Shakespeare: The Basics

The play's the thing! Sean McEvoy has provided a readable, accessible account to the wonderful world of Shakespeare! McEvoy begins his handbook by discussing Shakespeare's poetry and use of language. The author notes that words have changed in the almost four centuries since Shakespeare wrote his plays. McEvoy discusses various literary techniques used in rhetoric such as "alliteration"; "metaphor" and other literary devices used in the bard's use of poetry. Throughout the book, McEvoy takes time to discuss such topics as: Play-texts in Shakespearean drama; the Great Chain of Being theological concept on how society is organized; Women and Sex in the plays (all female roles were played by boys in the Elizabethan theatre), London in the sixteenth century; the playhouses on the south side of the Thames and the varous theatrical companies of the era. McEvoy has a fascinating chapter dealing with the way Shakespeare has been treated in modern film. I especially enjoyed his treatment of Kenneth Branagh's complete text of Hamlet in his filmed version of the tragedy. McEvoy is most useful in the chapters he devotes to the plays. a. Understanding Comedy: commentary on "The Taming of the Shrew"; "A Midsummer's Night Dream"; "Measure for Measure"; "The Merchant of Venice" and "Twelfth Night." He discusses the major themes, characters and provides useful thoughts on these masterpieces as he does those for: b. Understanding history-Plays examined are "Richard II"; "Henry IV" and "Henry V." c. Understanding Tragedy: "Hamlet"; "King Lear"; "Macbeth" and "Othello." d. Understanding Romance: "The Winter's Tale". and "The Tempest." This is a very useful tool in understanding Shakespeare, his plays, audience and presentation on stage and on film. Recommended.

This is probably the best introduction to Shakespeare I've seen anywhere, and I use it for the college-level Shakespeare classes I teach. McEvoy introduces students to Shakespeare as he is taught now in universities and colleges. Issues of Power, Gender, and Politics are foregrounded (recognizing that the plays themselves are centrally addressed to exactly these issues). McEvoy explains the historical and cultural contexts necessary for understanding the plays, such as patronage and religious controversies. His writing is a marvel of compression and clarity. In the chapter on "Understanding History" plays, he discusses the differences between the medieval, feudal world, and the newly emergent modern, capitalistic society , summarizing in 2 pages what often takes other authors 20 or 30 pages to say. The chapter on "Understanding Tragedy" accurately summarizes the two leading theories of tragedy (Artistotle's and Hegel's) in 2 pages, and then goes on to give a brilliant application to several of the great tragedies. The section on Shakespeare's language is also very helpful for new readers, explaining the characteristics of blank verse and Shakespeare's vocabulary and figures of speech. Highest Recommendation.

A well-argued and literate introduction to the Bard. My wife and I had previously found Shakespeare impenetrable, but Dr. McEvoy has provided access to this most slippery of literary figures.