Author Description
OXFORD SHAKESPEARE TOPICS General Editors: Peter Holland and Stanley Wells Oxford Shakespeare Topics provide students and teachers with short books on important aspects of Shakespeare criticism and scholarship. Each book is written by an authority in its field, and combines accessible style with original discussion of its subject. Shakespeare and Biography is not a new biography of Shakespeare. Instead, it is a study of what biographers have said about Shakespeare, from the first formal biography in the early 18th century by Nicholas Rowe to Stephen Greenblatt, James Shapiro, Jonathan Bate, Germaine Greer, Katherine Duncan-Jones, Park Honan, René Weis, and others who have written recent biographical accounts of England's greatest writer. The emphasis is on what sort of issues these biographers have found especially interesting in relation to sex and gender, politics, religion, pessimism, misanthropy, jealousy, aging, family relationships, the end of a career, the end of life. How has Shakespeare's contemplation of these issues changed and grown, and in what ways do those changes reflect new cultural developments in our world as it continues to reinterpret Shakespeare?
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How have the biographical interpretations of William Shakespeare evolved from the 18th century to the present day, and what do these shifting narratives reveal about the cultural priorities of each era? David Bevington, a distinguished scholar of English Renaissance drama, examines the history of Shakespearean biography to demonstrate how biographers project contemporary concerns—such as gender, politics, and religion—onto the life of the playwright. The text argues that these accounts function as mirrors of their own times rather than objective historical records.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological survey of Shakespearean biographical scholarship starting from Nicholas Rowe.
- Analysis of major modern biographers including Stephen Greenblatt, James Shapiro, and Germaine Greer.
- Thematic exploration of how biographers address topics like aging, family, and political climate.
Scope Limits
- This is not a new biographical account of Shakespeare's life.
- The book does not provide an exhaustive primary source investigation of Shakespeare's personal documents.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students frequently cite this work as a concise, essential overview of the historiography surrounding Shakespeare's life. It is widely regarded as a foundational text for understanding the evolution of critical perspectives in Shakespearean studies.
Page Count:
188
Publication Date:
2010-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191615145
ISBN-13:
9780191615146
Biography
Authors english
Literature History
English & College Success
English
Shakespeare Studies
Literary Criticism
Dramatists biography
Academic