An introductory critical study for first year undergraduates, aimed at bridging the increasing gap between A Level and university level study. The book offers a comprehensive approach to fourteen key texts looking at different critical perspectives, language, context and performance in particular.
Shakespeare's plays have long been open to reimagining and reinterpretation, from John Fletcher's riposte to The Taming of the Shrew in 1611 to present day spin-offs in a whole range of media, including YouTube videos and Manga comics. This book offers a clear route map through the world of adaptation, selecting examples from film, drama, prose fiction, ballet, the visual arts and poetry, and exploring their respective political and cultural interactions with Shakespeare's plays. 36 specific case studies are discussed, three for each of the 12 plays covered, offering additional guidance for readers new to this important area of Shakespeare studies. The introduction signals key adaptation issues that are subsequently explored through the chapters on individual plays, including Shakespeare's own adaptive art and its Renaissance context, production and performance as adaptation, and generic expectation and transmedial practice. Organized chronologically, the chapters cover the most commonly studied plays, allowing readers to dip in to read about specific plays or trace how technological developments have fundamentally changed ways in which Shakespeare is experienced. With examples encompassing British, North American, South and East Asian, European and Middle Eastern adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, the volume offers readers a wealth of insights drawn from different ages, territories and media.
Critical introductions to a range of literary topics and genres.
The story revolves around Trafalgar bear, a lovable character who embodies themes of friendship, hope, and the spirit of Christmas. As he embarks on new adventures, readers are taken on a journey filled with heartfelt wishes and the joy of the holiday season, showcasing the importance of connection and positivity.
Where does Shakespeare fit into the drama of his day? Getting to know the work of Shakespeare's contemporaries offers an insight into Elizabethan and Jacobean preoccupations and the theatrical climate of the early modern period. This book provides an essential overview of some major dramatic works from their stage origins to today's screen productions. Each chapter includes: a detailed analysis of a play by Shakespeare considered alongside a key work by one other significant playwright of the day (including The Merchant of Venice, Volpone, The Spanish Tragedy, Titus Andronicus, Othello, The Changeling, Romeo and Juliet, The Duchess of Malfi, Measure for Measure, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tragedy of Mariam, Doctor Faustus and Hamlet); close reading of the texts; a discussion of early modern theatrical practices; a focus on one ground-breaking example of early modern drama on screen; suggestions for links with other early modern texts and further reading. This is an ideal introduction for students of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, providing a route map to the very latest developments in early modern drama studies while fostering confident and independent critical thinking about a range of canonical texts. -- from back cover.
Being a retired teacher, the author saw this as an ideal opportunity to rekindle her love of storytelling. She was born in Sheffield in 1950 and lived in Guiseley near Leeds until she was 13 years old. At school, her English teacher once said her work showed great imagination and flight of fancy, she was not sure this was a compliment! She loved writing stories, living out imagined adventures created from her time exploring the Yorkshire Dales with school friends. However, career, marriage and children came along and it was only a few years ago, after she retired, that she started to write again and Trafalgar Bear was created. His adventures have entertained and educated her three grandsons and she hopes that this little bear will bring enjoyment to other young people as they follow the adventures of a much-loved, well-travelled, quintessential family bear.