{"product_id":"the-complete-idiots-guide-to-shakespeares-plays","title":"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare's Plays","description":"\u003cp\u003eHere Art Thou  True Shakespeare!  This accessible new guide to Shakespeares major plays focuses on the essence of the spoken word and the benefits of watching the plays in performance - on the stage or screen - whenever possible. Youll find tips about plot  theme  famous passages and soliloquies  and how to hear the music within the Bards verse and wordplay.  Remember - Shakespearean theatre is a social art form  and in its earliest days  it was highly commercial. This book brings you closer to the heady world of freelance playwriting and the London playhouses of the 1590s. As a playwright and sharer in the Globe theatre  Shakespeare was at the forefront of Western show business. This book highlights Shakespeares career  his dramatic influences  and what 16th-century playgoers in London would have experienced inside the theatre.  In The Complete Idiots Guide to Shakespeares Plays cultural and historical contexts for the major plays are explored  offering perspectives of the director and actor  in addition to that of the scholar and close reader. In particular  the book takes you behind the scenes with Shakespearean directors  who offer commentary about key challenges presented by the plays  famous roles  and a host of other production concerns. Professional actors also discuss how theyve tackled lead roles in A Midsummer Nights Dream  Much Ado About Nothing  The Merchant of Venice  King Lear  Antony and Cleopatra  and The Tempest  among others. Youll find:  Twenty (20) major plays explored in depth  explaining literary terms? and Elizabethan English  with attention to language and verse; A look at how the plays have been staged  from the earliest playhouses to contemporary auditoriums; Appendices spotlighting Shakespeares likely collaborations  a glossary  suggested further reading  and tips about acclaimed film and audio versions.  Perfect for English and drama students  general readers  theatergoers  and actors.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44977413390389,"sku":"ByrdShop_1592577083","price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781592577088.jpg?v=1770735202","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-complete-idiots-guide-to-shakespeares-plays","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}