Shakespeare : three problem plays / Nicholas Marsh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Marsh, Nicholas, 1948-

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Series:

Analysing texts (Palgrave Macmillan (Firm))

Analysing texts

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. All's well that ends well.

Shakespeare, William.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Measure for measure.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Troilus and Cressida.

Troilus (Legendary character) in literature.

Trojan War--Literature and the war.

Trojan War.

Cressida (Fictitious character).

Physical Description:

xi, 280 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Summary:

Written in 1602-4, between Hamlet and the other great tragedies, Shakespeare's three 'Problem Plays' are so called because they do not fit easily into the other groups of plays. They are awkward dramas, full of unresolved controversies, which leave audiences and readers unsettled by contradictory responses. Nicholas Marsh uses close analysis of extracts from the plays to explore how Shakespeare maintains competing discourses within a single text. In the first part of his study, Marsh highlights the multiple interpretations these plays provoke and provides useful sections on methods of analysis to encourage readers to develop their views independently. The second part of the book discusses the Problem Plays in relation to the playwright's other works, and examines their cultural and historical contexts. A comparison of five modern critical views and helpful suggestions for further reading provide a bridge to continuing study. In this essential guide to a complex set of plays, Marsh does not seek to reconcile the thorny issues these dramas leave open: rather, he equips readers with the necessary critical tools to fashion their own synthesis.

Contents:

Introduction: Looking at Plays and Studying Poetry 1

Studying Plays 3

Shakespeare's Poetry 4

Part 1 Analysing Shakespeare's Problem Plays

1 Openings 11

Analysis: All's Well that Ends Well, 1, i, 23-68 11

Analysis: Measure for Measure, 1, i, 1-52 22

Analysis: Troilus and Cressida, 1, i, 1-38 29

2 Young Men 44

Analysis: All's Well that Ends Well, 4, ii, 27-66 44

Analysis: Measure for Measure, 3, i, 94-150 51

Analysis: Troilus and Cressida, 3, ii, 153-78 62

3 Women 82

Analysis: All's Well that Ends Well, 1, i, 212-25 82

Analysis: Measure for Measure, 2, ii, 100-43 94

Analysis: Troilus and Cressida, 1, ii, 249-86 103

4 Politics and Society 116

Analysis: All's Well that Ends Well, 4, iii, 1-35 116

Analysis: Measure for Measure, 3, i, 231-70 122

Analysis: Troilus and Cressida, 1, iii, 312-92 126

Dissolving or Changing Societies 134

Political Actions in All's Well that Ends Well 139

Political Actions in Measure for Measure 141

Political Actions in Troilus and Cressida 145

5 Fools and fools 156

Analysis: All's Well that Ends Well, 4, iii, 319-28 156

Analysis: Measure for Measure, 3, ii, 89-117 158

Analysis: Troilus and Cressida, 2, i, 1-48 164

The fools 171

Dissident Voices 175

6 Drama 187

Time and Space 187

A Table Analysing All's Well that Ends Well 188

A Table Analysing Measure for Measure 192

A Table Analysing Troilus and Cressida, Act 5, scene ii 207

Part 2 The Context and the Critics 223

7 The Problem Plays in Shakespeare's Works 225

Texts 225

Classification 226

8 The Context 243

Society 243

Religion 249

Ways of Thinking 252

9 A Sample of Critical Views 256

E. M. W. Tillyard 257

Harold Bloom 260

Kathleen McLuskie 263

Thomas G. West 266

David McCandless 268.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 272-276) and index.

ISBN:

0333973674

0333973682

OCLC:

50695280