This Companion is designed for readers interested in past and present productions of the plays and to accompany the increasing number of courses devoted to the history of Shakespeare in performance. It addresses both British and international performance, from subjects such as British performing tradition, and Shakespearean developments to broader cultural concerns, tragic and comic acting, women performers of Shakespeare, and touring companies, among others. By Stanley Wells & Sarah Stanton
This Companion provides a full introduction to the poetry of William Shakespeare through discussion of his freestanding narrative poems, the Sonnets, and his plays. Fourteen leading international scholars provide accessible and authoritative chapters on all relevant topics: from Shakespeare's seminal role in the development of English poetry, the wide-ranging practice of his poetic form, and his enigmatic place in print and manuscript culture, to his immersion in English Renaissance politics, religion, classicism, and gender dynamics.
In 1612, William Shakespeare gave evidence in a court case at Westminster; it is the only occasion on which his actual spoken words were recorded. The case seems routine---a dispute over an unpaid marriage dowry---but it opens an unexpected window into the dramatist’s famously obscure life. Using the court testimony as a springboard, acclaimed nonfiction writer Charles Nicholl examines this fascinating period in Shakespeare’s life. With evidence from a wide variety of sources,
When Love Speaks is a beautiful, classic gift of love inspired by the sonnets of William Shakespeare. A lovely 44-page book features all of the texts, with lovely original artwork and includes a single CD featuring William Shakespeare's love sonnets read by some of the finest actors in the world. Artists Rufus Wainright, Barbara Bonney, Des'ree, Bryan Ferry, Keb Mo, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Annie Lennox, and John Potter perform eight new, original songs. Much of the music was written and conducted by top film composer Michael Kamen.
Exploring the dialogue between psychoanalytic and literary discourses, the authors examine the models of plot, character, and ways of reading which each of these discourses has developed in interpreting Shakespeare. Since Freud's writings on Oedipus and Hamlet, Shakespearean tragedy has been paradigmatic for psychoanalytic theory and criticism. The authors trace the dialogue between psychoanalytic and literary discourses by examining the models of plot, character, and ways of reading which each tradition has developed through its interpretation of Shakespeare.
