Shakespeare Basics for Grown-Ups: Everything You Need to Know about the Bard - Softcover

Foley, E.; Coates, B.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 014751536X ISBN 13: 9780147515360

Verlag: PLUME, 2015

Inhaltsangabe

An essential guide to Shakespeare, from the international bestselling authors of Homework for Grown-Ups

The Bard was so incredibly prolific that even most Shakespeare scholars would welcome the occasional refresher course, and most of the rest of us haven t even got a clue as to what a petard actually is. Fear not, the bestselling authors of Homework for Grown-Ups are here to help. For parents keen to help with their children s homework, casual theatre-goers who want to enhance their enjoyment and understanding, and the general reader who feels they should probably know more, Shakespeare Basics for Grown-Ups includes information on the key works, historical context, contemporaries and influences, famous speeches and quotations, modern day adaptations, and much, much more.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

E. FOLEY and B. COATES are editors at Penguin Random House in the UK. They live in London. They are the international bestselling authors of Homework for Grown-Ups.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

INTRODUCTION

William Shakespeare is without question Britain s greatest literary hero. His work has spoken to countless generations, nationalities and cultures, and to men, women and children alike. His plays have been translated into every language under the sun and performances of them can be seen from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. But how much do you really know about the man and his wondrous words?

For many of us, our first experience of Shakespeare can be intimidating and (whisper it) a little wearisome. And if you have a bad start with the Bard, chances are that will affect your grown-up encounters with him too. Do you find yourself dozing off during The Winter s Tale? Does all that thumb-biting in Romeo and Juliet perplex you? Find it hard to stomach the jokes in The Taming of the Shrew? Lost by the language of the famous monologues from King Lear and Othello? Worry not, you aren t alone. And although today every schoolchild will encounter Shakespeare s work at some point in their English lessons, the majority of UK adults will only be properly familiar with one or two plays at most. In fact, a recent poll showed that 5 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds think Shakespeare s most famous play is Cinderella, and 2 percent from the same group think the man himself is a fictional character. That s why this book is essential reading for anyone who feels they should know more about our greatest poet, or, indeed, anyone looking to revive their acquaintance with him, or even just help their children with their homework.

As well as taking an in-depth look at the most-loved, -studied and -performed plays, we will take you on a journey through the different genres Shakespeare made his own the Comedies, Histories and Tragedies and we ll show you how to decode his enigmatic sonnets. We ll also show you that there is much to be treasured and enjoyed in his less familiar works.

We don t claim to be Shakespeare scholars; we are ordinary readers who were curious to learn more about our greatest national poet, and we became passionate about passing on the most interesting facts we discovered. The aim of this book is to give a solid understanding of Shakespeare s genius and to arm you with the tools you need to enjoy him with confidence and insight. In addition, we ll peruse some of the more perplexing problems that have agitated academics over the years: Did Shakespeare really write his plays himself? What exactly is the First Folio? What would it have been like to see one of his plays at the time of its first performance? What does hoist with his own petard actually mean? Who might the sonnets Dark Lady be?

Between these covers you will find nuggets on a broad range of topics, including the historical context of Shakespeare s writing; his personal life, contemporaries and influences; his language and poetic skill; the key themes of his oeuvre; his less well-known works and characters; his most famous speeches and quotations; the phrases and words that he invented, and much more.

The world is a far richer place thanks to this glove-maker s son from Stratford and his unparalleled influence over our imaginations and language. His eternal summer shall not fade . . . So long as men can breathe or eyes can see and we hope that by the time you finish this book you are as filled with admiration and enthusiasm for his work as we are.

Brevity Is the Soul of Wit
All Shakespeare s Plays in One Sentence Each

Obviously a close reading of the plays will richly reward any student of Shakespeare, but we understand if you need a quick cheat s guide. We ve set out each one in a sentence so you can always be ready to impress with extensive knowledge of the whole back catalogue o

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: PLUME
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2015
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 014751536X
• ISBN 13: 9780147515360
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 336
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar