SHAKESPEARE - The Rough Guide

THE ROUGH GUIDE TO SHAKESPEARE is the ultimate companion to the life and word of the world's greatest playwright - ideal for theatregoers, students, movie buffs and lovers of literature alike. Both a quick reference and an in-depth background guide, it features: Full coverage of all 38 plays, including a synopsis, character list, stage history and a full critical essay for each. Up-to-date reviews of the best films and audio recordings - from Oliver to Luhrmann, and Kosintzev to Kurosawa - alongside recommended texts, critical studies and further reading. Facinating features on such topics as swearing in Shakespeare, the role of fools, cross-dressing and the mystery of Shakespeare's lost plays. Detailed analysis of Shakespeare's poetry - both the famous Sonnets and the less well-known narrative poems. Vivid accounts of Shakespeare's life and theatre, with colourful detail on how the plays were originally performed. Classic images of great Shakespearian actors and celebrated recent productions.