Shakespeare and the Arts of Language

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Poetry History & Criticism, British
Cover of the book Shakespeare and the Arts of Language by Russ McDonald, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Russ McDonald ISBN: 9780191037191
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: February 1, 2001
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Russ McDonald
ISBN: 9780191037191
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: February 1, 2001
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

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. Notes and a critical guide to further reading equip the interested reader with the means to broaden research. For the modern reader or playgoer, English as Shakespeare used it can seem alien and puzzling: vocabulary and grammar are in transition, pronouns and verb-forms can seem unfamiliar. Moreover, the conventions of poetic drama may also pose an impediment. Shakespeare and the Arts of Language provides a clear and helpful guide to the linguistic and rhetorical dimensions of the plays and poems. Written in a lucid, non-technical style, the book starts with the story of how the English language changed throughout the sixteenth century. Subsequent chapters define Shakespeare's main artistic tools and illustrate their poetic and theatrical contributions: Renaissance rhetoric, imagery and metaphor, blank verse, prose speech, and wordplay. The conclusion surveys Shakespeare's multiple and often conflicting ideas about language, encompassing both his enthusiasm at what words can do for us and his suspicion of what words can do to us. Throughout, Russ McDonald helps his readers to appreciate a play's concerns and theatrical effects by thinking about its language in relation to other writings of the period. He also emphasizes pleasure in the physical properties of Shakespeare's words: their colour, weight, and texture, the appeal of verbal patterns, and the irresistible power of intensified language.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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. Notes and a critical guide to further reading equip the interested reader with the means to broaden research. For the modern reader or playgoer, English as Shakespeare used it can seem alien and puzzling: vocabulary and grammar are in transition, pronouns and verb-forms can seem unfamiliar. Moreover, the conventions of poetic drama may also pose an impediment. Shakespeare and the Arts of Language provides a clear and helpful guide to the linguistic and rhetorical dimensions of the plays and poems. Written in a lucid, non-technical style, the book starts with the story of how the English language changed throughout the sixteenth century. Subsequent chapters define Shakespeare's main artistic tools and illustrate their poetic and theatrical contributions: Renaissance rhetoric, imagery and metaphor, blank verse, prose speech, and wordplay. The conclusion surveys Shakespeare's multiple and often conflicting ideas about language, encompassing both his enthusiasm at what words can do for us and his suspicion of what words can do to us. Throughout, Russ McDonald helps his readers to appreciate a play's concerns and theatrical effects by thinking about its language in relation to other writings of the period. He also emphasizes pleasure in the physical properties of Shakespeare's words: their colour, weight, and texture, the appeal of verbal patterns, and the irresistible power of intensified language.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book Places of Redemption by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Europe's Functional Constitution by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Byzantium: A Very Short Introduction by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book The Tunisian Labor Market in an Era of Transition by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Photography: A Very Short Introduction by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Later Medieval Archaeology in Britain by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Sense and Solidarity by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights in Armed Conflict by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book The Law of Professional-Client Confidentiality 2e by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book Culture and Anarchy by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book The Two Fundamental Problems of Ethics by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book The European Court of Justice and the Policy Process by Russ McDonald
Cover of the book The Triumph of the Moon:A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Russ McDonald
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy