Shakespeare and the Rival Playwrights, 1600-1606
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Author Description
David Farley-hills Argues That Shakespeare Did Not Work In Splendid Isolation, But Responded As Any Other Playwright To The Commercial And Artistic Pressures Of His Time. In This Book He Offers An Interpretation Of Seven Of Shakespeare's Plays In The Light Of Pressures Exerted By His Major Contemporary Rivals. The Plays Discussed Are Hamlet, Troilus And Cressida, All's Well That Ends Well, Othello, Measure For Measure, Timon Of Athens, And King Lear. Cover; Shakespeare And The Rival Playwrights; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Hamlet And The Little Eyases; 2. Portrait Of The Iron Age: Troilus And Cressida; 3. The Word...will Bring On Summer: All's Well That Ends Well And Chapman's Mythic Comedy; 4. Othello: A Man Killed With Kindness; 5. Royal Measures: Measure For Measure And Middleton's Comedy Of Disillusionment; 6. Anger's Privilege: Timon Of Athens And King Lear; Notes; Index David Farley-hills. Description Based Upon Print Version Of Record. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates how William Shakespeare’s creative output between 1600 and 1606 was shaped by the competitive commercial and artistic environment of the Elizabethan and Jacobean theater. David Farley-Hills, an established scholar of English literature, challenges the notion of Shakespeare as an isolated genius by situating his work within the specific rivalries and professional pressures of the era. He argues that Shakespeare’s thematic and stylistic choices were often direct responses to the innovations and provocations of contemporary playwrights like George Chapman and Thomas Middleton.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A comparative analysis of seven major plays including Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, and King Lear.
- An examination of the 'War of the Theatres' and its influence on Shakespearean drama.
- Scholarly interpretation of contemporary rivalries with playwrights such as Chapman and Middleton.
- Contextual analysis of the commercial pressures inherent in the early modern London theater scene.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of early modern drama frequently cite this text for its focused approach to the competitive nature of the period's playwriting. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous framework for understanding Shakespeare's work as a product of professional artistic dialogue.
Page Count:
226
Publication Date:
2002-01-01
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis Group
ISBN-10:
0203159977
ISBN-13:
9780203159972
Drama
History
Shakespeare
Theater History
Literary Criticism
