“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players…” Shakespeare, As You Like It
The Rough Guide to Shakespeare is the ultimate companion to the life and work of the world’s greatest playwright – ideal for theatregoers, students, movie buffs and lovers of literature alike. Both a quick reference and an in-depth background guide, it features:
• Full coverage of all 38 plays, including a synopsis, character list, stage history and a full critical essay for each.
• Up-to-date reviews of the best films and audio recordings – from Olivier to Luhrmann, and Kosintzev to Kurosawa – alongside recommended texts, critical studies and further reading.
• Fascinating features on such topics as swearing in Shakespeare, the role of fools, cross-dressing and the mystery of Shakespeare’s lost plays.
• Detailed analysis of Shakespeare’s poetry – both the famous Sonnets and the less well-known narrative poems.
• Vivid accounts of Shakespeare’s life and theatre, with colourful detail on how the plays were originally performed.
• Classic images of great Shakespearian actors and celebrated recent productions. |
What The Press Say
Compendious and likely to be extremely useful, whether you are just beginning Shakespeare or preparing to see your forty-eighth Hamlet - Times Literary SupplementIt should feature on every Shakespeare course in the country, as a beautifully written and highly accessible vade-mecum to Shakespeare. - Professor René Weis, University College Thoughtful synopses. . .intelligent commentary. . .Most valuable of all are the lists of recommended readings, web sites and audio and film recordings. - The Good Book Guide Awesomely assured. . The critical judgements are mainstream but mature; the stage and screen histories lively and entertaining. . And the eye-opening guide to Shakespearean websites offers a unique bonus. - The Independent |