This entirely new Complete Works, edited afresh from the original documents, provides scholars with all the materials they need for text-based research. The edition preserves the spelling, punctuation, ambiguities, and inconsistencies of the early documents, and introductions and on-page notes address the book history and documentary origins.
Written for pupils working towards the Key Stage 3 National Tests, this title gives an overview of the main characters and themes of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". It has an illustrative style, gives examiner's tips, key notes to learn and explore, self-test quizzes and example questions.
Largely ignored for centuries because of doubts about its authorship and its subject matter, "The Two Noble Kinsmen" is surprisingly relevant to many current interests. This text supplies information on sources and contexts, and compares a number of late-20th century stagings of the play.
An ageing king makes a capricious decision to divide his realm among his three daughters according to the love they express for him. When the youngest daughter refuses to take part in this charade, she is banished, leaving the king dependent on her manipulative and untrustworthy sisters.
The York Notes series covers major works from medieval to modern English literature, and classic and contemporary works from Europe, America, the Commonwealth and the Third World.
Almost 400 years after his death, interest in Shakespeare still persists. As shown in this account, by viewing the playwright in the Elizabethan context and the theatre, we know more of his existence than is often thought, providing a background against which his literary output can be assessed.
An improved, larger-format edition of the Cambridge School Shakespeare plays, extensively rewritten, expanded and produced in an attractive new design.
In a sparkling, fast-paced narrative, Shakespeare's Kings chronicles the turbulent events that inspired Shakespeare's history plays, from Edward III to Richard III.
Suitable for readers who downed Tequila Mockingbird and felt the force of William Shakespeare's Star Wars will thrill to its intoxicating mix of literary nerdery and cheeky wordplay.
This compact, engaging book puts Shakespeare's originality in historical context and looks at how he worked with his sources: the plays, poems, chronicles and romances on which his own plays are based.
This Handbook provides an introductory guide to 'The Winter's Tale' offering a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, contextual documents, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptation, a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
This engaging double-volume Handbook explores the Henry IV plays as texts for performance as they unfold, moment by moment, on the stage. With scene-by-scene commentary, and including an account of their life on stage, film and in criticism, this guide illuminates two plays that together rank as one of Shakespeare's greatest achievements.
This introductory guide to one of Ford's most read and performed plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
This introductory guide to one of Webster's most widely-studied plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.
This introductory guide to one of Middleton and Rowley's most widely-studied plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
This introductory guide to one of Webster's most widely-studied plays offers a scene-by-scene commentary of the play in performance, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key productions, a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
This essential study takes a fresh look at four of Shakespeare's major History plays. Part I uses carefully selected short extracts for close textual analysis, while Part II examines the historical and literary contexts and key criticism. The volume is an ideal introductory guide for those who are studying the Histories for the first time.
This essential study takes a fresh look at The Winter's Tale, The Tempest, Cymbeline and Pericles. Part I uses carefully selected short extracts for close textual analysis, while Part II examines the contexts and key criticism. The volume is an ideal introductory guide for those who are studying Shakespeare's late plays for the first time.
This Handbook provides an introductory guide to Richard II offering a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, contextual documents, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of three or four key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
An introductory guide to Othello in performance offering a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, contextual documents, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key productions, a survey of screen adaptations, a sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
Rome was a recurring theme throughout Shakespeare's career, from the celebrated Julius Caesar, to the more obscure Cymbeline. In this book, Paul Innes assesses themes of politics and national identity in these plays through the common theme of Rome.
An approachable guide to Shakespeare on film, this book establishes the differences between stage and screen. Thoroughly updated to include the most recent films, for instance Joss Whedon's 2013 Much Ado About Nothing, it also explores the latest technology, such as DVD and Blu-ray, as well as live stage-to-screen productions.
This introductory guide to one of Jonson's most widely-studied plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
This introductory guide to one of Marlowe's most widely-studied plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of screen adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.
This essential guide provides a comprehensive survey of the most important criticism surrounding As You Like It, one of Shakespeare's most popular and engaging comedies, from the earliest appraisals through to twenty-first century scholarship.
Lucidly written, with no jargon, this is an invaluable overview of Shakespeare's life and works for students who may be studying Shakespeare for the first time.This is an ideal set text for modules on Shakespeare, Jacobean Drama or Renaissance/ Early Modern Literature which may be offered at all levels of an undergraduate Literature degree.
The commentary at the centre of this groundbreaking introduction alerts the reader to what happens on stage during a performance by showing what the text requires from actors and the choices they are offered.
This book opens up Twelfth Night as a play to see and hear, provides useful contextual and source material, and considers the critical and theatrical reception over four centuries.
The commentary at the heart of the book introduces readers to the challenge of reading The Tempest as a text and responding to the play in performance. A wide-ranging sample of critical responses accompanies consideration of key performances and productions on stage and film.
The commentary at the centre of this Handbook introduces students to the play as it would be experienced in performance. Other sections provide basic information about the text and its first performances, a brief description of the main political and cultural currents of the time and the popular kinds of entertainment, drama and comedy.
This volume, while it raises all the questions appertaining to the cultural, historical and critical contexts of the play, has as its primary focus the play as theatrical performance. The questions raised are those that face actors, stage managers and directors, scenic and costume designers, in the rehearsal room and on the stage.
Focusing on stage directions, implied stage action in the dialogue, and on production choices available at key moments, this Handbook treats the script like a rehearsal in progress and encourages the imagining of a physical narrative where the play's meanings and our responses are shaped by staged actions.
This introduction to the performance potential of one of Shakespeare's most theatrically exciting plays provides extensive commentary that explores the challenges faced by actors and directors and encourages readers to engage imaginatively with Shakespeare's words. Chapters on stage, film and critical history combine to form a comprehensive study.
This handbook offers a way in to reading Anthony and Cleopatra theatrically. Through analyses of key productions, an account of the historical conditions in which the play was first produced, and a scene-by-scene account of how the play might be approached in performance, this book focuses on the challenges of staging the notorious lovers.
Measure for Measure generates much debate and is strikingly modern. This introductory guide offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performance, studies of influential performances, a survey of film and TV adaptation, a wide sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.
This introductory guide to one Shakespeare's most read and performed plays offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.
Few of Shakespeare's comedies have proved more popular and enduring than The Taming of the Shrew - and yet it has come to seem one of Shakespeare's more controversial plays.
This introductory guide to the first of Shakespeare's mature tragedies offers a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, and a wide sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.
An introductory guide to King Lear in performance offering a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, contextual documents, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key productions, a survey of film and TV adaptations, a sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.
An introductory guide to 'Romeo and Juliet' in performance offering a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, contextual documents, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key productions, a survey of screen adaptations, a sampling of critical opinion and annotated further reading.
Shakespeare's position as England's national poet is established and unquestionable.
But as James Shapiro illuminates in this revelatory new history, Shakespeare has long held an essential place in American culture.