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Shakespeare in London offers a lively and engaging new reading of some of Shakespeare''s major work, informed by close attention to the language of his drama. The focus of the book is on Shakespeare''s London, how it influenced his drama and how he represents it on stage. Taking readers on an imaginative journey through the city, the book moves both chronologically, from beginning to end of Shakespeare''s dramatic career, and also geographically, traversing London from west to east. Each chapter focuses on one play and one key location, drawing out the thematic connections between that place and the drama it underwrites. Plays discussed in detail include Hamlet , Richard II , The Merchant of Venice , The Tempest , King Lear and Romeo and Juliet . Close textual readings accompany the wealth of contextual material, providing a fresh and exciting way into Shakespeare''s work.>
List of contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Note on the Text
A Chronology of Shakespeare's Life and Early Modern London
Introduction: Shakespeare's London
1. Violence in Shakespeare's London:
Titus Andronicus (1594) and Tyburn
2. Politics in Shakespeare's London:
Richard II (1595) and Whitehall
3. Class in Shakespeare's London:
Romeo and Juliet (1595-6) and The Strand
4. Law in Shakespeare's London:
The Merchant of Venice (1596-8) and the Inns of Court
5. Religion in Shakespeare's London:
Hamlet (1600-1) and St Paul's
6. Medicine in Shakespeare's London:
King Lear (1605-6) and Bedlam
7. Economics in Shakespeare's London:
Timon of Athens (1607) and the King's Bench Prison, Southwark
8. Experimentation in Shakespeare's London:
The Tempest (1610-11) and Lime Street
Epilogue: Henry VIII (1613) and the Tower of London
Works Cited
Suggested Further Reading
Index
About the author
Hannah Crawforth is Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at King's College London, UK.
Sarah Dustagheer is Lecturer in Early Modern Literature at the University of Kent, UK.
Jennifer Young is Teaching Fellow in English Literature (1590–1700) at the University of Leeds, UK.
Summary
Shakespeare in London offers a lively and engaging new reading of some of Shakespeare’s major work, informed by close attention to the language of his drama. The focus of the book is on Shakespeare’s London, how it influenced his drama and how he represents it on stage. Taking readers on an imaginative journey through the city, the book moves both chronologically, from beginning to end of Shakespeare’s dramatic career, and also geographically, traversing London from west to east.
Each chapter focuses on one play and one key location, drawing out the thematic connections between that place and the drama it underwrites. Plays discussed in detail include Hamlet, Richard II, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet. Close textual readings accompany the wealth of contextual material, providing a fresh and exciting way into Shakespeare’s work.
Report
An evocative journey that places Shakespeare's plays in a revealing urban context The Guardian 20150306
