Ira's Shakespeare Dream


Book Description

The inspiring biography of Ira Aldridge, a Black actor who overcame racism to become one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century.




Thinking with Shakespeare


Book Description

"Shakespeares works do not embody any doctrine or set of beliefs, as his critics have long been tempted to suggest, but they do stage encounters with certain kinds of thinking ethical, political, epistemological, even metaphysical that still concern us nowadays. They can be shown to draw on ancient philosophies Platonism, Stoicism, Scepticism either directly or through medieval and continental Renaissance thought. Or their scenarios can be likened to those of other kinds of intellectual argument, such as legal or theological discourse. The essays collected in this volume demonstrate the value of thinking with Shakespeare, either as embodied in Shakespeares own creative programme or in our use of philosophical paradigms as an approach to his works. The contributors are Colin Burrow, Terence Cave, Gabriel Josipovoci, Charles Martindale, Stephen Medcalf, Subha Mukherji, A. D. Nuttall and N. K. Sugimura."







Dictionary of Shakespeare


Book Description

William Shakespeare is acknowledged to be the greatest writer in the English language. This new dictionary includes more than 1,500 entries that cover: Shakespeare's theatre and stagecraft; Elizabethan history and society; all of Shakespeare's plays and poems; his main characters; and terms used in critical reviews.Each of the encyclopedic entries provides a clear explanation of the term, its origins, relevance and use. Dictionary of Shakespeare has been carefully written in a non-technical way to insure that all levels of student and researcher will find the entries clear and uncomplicated.The entries help explain the terms used in Shakespeare's texts and in their execution and so provides the historical context required to give the reader a full background of the term. This feature sets the dictionary apart from others on the same subject that concentrate either on single plays or on the biographies of his characters. No other title explains so great a range of theatrical, historical, and"Shakespearean" terms.




The Story of Trailblazing Actor Ira Aldridge


Book Description

Ira Aldridge dreamed of being on stage, performing the great works of William Shakespeare. Through perseverance and determination, Ira became one of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors in Europe, and a public supporter of the abolitionist movement.







Shakespeare: The Basics


Book Description

Shakespeare: The Basics is a lively and accessible introduction to reading and studying Shakespeare. Exploring all aspects of Shakespeare’s plays, Sean McEvoy considers the language, cultural contexts and modern interpretations. This essential guide to a range of contemporary Shakespearean criticism explores and unpacks the different dramatic genres in which he wrote – comedy, history, tragedy and romance. It also provides a wealth of relevant and concise information on the historical, social and political contexts in which the plays were produced and have been understood. Extensively updated throughout, the fourth edition provides: A comprehensive account of Shakespearean tragedy for students An introduction to ecocritical, ethical and queer readings of the plays Analysis of notable recent Shakespeare films and productions Enhanced contextual material on race and empire, gender roles and the theatre in politics With fully updated further reading throughout and a wide range of case studies and examples, Shakespeare: The Basics is an indispensable introduction for college and university students of literature and theatre, but also for anyone with an interest in the world’s most influential dramatist.







Shakespeare's Tragic Form


Book Description

Since about 1960, when five-act division in Shakespeare's plays was strongly disputed, most critics have focused on individual scenes rather than holistic form. This book argues for Shakespeare's use of five acts, arranged in three cycles to form a 2-1-2 pattern. It also examines the role of multiple plots and centers of consciousness, especially in the festive comedies and romances. Additionally, it traces Shakespeare's gradual mastery of the art of epiphany, compares it to Spenser's complementary focus on transcendent reality, and traces in Macbeth the dark mode of Shakespeare's dramaturgical pattern.




The Design Within


Book Description