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Shakespeare : the basics / Sean McEvoy.
LIBRA PR2976 .M34 2000
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LIBRA - Furness Storage PR2976 .M34 2000
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- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- McEvoy, Sean, 1959-
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Criticism and interpretation--Outlines, syllabi, etc.
- Shakespeare, William.
- Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
- Criticism and interpretation.
- Genre:
- Outlines and syllabi.
- Physical Description:
- xvi, 282 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm
- Place of Publication:
- London ; New York : Routledge, 2000.
- Summary:
- "Shakespeare: The Basics aims to demystify Shakespeare's plays for the beginning reader by providing a thorough general introduction to this sometimes intimidating playwright. Concentrating on language, genre and history, McEvoy discusses the plays both in the light of contemporary thought and also in their historical context. He explores such diverse themes as social justice, the oppression or liberation of women and the idea of writing history, offering up a refreshingly clear guide to the Bard. This title available in eBook format. Click here for more information. Visit our eBookstore at: www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk.
- Contents:
- Part I Understanding the text 9
- 1 Shakespeare's language (1) 11
- Shakespeare wrote for theatre-goers, not readers 11
- Box 1 Shakespeare's audiences 12
- Another problem: vocabulary changes over time 14
- Isn't it all hard going? Registers of language 19
- How to read Shakespeare 22
- Box 2 Playtexts in Shakespeare's time 25
- Comparisons, images and analogies 28
- Box 3 The Great Chain of Being and radical politics 34
- 2 Shakespeare's language (2) 37
- Verse and prose 37
- Verse 40
- Box 4 Kings and queens 48
- Rhetoric 51
- Box 5 Social mobility 52
- 3 Types of stage action 59
- Estrangement 62
- Box 6 Early modern views on theatre 63
- Reflexivity 64
- Box 7 Women and sex 69
- 4 What the plays mean in performance 77
- Performance then 82
- Box 8 Playhouses 88
- Box 9 Homosexuality in Shakespeare's time 90
- Performance now 96
- Part II The genres 117
- 5 What is genre? 119
- Box 10 Theatre companies 120
- Classification by genre 121
- 6 Understanding comedy: The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice 125
- Comedy and gender: The Taming of the Shrew 129
- Comedy and power: A Midsummer Night's Dream 137
- Comedy and utopia: The Merchant of Venice 142
- 7 Understanding history: King Richard II, King Henry IV Part I and King Henry V 151
- History and history 153
- Box 11 Religion 155
- History and power 176
- History and women
- 8 Understanding tragedy: Hamlet, King Lear and Othello 183
- Tragedy and history 185
- Tragedy and power 194
- Tragedy and gender 205
- 9 Understanding the mixed-genre plays: Measure For Measure and Troilus and Cressida 213
- The language of love 214
- Rulers and ruled 228
- Box 12 London 229
- Idols and ideals 236
- 10 Understanding romance: The Winter's Tale and The Tempest 241
- Romance and gender 243
- Romance and utopia 256.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-277) and index.
- ISBN:
- 041521288X
- 0415212898
- OCLC:
- 42462686
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