Edited with an introduction and notes by John Leonard.
David Scott Kastan Books
David Scott Kastan is a leading scholar in the field of Shakespearean literature. As one of the general editors of the Arden Shakespeare, he contributes significantly to the deeper understanding and interpretation of Shakespeare's works. His academic work focuses on critical analysis and literary context, offering readers fresh perspectives on classic texts. Kastan's influence on contemporary Shakespearean studies is considerable.
Shakespeare After Theory
- 264 pages
- 10 hours of reading
The most familiar assertion of Shakespeare scholarship is that he is our contemporary. Shakespeare After Theory provocatively argues that he is not, but what value he has for us must at least begin with a recognition of his distance from us.
Staging the Renaissance
Reinterpretations of Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama
- 304 pages
- 11 hours of reading
The essays in Staging the Renaissance show the theatre to be the site of a rich confluence of cultural forces, the place where social meanings are both formed and transformed. The volume unites some of the most challenging issues in contemporary Renaissance studies and some of our best-known critics, including Stephen Orgel, Margaret Ferguson, Catherine Belsey, Jonathan Goldberg, Marjorie Garber, Lisa Jardine, and Jonathan Dollimore-- demonstrating the variety and vitality not only of contemporary criticism, but of Renaissance drama itself.
Bantam Classic - 1: Henry IV
- 156 pages
- 6 hours of reading
A play alive with escapades and action, comedy and history, Henry IV, Part One begins the transformation of the madcap Prince Hal into the splendid ruler King Henry. In it a rebellion against King and State is juxtaposed with another rebellion–the riotous misbehavior of Hal and his companions, principally Falstaff. A superbly funny liar, coward, lecher, and cheat, the larger-than-life character Falstaff turns this great historical drama into a masterpiece of counterpoint and design. Each Edition Includes: • Comprehensive explanatory notes • Vivid introductions and the most up-to-date scholarship • Clear, modernized spelling and punctuation, enabling contemporary readers to understand the Elizabethan English • Completely updated, detailed bibliographies and performance histories • An interpretive essay on film adaptations of the play, along with an extensive filmography