The Tempest Graphic Novel

THE COMPLETE TEXT WITH EXPLANATORY NOTES IN COMIC BOOK FORMAT Teachers the world over are despairing these days of how to get students interested in Shakespeare. In this increasingly visual age, dense lines of text in small print with many unfamiliar and archaic words and expressions are making it nearly impossible for Shakespeare’s work to capture the imagination of a new generation of readers. But every student in Australia will have to study at least one of Shakespeare’s plays during their secondary schooling, and many will have to write about a Shakespeare text for their final exams – avoiding it is not an option. Nor should it be: as the success of Baz Lurhman’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet shows, the right kind of approach can bring Shakespeare to life for students as never before. Acclaimed cartoonist David Messer has created a unique comic book format, which combines the visual impact of a play or film with the literary depth of a conventional text. The complete text is illustrated panel by panel, with clear explanatory notes provided beneath each panel to help the reader’s understanding without interrupting the flow of the play. This format will also appeal to lovers of alternative comics, Manga and graphic novels, which are growing in popularity all the time. With the aim of producing two Shakespeare comics a year, and starting with Macbeth and The Tempest, Messer’s approach has received unequivocal support from teachers and educational boards, and from desperate parents and students everywhere. The Shakespeare Revolution is here!