English Renaissance Drama Paperback

Peter Womack

The book considers the London theatrical culture which took shape in the 1570s and came to an end in 1642. * Places emphasis on those plays that are readily available in modern editions and can sometimes to be seen in modern productions, including Shakespeare. * Provides students with the historical, literary and theatrical contexts they need to make sense of Renaissance drama. * Includes a series of short biographies of playwrights during this period. * Features close analyses of more than 20 plays, each of which draws attention to what makes a particular play interesting and identifies relevant critical questions. * Examines early modern drama in terms of its characteristic actions, such as cuckolding, flattering, swaggering, going mad, and rising from the dead.

9780631226307

English

John Wiley And Sons Ltd

13 Oct 2006

334

Peter Womack is Senior Lecturer in English at the University of East Anglia. He is the co-author of English Drama: A Cultural History (Blackwell Publishing, 1996), and the author of Improvement and Romance: Constructing the Myth of the Highlands (1989) and Ben Jonson (Blackwell Publishing, 1986).

A book surveying the field by introducing as many as twenty-one dramatists and generally considering the London theatrical culture between the 1570s and 1642. Among the key texts commented on are two of Shakespeare's tragedies, namely Hamlet ... and King Lear ... .The book is of good use to readers needing a guide to the historical, literary and theatrical contexts in which English Renaissance drama took shape. (Year's Work in English Studies, 2008) "The ideal companion for both students and teachers of Tudor and Stuart plays. I ... was able to use it and recommend it to my students ... .They loved it almost as much as I did. The book features ... excellent, thought-provoking readings of the major plays ... and a wonderfully quirky, fascinating, and useful section on recurring tropes and patterns ... .The major writers are represented, and the book will work nicely with the Norton and the Blackwell anthologies ... .I recommend this book with the highest praise." (Studies in English Literature 1500-1900, Spring 2008) "...Womack offers insightful critical comments on English Renaissance playwrights, some major plays, and a variety of contextual topics...Womack is an astute critic." (CHOICE) "Remarkably comprehensive ... a very fine introduction for the non-specialist." (Touchstone)