'beautifully produced, and contains 70 plates, most of which are full-page' - TES A fascinating book documenting the many ways Shakespeare’s characters meet their demise and highlighting the Bard's mastery at choreographing death. Some characters refuse to go quietly, dying in stages, as in Nick Bottom’s performance as Pyramus killing himself with much flourish in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Others are remembered in elegies, and still others are resurrected or reappear as ghosts. Shakespeare’s death scenes also often speak to the boundaries between theatre and everyday life, with funerals and scenes of mourning that are undercut by their staged inauthenticity.Extensively illustrated with contemporary drawings and images from stage history, this book accompanying an exhibition at the Bodleian Library, takes readers through the playwright’s great death scenes and tragic figures, exploring in them the theme of life in death and delineating the cultural, religious, and social contexts. The book’s contents are descriptive rather than conceptual but also include some compelling discussions for example about the rhetoric of battle. A great book for anyone interested in Shakespeare or studying his works. Details Author: Simon Palfrey, Professor of English Literature at Brasenose College, Oxford Paperback: 192 pages | 70 illustrations Date published: April 2012 Language: English Delivery: Allow 1-2 weeks ISBN: 978-1851242474 Product Dimensions: 24.9 x 22.1 x 2.3 cm
