The Age of Shakespeare

Browse Return to Previous Page       Related Subjects All Subjects Literary NOT Theory Literary Studies Literary Studies MOSTLY Theory

by Frank Kermode

Modern Library: Random House

Due/Published May 2005, 240 pages, paper

ISBN 0812974336

Kermode uses the history and culture of the Elizabethan era to enlighten us about William Shakespeare and his poetry and plays. Opening with the big picture of the religious and dynastic events that defined England in the age of the Tudors, Kermode takes the reader on a tour of Shakespeare's England, vividly portraying London's society, its early capitalism, its court, its bursting population, and its epidemics, as well as its arts--including, of course, its theater. Then Kermode focuses on Shakespeare himself and his career, all in the context of the time in which he lived. Kermode reads each play against the backdrop of its probable year of composition, providing new historical insights into Shakspeare's characters, themes, and sources. The result is a concise companion guide to the works of Shakespeare by one of our most eminent literary scholars.