This adaptation of Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, titled The Life and Death of Doctor Faustus Made into a Farce, is a comedic reinterpretation of Marlowe’s tragic play, written by William Mountfort. The farce, first performed in 1683, takes the original's somber exploration of ambition and damnation and reimagines it in a lighter, more humorous context. Mountfort's version alters the serious themes of the original play, using slapstick comedy, satire, and exaggerated characters to p...

This volume contains complete works by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Christopher Marlowe, William Mountfort, H. B. Cotterill, and Arthur Davison Ficke, all on the same theme of a pact with the devil. Included are the following complete works: Faust, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (commonly known as Wolfgang Goethe), which is the most famous of the Faustian plays. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, which is the seminal work that influenced G...

William Shakespeare's hilarious fairy tale (with actual fairies!) of love, magic potions and teenage rebellion, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" might be the most performed play in the history of the English-speaking theatre.The play begins as Athenian Duke Theseus is preparing to wed Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. As they ready for their nuptials, Theseus is asked to settle a dispute between a prominent local citizen Egeus and his headstrong daughter Hermia. Egeus wants Hermia to...

The perfect gift for someone you love, an illustrated collection of love poems from the poet considered to be the greatest writer in the English language.Shakespeare's sonnets are revered the world over for perfectly capturing the torments and joys of love requited or otherwise in just fourteen lines of iambic pentameter. This treasure of a book collects twenty-nine of the bard's most romantic sonnets, each one lovingly illustrated by the talented Caitlin Keegan. P...

Sonnets from the Portuguese, written ca. 1845-1846 and first published in 1850, is a collection of forty-four love sonnets written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The poems largely chronicle the period leading up to her 1846 marriage to Robert Browning. The collection was acclaimed and popular even in the poet's lifetime and it remains so today. Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was a poet and courtier of King Charles II's Restoration court, whose rakish lifestyle, biting satires and obscene verses established his name as one of the greatest wits of his time. The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature's finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents the complete works of Rochester, with beautiful illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautifully illustrated with...

Lean out of the window, Goldenhair, I hear you singing A merry air. My book was closed, I read no more, Watching the fire dance On the floor. I have left my book, I have left my room, For I heard you singing Through the gloom. Singing and singing A merry air, Lean out of the window, Goldenhair.

The first English woman to earn her living by her writing, the Restoration author Aphra Behn broke cultural barriers, serving as a literary role model for later generations of women authors. This comprehensive eBook presents Behn’s complete works, with numerous illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Behn’s life and works* Concise introductions to the novels an...

There was much superstition and ignorance in 17th century England. Witchcraft had been illegal since 1563 and hundreds of women were wrongly accused and punished. 'Proof' of being a witch could be a third nipple, an unusual scar or birthmark, a boil, a growth, or even owning a cat or other pet (a 'witch's familiar', or evil spirit). Confessions were often made under torture, and suspects were tied up and thrown into a river or pond. Floating was proof of guilt. After a show trial, the vict...

Madam, you being young, handsome, rich, and virtuous, I hope you will not cast away those gifts of Nature, Fortune, and Heaven, upon a Person which cannot merit you? L. Happy. Let me tell you, that Riches ought to be bestowed on such as are poor, and want means to maintain themselves; and Youth, on those that are old; Beauty, on those that are ill-favoured; and Virtue, on those that are vicious: So that if I should place my gifts rightly, I must Marry one that's poor, old, ill-favoured, an...

Eliza Haywood's "Love in Excess" is a captivating work of early 18th-century literature that intricately explores the complexities of human emotions and societal norms surrounding love and desire. The narrative weaves together multiple storylines, primarily following the passionate entanglements of its protagonist, the charming yet impulsive Melantha. Haywood's writing style is characterized by its vivid characterizations, witty dialogue, and an acute psychological insight into her charact...

"Tamerlane" is an epic poem by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in the 1827 collection Tamerlane and Other Poems. That collection, with only 50 copies printed, was not credited with the author's real name but by "A Bostonian." The poem itself follows a Turkic conqueror named Tamerlane. The name is a Latinized version of "Timur Lenk", the 14th century warlord, though the poem is not historically accurate. Tamerlane ignores the young love he has for a peasant in order to achieve power. On hi...