Shakespeare's Tragedies

Shakespeare's Tragedies PDF Author: Stanley Wells
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198785291
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
Shakespeare's tragedies contain an astonishing variety of suffering, from suicides and murders to dismemberments and grief. Stanley Wells considers how the bard's tragic plays drew on the literary and theatrical conventions of his time. Discussing the individual plays, he also explores why tragedy is regarded as a fit subject for entertainment.

Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Very Short Introduction

Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Stanley Wells
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191088072
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
Tragedy, including grief, pain and suffering, is a common theme in Shakespeare's plays, often leading to the death of at least one character, if not several. Yet such themes can also be found in Shakespearian plays which are classed as comedies, or histories. What is it which makes a Shakespearian tragedy, and what dramatic themes and conventions did the bard draw upon when writing them? In this Very Short Introduction Stanley Wells considers what is meant by the word 'tragedy', and discusses nine of Shakespeare's iconic tragic plays. He explores how the early definitions and theoretical discussions of the concept of tragedy in Shakespeare's time would have influenced these plays, along with the literary influence of Seneca. Wells also considers Shakespeare's uses of the word 'tragedy' itself, analysing whether he had any overall concept of the genre in relation to the drama, and looking at the ways in which the theatrical conventions of his time shaped his plays, such as the use of boy players in women's roles and the physical structures of the playhouses. Offering a critical analysis of each of the nine plays in turn, Wells concludes by discussing why tragedy is regarded as fit subject for entertainment, and what it is about tragic plays that audiences find so enjoyable. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Shakespeare's Tragedies

Shakespeare's Tragedies PDF Author: Stanley Wells
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780191827297
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
In this offering from Stanley Wells, the pre-eminent Shakespearian scholar, comes a 'Very Short Introduction' to the life and writings of the world's greatest and best-known dramatists: William Shakespeare. The book analyses nine of Shakespeare's famous tragedies, including 'Othello', 'Hamlet', 'Macbeth', 'King Lear' and 'Antony and Cleopatra'

Preface: Why Shakespeare? ;Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon ;Theatre in Shakespeare's time ;Shakespeare in London ;Plays of the 1590s ;Shakespeare and comic form ;Return to tragedy ;The classical plays ;Tragi-comedy ;Epilogue ;Chronology: Shakespeare's works ;Further reading ;Index

Preface: Why Shakespeare? ;Shakespeare and Stratford-upon-Avon ;Theatre in Shakespeare's time ;Shakespeare in London ;Plays of the 1590s ;Shakespeare and comic form ;Return to tragedy ;The classical plays ;Tragi-comedy ;Epilogue ;Chronology: Shakespeare's works ;Further reading ;Index PDF Author: Stanley Wells
Publisher:
ISBN: 0198718624
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
In this new offering from Stanley Wells comes an exploration of one of the world's greatest dramatists: William Shakespeare. Written with enthusiasm and flair, Wells looks at both the world Shakespeare lived in and all of his major works, to show how and why he continues to be so influential and important to society today.

Shakespeare's Comedies: A Very Short Introduction

Shakespeare's Comedies: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Bart van Es
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191034959
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
From The Two Gentlemen of Verona in the early 1590s to The Two Noble Kinsmen at the end of his career around 1614, Shakespeare wrote at least eighteen plays that can be called 'comedies': a far higher number than that for any other genre in which he wrote. So what is a Shakespearean comedy? We associate these plays with such themes as mistaken identities, happy marriages, and exuberant cross dressing, but how representative are these of the oeuvre as a whole? In this Very Short Introduction, Bart van Es explores the full range of the playwright's comic writing, from the neat classical plotting of early works like The Comedy of Errors to the corrupt world of the so-called problem plays, written in the middle years of Shakespeare's life. Examining Shakespeare's influences and sources, van Es compares his plays to those of his rivals, and looks at the history of the plays in performance, from the biographies of Shakespeare's original actors to the plays' endless reinvention in modern stage productions and in films. Identifying the key qualities that make Shakespearean comedy distinctive, van Es traces the changing nature of Shakespeare's comic writing over the course of a career that spanned nearly a quarter century of theatrical change. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Spanish Literature: A Very Short Introduction

Spanish Literature: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Jo Labanyi
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199208050
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
This title explores the rich literary history of Spain which resonates with contemporary debates on transnationalism and cultural diversity. It introduces readers to the ways in which Spanish literature has been read in and outside Spain explaining misconceptions, outlining insights of scholarship and suggesting new readings.

William Shakespeare: A Very Short Introduction

William Shakespeare: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Stanley Wells
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191028681
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 145

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Book Description
In this new offering from Stanley Wells, the pre-eminent Shakespearian scholar, comes a Very Short Introduction to the life and writings of the world's greatest and best-known dramatists: William Shakespeare. Looking at his early life and education, Wells explores Shakespeare's social and intellectual background and the literary traditions on which Shakespeare drew. Examining the theatres and theatrical profession of the time, he also considers how Shakespeare experienced this world, both as an actor and as a writer. Examining Shakespeare's narrative poems, sonnets, and all of his plays, Wells outlines their sources, style, and originality over the course of Shakespeare's career, to consider the fundamental impact his work has had for subsequent generations. Written with enthusiasm and flair by a scholar who has devoted a lifetime to the study of Shakespeare and his works, this is an engaging and authoritative introduction. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Great Comedies and Tragedies

The Great Comedies and Tragedies PDF Author: William Shakespeare
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions
ISBN: 9781840221459
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 900

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Book Description
The collection of the finest of Shakespeare's plays presents Shakespeare's comedies with introductions by Judith Buchanan and tragedies with introductions by Emma Smith

Greek Tragic Women on Shakespearean Stages

Greek Tragic Women on Shakespearean Stages PDF Author: Tanya Pollard
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198793111
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
"The book argues that rediscovered ancient Greek plays exerted a powerful and uncharted influence on sixteenth-century England's dramatic landscape, not only in academic and aristocratic settings, but also at the heart of the developing commercial theaters."--Introduction, p. 2.

Modern Drama

Modern Drama PDF Author: Kirsten Shepherd-Barr
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199658773
Category : Drama
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
This book tells the story of modern drama through its seminal, groundbreaking plays and performances, and the artistic diversity that these represent. Exploring the new note of artistic hostility between dramatists and their audience, Shepherd-Barr draws on a range of theories and performances to reveal what makes modern drama "modern".

Shakespeare's Sonnets and Poems: A Very Short Introduction

Shakespeare's Sonnets and Poems: A Very Short Introduction PDF Author: Jonathan F. S. Post
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019102709X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 161

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Book Description
Not for nothing is William Shakespeare considered possibly the most famous writer in history; his works have had a lasting effect on culture, vocabularies, and art. His plays contain some of our most well-known lines (how often have you heard the phrase 'To be or not to be'?), yet whilst his poems may often feel less familiar than his plays they have also seeped into our cultural history (who has not heard of ''Shall I compare thee to a summer's day'?). In this Very Short Introduction Jonathan Post introduces all of Shakespeare's poetry: the Sonnets; the two great narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece; A Lover's Complaint; and The Phoenix and Turtle. Describing Shakespeare's double identity as both poet and playwright, in conjunction with several of his contemporaries, Post evaluates the reciprocal advantages as well as the different strategies and strains that came with writing for the stage and the page. Tackling the debates surrounding the disputed authorship of Shakespeare's poems, he also considers the printing history of Shakespeare's canon, and the genres favoured by the bard. Exploring their reception, both with contemporary audiences and through the ages until today, Post explores the core themes of love and lust, and analyzes how the sonnets compare with other great love poetry of the English Renaissance. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.