Lamb repeatedly downplays his own work, calling his retellings "small and valueless coins" compared to Shakespeare’s "rich treasures."
- He frames his book as a mere appetizer, meant to whet the reader’s appetite for the real thing rather than replace it.
- His tone is apologetic yet earnest—he knows his adaptations are flawed but believes they serve a noble purpose.

Literary Devices and Stylistic Choices

Metaphor and Simile
- "Faint and imperfect stamps of Shakespeare’s matchless image" → Compares his retellings to blurred copies of a masterpiece, emphasizing their inferiority.
- "Transplanted from its own natural soil and wild poetic garden" → Suggests that Shakespeare’s language loses some of its essence when removed from its original dramatic context.
- "Small and valueless coins" vs. "rich treasures" → Contrasts his adaptations with the original plays, reinforcing their secondary status.
Repetition for Emphasis
- "Shakespeare’s own words" is repeated multiple times, stressing Lamb’s commitment to preserving the original text.
- "If it be a fault" → A rhetorical concession that softens his defense of excessive dialogue in the comedies.
Direct Address to the Reader
- Lamb speaks directly to young readers, anticipating their possible boredom ("tedious to their young ears") and asking for their pardon.
- This creates an intimate, conversational tone, making the Preface feel like a personal explanation rather than a formal introduction.
Irony and Self-Deprecation
- Lamb undermines his own work ("pretending to no other merit") to elevate Shakespeare, reinforcing the idea that his book is merely a stepping stone.
- His humble tone serves a persuasive function—by admitting his limitations, he makes his adaptations seem more trustworthy.

Significance of the Preface

Pedagogical Approach to Shakespeare
- Lamb’s Preface reflects 19th-century attitudes toward children’s literature—the belief that great works should be simplified for young minds before they tackle the originals.
- His method influenced later adaptations and abridgments of classic literature for children.
The Struggle of Adaptation
- The Preface highlights the tension between faithfulness and accessibility—a dilemma faced by all adapters.
- Lamb’s honesty about his limitations makes his work more credible; he doesn’t claim to improve Shakespeare, only to make him approachable.
Shakespeare’s Enduring Legacy
- By framing his book as a gateway to Shakespeare, Lamb reinforces the idea that Shakespeare is timeless and worth studying, even in diluted form.
- His reverence for Shakespeare’s language reflects the Romantic-era worship of the Bard as a genius of English literature.
The Role of Dialogue in Storytelling
- Lamb’s defense of dialogue-heavy retellings (especially in comedies) underscores how Shakespeare’s plays are meant to be performed, not just read.
- This foreshadows modern dramatic adaptations that prioritize speech and interaction over narrative summary.

Close Reading of Key Passages

"his words are used whenever it seemed possible to bring them in"
- Lamb’s primary method is quotation, not paraphrase. He cherry-picks Shakespeare’s most memorable lines to immerse the reader in the original style.
"diligent care has been taken to select such words as might least interrupt the effect of the beautiful English tongue in which he wrote"
- He avoids modernizations, keeping the language as close to Shakespeare’s as possible to preserve its musicality and power.
"the beauty of his language is too frequently destroyed by the necessity of changing many of his excellent words into words far less expressive"
- A lament for what is lost in adaptation—Shakespeare’s word choice is inseparable from his meaning, and prose can’t fully capture it.
"cheat the young reader into the belief that they are reading prose"
- A playful admission that he’s sneaking poetry into his prose, hoping to trick readers into appreciating Shakespeare’s verse without realizing it.
"when they come to the rich treasures from which these small and valueless coins are extracted"
- The central metaphor of the Preface: his book is pocket change compared to Shakespeare’s gold reserve, but it’s still useful currency for beginners.

Conclusion: Why This Preface Matters

Charles Lamb’s Preface is not just an introduction to a children’s book—it’s a meditation on adaptation, literary reverence, and the challenges of making great art accessible. His humility, precision, and deep respect for Shakespeare make his approach both practical and poetic. While he admits his retellings are imperfect shadows of the originals, he believes they serve a vital purpose: preparing young readers for the glory of Shakespeare’s actual works.

For modern readers, the Preface also raises timeless questions:

How do we introduce complex literature to new audiences without dumbing it down?
What is lost and gained in adaptation?
Can a simplified version ever do justice to a masterpiece?

Lamb’s answer is no—but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying.

Questions

Question 1

The Preface’s repeated emphasis on the "faint and imperfect" nature of the adaptations most strongly suggests that Lamb views his work as:

A. a necessary but ultimately futile attempt to capture Shakespeare’s genius for children.
B. a creative reinterpretation that, while flawed, improves upon Shakespeare’s accessibility.
C. a provisional scaffold designed to be outgrown once the reader encounters the original.
D. an act of literary vandalism that, despite good intentions, distorts Shakespeare’s intent.
E. a pedagogical failure that will likely discourage rather than inspire further engagement.

Question 2

When Lamb states that his adaptations "pretend to no other merit than as faint and imperfect stamps of Shakespeare’s matchless image," the rhetorical effect of this phrasing is primarily to:

A. absolve himself of critical scrutiny by preemptively dismissing his work’s artistic value.
B. appeal to the vanity of young readers by framing the adaptations as exclusive previews.
C. establish a hierarchical relationship between adaptation and original, privileging the latter.
D. employ litotes to underscore the adaptations’ derivative status while implying their instrumental worth.
E. invoke a visual metaphor that aligns Shakespeare’s works with currency, implying their commodification.

Question 3

The Preface’s distinction between the treatment of tragedies and comedies in the adaptations reveals an implicit assumption about Shakespeare’s works, namely that:

A. tragedies are inherently more narratively cohesive, while comedies rely on performative spontaneity.
B. the linguistic complexity of tragedies is more easily reduced to prose than the wordplay of comedies.
C. young readers are more likely to engage with the moral gravity of tragedies than the frivolity of comedies.
D. the dramatic structure of comedies is more resistant to linear retelling than the introspective soliloquies of tragedies.
E. tragedies contain universal themes that transcend adaptation, whereas comedies are culturally contingent.

Question 4

Lamb’s claim that he has "cheat[ed] the young reader into the belief that they are reading prose" when presenting unaltered blank verse is best understood as:

A. a pedagogical strategy that exploits the permeability between poetic and prosaic forms to ease readers into verse.
B. an admission of deception that undermines his stated goal of fostering appreciation for Shakespeare’s language.
C. a critique of young readers’ inability to distinguish between prose and poetry without explicit guidance.
D. an ironic commentary on how Shakespeare’s "simple plainness" is itself a kind of artifice.
E. a defense of his editorial choices by implying that Shakespeare’s verse is functionally indistinguishable from prose.

Question 5

The Preface’s closing metaphor of "small and valueless coins" extracted from "rich treasures" serves all of the following purposes EXCEPT:

A. reinforcing the idea that the adaptations are derivative yet potentially enriching.
B. suggesting that Shakespeare’s works possess an intrinsic value that transcends monetary analogy.
C. implying that the adaptations, like currency, are merely a medium of exchange with no lasting worth.
D. contrasting the durability of Shakespeare’s originals with the ephemeral nature of children’s literature.
E. preparing readers to view the adaptations as a form of cultural capital to be spent on future study.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The Preface consistently frames the adaptations as temporary stepping stones ("hints and little foretastes") meant to be superseded by engagement with the original plays. Lamb’s language—"when they come to the rich treasures," "their elder years"—explicitly positions the adaptations as transitional tools designed to be outgrown. This aligns with the idea of a "provisional scaffold," which is erected to support construction but removed once the structure stands on its own.