Introduction The Tragedies Titus Andronicus Romeo and Juliet Julius Caesar Hamlet Othello King Lear Macbeth Antony and Cleopatra Coriolanus Timon of Athens The Histories The First Tetralogy Henry VI, Part 1 Henry VI, Part 2 Henry VI, Part 3 Richard III King John The Second Tetralogy Richard II Henry IV, Part 1 Henry IV, Part 2 Henry V Henry VIII The Comedies The Comedy of Errors The Taming of the Shrew The Two Gentlemen of Verona Love's Labor's Lost A Midsummer Night's Dream The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor Much Ado About Nothing As You Like It Twelfth Night Troilus and Cressida All's Well That Ends Well Measure for Measure The Romances Pericles Cymbeline The Winter's Tale The Tempest Appendix 1: The Two Noble Kinsmen Appendix 2: The Royal Figures from the History Tetralogies--Who They Are and Where They Appear Selected Bibliography Character Index Index
Contending that the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's work lies with his characters, Cahn systematically proceeds through a discussion of each play (within the traditional categories of tragedy, history, and romance) as if an audience were encountering that play for the first time... This critical appreciation approach differentiates Cahn's companion/handbook from other Shakespeareana... It is highly recommended for any general public library and for academic collections at all undergraduate levels. Choice
VICTOR L. CAHN is Professor of English at Skidmore College. He teaches courses in Shakespeare and modern drama and is the author of four books and several plays. His numerous articles and reviews have appeared in such diverse publications as Modern Drama, The Literary Review, The New York Times, and Variety.
?A useful guide for the general reader, as well as high school and
undergraduate students, to Shakespeare's 37 plays. After a brief
introduction outlining Shakespeare's life and career, Cahn
carefully guides the reader through each play in turn, from first
scene to last, using a mixture of quotation, paraphrase, and
critical comment. His style is accessible and unpretentious, and
his insights into the 'psychological consistency' of Shakespeare's
characters-the main focus of the commentary-are stimulating and
sometimes provocative. The bibliographies at the end of each
chapter, and at the end of the volume, provide a guide to further
study for the nonspecialist.?-Library Journal
?Contending that the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's work lies
with his characters, Cahn systematically proceeds through a
discussion of each play (within the traditional categories of
tragedy, history, and romance) as if an audience were encountering
that play for the first time. The chapters explain how the plays
succeed as theater and how the subtleties of the characters'
behavior and the nuances of their language contribute to the
theatrical effect. This critical appreciation approach
differentiates Cahn's "companion"/handbook from other
Shakespeareana--The Shakespeare Handbook, ed. by Levi Fox (1987)
and Charles Boyce's Shakespeare A-Z (CH, Apr'91)--in which the
intention is to assemble a body of Shakespearean lore for
information. In Cahn's work, suggestions for further reading
(usually a short list of the prominent, old studies) follows each
analysis. Two appendixes (The Two Noble Kinsmen) and a who's who of
the "Royal Figures" are provided. A one-page select bibliography, a
character index, and a general index end the book. It is highly
recommended for any general public library and for academic
collections at all undergraduate levels.?-Choice
?In his discussion of each play, Cahn, writing for a general
(albeit intent) audience, bases his approach on the assumption that
the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's plays lies in the
characters. He focuses on how the implications of the characters'
actions and the nuances of their language contribute to the plays'
impact.?-Reference & Research Book News
"A useful guide for the general reader, as well as high school and
undergraduate students, to Shakespeare's 37 plays. After a brief
introduction outlining Shakespeare's life and career, Cahn
carefully guides the reader through each play in turn, from first
scene to last, using a mixture of quotation, paraphrase, and
critical comment. His style is accessible and unpretentious, and
his insights into the 'psychological consistency' of Shakespeare's
characters-the main focus of the commentary-are stimulating and
sometimes provocative. The bibliographies at the end of each
chapter, and at the end of the volume, provide a guide to further
study for the nonspecialist."-Library Journal
"In his discussion of each play, Cahn, writing for a general
(albeit intent) audience, bases his approach on the assumption that
the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's plays lies in the
characters. He focuses on how the implications of the characters'
actions and the nuances of their language contribute to the plays'
impact."-Reference & Research Book News
"Contending that the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's work lies
with his characters, Cahn systematically proceeds through a
discussion of each play (within the traditional categories of
tragedy, history, and romance) as if an audience were encountering
that play for the first time. The chapters explain how the plays
succeed as theater and how the subtleties of the characters'
behavior and the nuances of their language contribute to the
theatrical effect. This critical appreciation approach
differentiates Cahn's "companion"/handbook from other
Shakespeareana--The Shakespeare Handbook, ed. by Levi Fox (1987)
and Charles Boyce's Shakespeare A-Z (CH, Apr'91)--in which the
intention is to assemble a body of Shakespearean lore for
information. In Cahn's work, suggestions for further reading
(usually a short list of the prominent, old studies) follows each
analysis. Two appendixes (The Two Noble Kinsmen) and a who's who of
the "Royal Figures" are provided. A one-page select bibliography, a
character index, and a general index end the book. It is highly
recommended for any general public library and for academic
collections at all undergraduate levels."-Choice
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