Written by a team of leading international scholars, this Companion is designed to illuminate Shakespeare's works through discussion of the key topics of Shakespeare studies. Twenty-one essays provide lively and authoritative approaches to recent scholarship and criticism for readers keen to expand their knowledge and appreciation of Shakespeare. The book contains stimulating chapters on traditional topics such as Shakespeare's biography and the transmission of his texts. Individual readings of the plays are given in the context of genre as well as through the cultural and historical perspectives of race, sexuality and gender, and politics and religion. Essays on performance survey the latest digital media as well as stage and film. Throughout the volume, contributors discuss Shakespeare in a global as well as a national context, a dramatist with a long and constantly mutating history of reception and performance.
Preface; William Shakespeare: a partial chronology; Shakespeare's works: a conjectural chronology; 1. The traces of Shakespeare's life STEPHEN GREENBLATT; 2. Shakespeare's reading JEFF DOLVEN and SEAN KEILEN; 3. Shakespeare's writing H. R. WOUDHUYSEN; 4. The theatre of Shakespeare's London TIFFANY STERN; 5. Transmission of Shakespeare's texts ANDREW MURPHY; 6. Shakespeare and language JONATHAN HOPE; 7. Shakespeare the poet COLIN BURROW; 8. Shakespeare's comedies STANLEY WELLS; 9. Shakespeare's tragedies MICHAEL NEILL; 10. Shakespeare's English history plays TON HOENSELAARS; 11. Shakespeare's Classical plays HEATHER JAMES; 12. Shakespeare's tragicomedies JANETTE DILLON; 13. Shakespeare, religion and politics CLAIRE MCEACHERN; 14. Shakespeare and race JONATHAN GIL HARRIS; 15. Shakespeare, sex and gender STEPHEN ORGEL; 16. Shakespeare's stage ANTHONY DAWSON; 17. The critical reception of Shakespeare EMMA SMITH; 18. Shakespeare and popular culture PAUL PRESCOTT; 19. Shakespeare and globalization ANSTON BOSMAN; 20. Shakespeare and media history KATHERINE ROWE; 21. Shakespeare: reading on ANDREW DICKSON.
