The Cambridge introduction to Shakespeare Emma Smith
Publisher: Cambridge, UK ; Cambridge University Press, 2007.
ISBN: 0521671884
DDC: 822.33
LCC: PR2894
Edition: (pbk.)
Summary:
"This introduction to Shakespeare promotes active engagement with the
plays, rather than recycling factual information. Covering a range of
texts, it is divided into seven subject-based chapters: Character,
Performance, Texts, Language, Structure, Sources and History, and it
does not assume any prior knowledge. Instead, it develops ways of
thinking and provides the reader with resources for independent
research through the 'Where next?' sections at the end of each
chapter. The book draws on up-to-date scholarship without being
overwhelmed by it and, unlike other introductory guides to
Shakespeare, it emphasises that there is space for new and fresh
thinking by students and readers, even on the most-studied and
familiar plays."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 157-161) and index.
Ch. 1.CharacterP.1.
Juliet's balcony, VeronaP.1.
Shakespeare's realism?P.3.
Shakespeare's 'unreal' charactersP.4.
Reading Shakespeare's characters on the pageP.6.
Embodying Shakespeare's characters on stageP.7.
Doubling on the early modern stageP.8.
Writing for particular actorsP.11.
Falstaff: character as individual or type?P.12.
Naming and individualityP.12.
Characters as individuals or as inter-relationshipsP.14.
Character: interior or exterior?P.17.
Character: where next?P.19.
Ch. 2.PerformanceP.23.
Measure for measure: staging silenceP.23.
'Going back to the text': the challenge of performanceP.26.
Performance interpretations: The taming of the shrewP.27.
Topical performance: the plays in different theatrical contextsP.30.
Citing performancesP.32.
Using filmP.33.
Using film comparatively: MacbethP.35.
Hamlet : 'to be or not to be'P.39.
Adaptations: Shakespearean enough?P.41.
Performance: where next?P.42.
Ch. 3.TextsP.46.
Shakespeare's handP.46.
So what did Shakespeare write?P.47.
Stage to pageP.48.
Quartos and FolioP.49.
Editing as interpretationP.50.
The job of the editor: the example of Richard IIP.53.
Stage directionsP.57.
Speech prefixesP.60.
The job of the editor: the example of King LearP.61.
Texts: where next?P.65.
Ch. 4.LanguageP.71.
'In a double sense' (Macbeth 5.7.50)P.71.
Did anyone really talk like that?P.72.
Playing with languageP.77.
Language of the play / language of the personP.79.
Prose and verseP.81.
Linguistic shifts: I Henry IVP.82.
Shakespeare's verseP.84.
Linguistic variation: A midsummer night's dreamP.85.
Language: where next?P.87.
Ch. 5.StructureP.90.
Finding the heart of the playP.90.
Shakespeare's genres: dynamic, not staticP.93.
Tragedy and comedyP.94.
Tragedy - expanding the genreP.95.
Comedy - expanding the genreP.98.
History: is this a fixed genre?P.101.
Structuring scenes: Much ado about nothingP.103.
Juxtaposing scenes, activating ironies: Henry VP.104.
Showing v. tellingP.106.
Structure: where next?P.107.
Ch. 6.SourcesP.113.
Antony and Cleopatra and PlutarchP.113.
Originality: was Shakespeare a plagiarist?P.116.
Shakespeare at work: the intentional fallacy?P.118.
The source bites back: Romeo and Juliet and The winter's taleP.120.
Click on a subject to see other books listed with the same
subject or to drill down into components of the subject -- such as
geographical locations, dates and so on.
We query many merchants so that you can instantly
compare prices and
availability. You can even check historic prices and subscribe
for notifications. For a manual check, clicking on a link will open a
new window with a search for this book on the merchant's site of your
choice.
