Richard III (Bloom's Shakespeare Through the Ages)
Equal parts tragedy and history play, Richard III chronicles the rise and short reign of its diabolical title character. Of this masterful creation, esteemed critic Harold Bloom has written, "The manipulative, highly self-conscious, obsessed hero-villain moves himself from being the passive sufferer of his own moral and/or physical deformity to becoming a highly active melodramatist."
The wild and undisciplined child depicted as Prince Hal in the two-part Henry IV grows to become a courageous and deft leader. Based on the life of its title monarch, Henry V chronicles the events surrounding the battle of Agincourt in 1415, part of the Hundred Years' War. In the centerpiece of the play, the Saint Crispin's Day speech, Henry praises the English forces with the well-known words: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers."
Native Americans have produced some of the most powerful and lyrical literature ever written in North America. This volume examines some of the finest Native American writers, including Joy Harjo, Louise Erdrich, James Welch, Sherman Alexie, N. Scott Momaday, Samsom Occom, Zitkala-Sa, and Leslie Marmon Silko. Yale literature professor Harold Bloom introduces this new edition, which also features a bibliography, a chronology, and an index for easy reference. This title presents a well-rounded critical portrait of an influential group of writers by examining their body of work through full-length essays.
The technique of dark humor seeks to create comedy through the use of satirical wit and grotesque situations. This thematic technique can be found in "A Clockwork Orange", "A Good Man Is Hard to Find", "A Modest Proposal", "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", "White Noise", "The Yellow Wallpaper", and many others, as examined by this new volume. Featuring original essays and excerpts from previously published critical analyses, this addition to the Bloom's Literary Themes series gives students valuable insight into the title's subject theme.
The allied themes of sin and redemption are at the heart of many classics of religious literature, and even secular writers feel compelled to explore the role of sin and redemption in such works as King Lear, Moby-Dick, Paradise Lost, The Portrait of a Lady, The Waste Land, and many more works.. Featuring original essays and excerpts from previously published critical analyses, this addition to the Bloom's Literary Themes series gives students valuable insight into the title's subject theme.
