Shakespeare in the Movies by
Shakespeare is now enjoying perhaps his most glorious--certainly his most popular--filmic incarnation. Indeed, the Bard has been splashed across the big screen to great effect in recent adaptations of Hamlet, Henry V, Othello, Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Richard II, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and of course in the hugely successful Shakespeare in Love. Unlike previous studies of Shakespeare's cinematic history, Shakespeare in the Movies proceeds chronologically, in the order that plays were written, allowing the reader to trace the development of Shakespeare as an author--and an auteur--and to see how the changing cultural climate of the Elizabethans flowered into film centuries later. Prolific film writer Douglas Brode provides historical background, production details, contemporary critical reactions, and his own incisive analysis, covering everything from the acting of Marlon Brando, Laurence Olivier, Richard Burton, and Gwyneth Paltrow, to the direction of Orson Welles, Kenneth Branagh, and others. Brode also considers the many films which, though not strict adaptations, contain significant Shakespearean content, such as West Side Story and Kurosawa's Ran and Throne of Blood. Nor does Brode ignore the ignoble treatment the master has sometimes received. We learn, for instance, that the 1929 version of The Taming of the Shrew (which featured the eyebrow-raising writing credit:'By William Shakespeare, with additional dialogue by Sam Taylor'), opens not so trippingly on the tongue--PETRUCHIO:'Howdy Kate.'KATE:'Katherine to you, mug.'For anyone wishing to cast a backward glance over the poet's film career and to better understand his current big-screen popularity, Shakespeare in the Movies is a delightful and definitive guide.
The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Comedy by
An accessible, wide-ranging and informed introduction to Shakespeare?'s comedies, dark comedies and romances.
Bloom's How to Write about Shakespeare's Tragedies by
William Shakespeare is defined by his tragedies. His unique ability to create a moral universe complete unto itself lends his characters not only their stamp of authenticity but their bid to eternity as well. This invaluable writing guide offers students strategies and perspectives on writing about the fated lives of King Lear, Julius Caesar. Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo, Juliet, and the other vibrantly flawed personages he introduced to the world stage. Bloom's How to Write about Shakespeare's Tragedies provides overviews of each discussed work, giving researchers the information they need to write effectively on the subject. Sample essay topics and an introduction from Shakespearean scholar Harold Bloom completes the volume.
Shakespeare's Style by
Shakespeare's Style presents a detailed consideration of aspects of Shakespeare's writing style in his plays. Each chapter offers a detailed discussion about a single feature of style in a chosen Shakespeare play. Topics examine include: a discussion of a key image or images, both verbal and nonverbal; consideration of the way a character is put together; reflection of the changing audience response to a character; and audience response to an account of the speech rhythms of a single play. This book will be of interest to audiences who see Shakespeare's plays, readers of the printed page, and students aiding them in concentrating on the significant ways that Shakespeare expresses himself.
The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare by
Situated within the Oxford Handbooks to Literature series, the group of Oxford Handbooks to Shakespeare are designed to record past and present investigations and renewed and revised judgments by both familiar and younger Shakespearean specialists. Each of these volumes is edited by one ormore internationally distinguished Shakespeareans; together, they comprehensively survey the entire field.An essential resource for the study of Shakespeare, The Oxford Handbook to Shakespeare is edited by esteemed scholar Arthur Kinney and contains forty specially written essays. It provides fresh and imaginative readings of his plays and poems, reflects on the current state of Shakespeare Studies, andsuggests the likely future directions it will take. The Handbook is divided into five sections: 'Texts' explores how Shakespeare wrote, who he collaborated with, the ways in which his works were transmitted, and the reactions of his early readers; 'Conditions' examines the economic, social, artistic, and linguistic forces at play on Shakespeare;'Works' discusses the various stages of his career; 'Performances' is concerned with issues such as the reception of his plays, the theatre business, and film adaptations; and 'Current Speculations' includes essays on topics ranging from the role of philosophical thought and the influence ofclassical sources to the relevance of empire, technology, religion, and law. By covering the range of Shakespeare's work in his time and ours, this myriad-minded book deepens and enriches our understanding of the great poet and unparalleled playwright's accomplishments.
Shakespeare Basics by
The second edition of this best-selling guide demystifies ShakespeareOCOs plays and brings critical ideas within a beginnerOCOs grasp. The text provides a thorough general introduction to the plays, based on the exciting new approaches shaping the field of Shakespeare studies. Demonstratingahow interpretations of Shakespeare are linked to cultural and political contexts, and providing readings of the most frequently studied plays in the light of contemporary critical thought, Shakespeare: The Basics explores: ShakespeareOCOs languagethe plays as performance textsthe cultural and political contexts of the plays early modern theatre practice new understandings of the major genres. Fully updated to include discussion of criticism and performance in the last five years, a new chapter on Shakespeare on film, and a broader critical approach, this book is the essential resource for all students of Shakespeare."
