Subscribe

Google Launches Shakespeare Website

Announcement
June 14, 2006

Summer’s here and that means two things: summer reading and the commencement of Shakespeare festivals around the country.

Today, Google Book Search celebrates both traditions with the launch of its "Summer with Shakespeare" website, a place to find and search all the plays of Shakespeare – from the popular favorites to the lesser-known gems. The site launches in conjunction with the first day of Shakespeare in the Park, New York City’s famous outdoor festival, which this year will feature the production of Macbeth.

In Shakespeare’s day, gaining greater access to theatrical events meant duking it out with the other "groundlings" for the best view of the stage. It took centuries before the modern publishing industry could make works like Macbeth widely available. Today, the Internet is continuing to remove the barriers between people and knowledge, and Google Book Search is helping people all over the world browse and discover the great texts of history.

At www.google.com/shakespeare, book lovers and theater fans alike can explore Shakespeare’s entire oeuvre right from their desktop. You can search for famous lines in Macbeth without toil and trouble, browse through all the plays you know, or follow your curiosity to discover new works on the site. And if you decide you want to buy a copy of one of Shakespeare’s works, the "All editions" link will show you every version in Google Book Search, many of which are available for purchase.

While on the site, readers can check out other ways to enjoy Shakespeare by:

For more information, please see today’s Google Blog post at booksearch.blogspot.comor Google Book Search at books.google.com.

Labels: ,