Teaching Shakespeare with Film and Television: A Guide

(Hardback)

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Description

Although Shakespeare is one of the world's most widely taught authors, he is also one of the world's most demanding. Because of the popularity and sophistication of his works, numerous film and television adaptations of his plays have been made - some decades ago and others very recently. Moreover, Shakespeare films are coming out at an unprecedented rate, as audiences continue to respond to the richness of his works. These productions are a valuable means of teaching students how to respond to Shakespeare's plays, for the film and television versions reflect different interpretations of his works. Although some productions are generally considered better than others, and all have various faults and virtues, each of them teaches us something about the play and the medium. This reference book is a convenient guide for helping teachers and students master the techniques of discussing productions of the plays on film and television. It makes important distinctions between the two media, particularly about the conceptual and physical space available in each of the choices that space, or lack of it, impose on production. Central to the book is the concept of script, the words from which productions are generated. Because even weak productions are nonetheless interpretations of Shakespeare's scripts, they can be used effectively to explore problematic issues in his plays. The volume includes many suggestions about how to help students write well by comparing in very specific terms small segments from different productions. It lists the resources available in this rapidly growing field, both on cassette and in print. It gives many examples of critical commentary, looking at genre, editing, allusion, setting, and the script in history. Productions discussed include the Edzard "As You Like It", the Branagh "A Midwinter's Tale", the Parker "Othello", the Loncraine "Richard III", and 70 years of "Hamlet". Students and teachers of Shakespeare at all levels should find this book a valuable guide to his plays.

Reviews

This lucid book serves as both a useful handbook and a scholarly assessment of the Bard on screen. Recommended for all academic collections.-Choice
"This lucid book serves as both a useful handbook and a scholarly assessment of the Bard on screen. Recommended for all academic collections."-Choice

Author Bio

H. R. COURSEN teaches at the University of Maine (Augusta). He has published several books on Shakespeare, the latest being Macbeth: A Guide to the Play (Greenwood, 1997) and Shakespeare in Production: Whose History (1996). He has recently completed his nineteenth book of poems and has taught at Shakespeare's Globe (London), the University of London, Washington and Jefferson College, Bowdoin College, Clemson University, and in the Theatre in England Program of the University of California at Santa Barbara. He conducted five NEH Summer Seminars for Teachers and is coeditor of Shakespeare and the Classroom.