Paul Werstine is a distinguished Shakespearean scholar whose work delves into the printing and editing of his plays. He meticulously examines early modern playhouse manuscripts, exploring their impact on the final form of Shakespeare's dramatic works. His deep insights into textual traditions and editorial practices illuminate the complexities of Shakespeare's literary legacy.
This edition of Much Ado About Nothing is part of the groundbreaking Cambridge School Shakespeare series established by Rex Gibson. Remaining faithful to the series' active approach it treats the play as a script to be acted, explored and enjoyed. As well as the complete script of the play, you will find a variety of classroom-tested activities, an eight-page colour section and a selection of notes including information on characters, performance, history and language.
In The Merchant of Venice, the penniless but attractive Bassanio seeks, and finally wins, the hand of the fabulously wealthy Portia. But even as the play provokes laughter, it also provokes something disturbing, as Bassanio's courtship is actually financed by the magnificent villain Shylock the moneylender -- the focus of anti-Semitic sentiment, and one of the most controversial yet strangely sympathetic of Shakespeare's characters, whose actions and whose treatment in the play are still debated to this day.This simplified retelling of the Shakespearean comedy also includes activities related to the text.
Dramatic and powerful in its scope, 'Othello' explores the perils of suspicion and jealousy and the ensuing breakdown of relationships and disaster that can arise from such emotions. Othello secretly marries Desdemona, but is led to believe that she has been unfaithful to him by his ensign, Iago, leading to tragic events.
Final play in Shakespeare's dramatization of the strife between the Houses of York and Lancaster. Richard is stunning archvillain who seduces, betrays and murders his way to the throne. Explanatory footnotes.
The beautiful Katherina has sworn, never to accept the demands of any would-be husband. But when she is pursued by the wily Petruchio, it seems that she has finally met her match. And as he meets her own caustic words with a feigned, she comes to understand the absurdity of her shrewish behaviour, in one of the comic battles of the sexes.
The book presents a revolutionary approach to editing Shakespeare's plays, advocating for a method that embraces both authorial and theatrical versions without attempting to separate them. This perspective challenges traditional editing practices and encourages a more holistic understanding of Shakespeare's work, highlighting the fluidity and collaborative nature of theatrical performances.
The book presents a novel approach to editing Shakespeare's plays, advocating for a method that embraces both authorial and theatrical versions without attempting to separate them. It challenges traditional editing practices and encourages a more integrated understanding of Shakespeare's work as a dynamic collaboration between text and performance.