Shakespeare: A Complete Introduction

By (author) Michael Scott; By (author) Michael Scott
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Written by an academic and literary scholar with decades of experience in teaching Shakespeare to students at all levels, Shakespeare: A Complete Introduction is designed to give you everything you need to succeed, all in one place.
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Your complete introduction to Shakespeare
William Shakespeare has been hailed as one of the greatest thinkers of all time, one of the world''s finest artists, poets and dramatists.

Shakespeare: A Complete Introduction introduces and explains the plays by looking at how they work, taking you on a journey through the genres of comedy, history and tragedy. The best known and most popular plays are discussed in detail and even plays in which Shakespeare may have had only the briefest creative and collaborative interest as a writer, get at least a mention.

With material on his poetry and discussions on aspects of his life too, this truly is a complete introduction to Shakespeare.

''A very lively and enthusiastic introduction to the full range of Shakespeare''s plays'' John Drakakis, Professor of English, University of Stirling

''A masterpiece of the genre, written as it is with passion, without condescension, without jargon, thoughtful and open to changing critical theories, but always returning to the plays themselves, plays that fully reveal themselves most in performance.'' Martin Wine, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)

Review quote
A very lively and enthusiastic introduction to the full range of Shakespeare''s plays. I can think of no better way to encounter the issues that these plays raise and the possibilities that they offer for performance. Michael Scott''s wholly admirable strategy is to focus on particular issues that the plays raise, to incorporate into his discussions some aspects of the latest scholarship, and to provide pathways through the texts with a firm eye on the reader''s and the spectator''s enjoyment.
Review quote
A masterpiece of the genre, written as it is with passion, without condescension, without jargon, thoughtful and open to changing critical theories, but always returning to the plays themselves, plays that fully reveal themselves most in performance.
Biographical note
Michael Scott is Director of Oxford-Scott Education Ltd; Honorary Senior Provost of University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter; and Emeritus Professor of English and Theatre Studies at Glyndwr University of which he was the founding Vice Chancellor. He has taught with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at universities around the world, including Georgetown University, Washington DC. Through his numerous publications he has opened up the world of Shakespeare and his contemporaries to students, readers, theatre goers and all.
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Your complete introduction to Shakespeare
William Shakespeare has been hailed as one of the greatest thinkers of all time, one of the world''s finest artists, poets and dramatists. So intense has the Shakespeare industry become that, in any single year, there are probably more words written about him or spoken of him than he wrote himself.

In view of the vast amount of scholarship about the man and his work, it is no wonder that some people approach his plays with trepidation. But Shakespeare wrote for everyone, whoever they were. He is as comprehensive in his entertainment as he is in his audiences.

Shakespeare: A Complete Introduction introduces and explains the plays by looking at how they work, taking you on a journey through the genres of comedy, history and tragedy. The best known and most popular plays are discussed in detail and even plays in which Shakespeare may have had only the briefest creative and