Shakespeare: Staging the World

About this book

For any lover of Shakespeare the thought of time-traveling back to London to see one of his plays at the Globe represents the ultimate theatrical fantasy. The look and feel of Shakespeares London the streets shops and churches the poet would have visited; the bookstalls where he found source material; the objects that appeared on his stages or sparked his imagination--what were they like? Shakespeare: Staging the World is based on an extraordinary collection of objects that evoke London in 1612 bringing to life not only Shakespeare the man but also the characters places and events--real and imagined--featured in his plays. Jonathan Bate and Dora Thornton give readers a visual tour of Renaissance London letting us glimpse the time and place through a series of objects that speak volumes about Shakespeares day. Simon Formans diary of 1611 provides a vivid account of attending a contemporary performance of A Winters Tale; a dagger fished from the Thames gives new resonance to the gang violence of Romeo and Juliet; Henry Vs saddle helm and shield--medieval relics that would have been a familiar sight in Westminster Abbey to Shakespeares fellow Londoners--recall the history plays and their examination of the nature and conduct of war; and Guy Fawkess lantern illustrates the Catholic counterculture revealed through the failed Gunpowder Plot which later provided the inspiration for Macbeth. Authoritative evocative and filled with surprises Shakespeare: Staging the World offers a completely new approach to one of the most creative imaginations in history and opens a window onto a fascinating moment in Londons past.