The Plays of Shakespeare: A Thematic Guide

(Hardback)

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Touching viewers and readers with his presentation of social, moral and political issues, Shakespeare holds ageless and unequalled appeal primarily because of the universal themes at the heart of his dramatic works. Shakespeare scholar Victor Cahn takes a unique approach to exploring the plays by identifying and explicating the themes that recur throughout the canon. Written in lively language, each of the 35 essays explores a core theme or topic and discusses its implications in several key plays in which it figures prominently. This user-friendly guide not only allows readers to better understand the significance of concepts such as power, politics, marriage or money; the organization by theme also helps users to compare and contrast these important topics across relevant plays. Cahn draws vivid connections between related works of Shakespeare, but just as importantly, enlightens readers as to the pertinence of these themes in contemporary life. While this thematic guide examines all of Shakespeare's plays, particular attention is devoted to those works most often read by students; the tragedies such as "Romeo and Juliet", "Julius Caesar", "Hamlet" and "Macbeth", the comedies including "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "Merchant of Venice", as well as the historical plays like "Richard II", and the romantic works such as "The Tempest". Students who wish to investigate a particular play in greater depth can refer to this book's title index to identify all citations of that work. This literary resource serves myriad uses: enabling students to trace the thread of a theme; to compare its treatment in several plays; and to understand better a play, its characters, plot and language, by examining Shakespeare's central themes.

Reviews

.,."a tantalizing introduction to Shakespeare's use of an idea....this book will be useful as a reference or introduction....Recommended for public and academic libraries."-Library Journal
.,."the C student's Shakespeare bible for some time to come."-Studies in English Literature
.,."Cahn's thematic guide is a thoughtful reference work whose well-argued inclusions and discussion-provoking interpretations (and omissions) make it a comprehensive supplement to an introductory Shakespeare course."-Sixteenth Century Journal
...a tantalizing introduction to Shakespeare's use of an idea....this book will be useful as a reference or introduction....Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Library Journal
...the C student's Shakespeare bible for some time to come.-Studies in English Literature
...Cahn's thematic guide is a thoughtful reference work whose well-argued inclusions and discussion-provoking interpretations (and omissions) make it a comprehensive supplement to an introductory Shakespeare course.-Sixteenth Century Journal
Cahn's style is readable and inviting...this work provides a solid starting point for study by would-be Shakespearean scholars.-VOYA
For researchers more interested in examining a number of themes in a specific play, access is available through an exhaustive index. Recommended.-The Book Report
..."a tantalizing introduction to Shakespeare's use of an idea....this book will be useful as a reference or introduction....Recommended for public and academic libraries."-Library Journal
..."the C student's Shakespeare bible for some time to come."-Studies in English Literature
"Cahn's style is readable and inviting...this work provides a solid starting point for study by would-be Shakespearean scholars."-VOYA
"For researchers more interested in examining a number of themes in a specific play, access is available through an exhaustive index. Recommended."-The Book Report
..."Cahn's thematic guide is a thoughtful reference work whose well-argued inclusions and discussion-provoking interpretations (and omissions) make it a comprehensive supplement to an introductory Shakespeare course."-Sixteenth Century Journal

Author Bio

VICTOR L. CAHN is Professor of English at Skidmore College, where he teaches courses in the history of drama, Shakespeare, and modern drama.