Essential Shakespeare - (Arden Shakespeare) by Pamela Bickley & Jenny Stevens (Paperback)

About the Book

An introductory critical study for first year undergraduates, aimed at bridging the increasing gap between A Level and university level study. The book offers a comprehensive approach to fourteen key texts looking at different critical perspectives, language, context and performance in particular.

Book Synopsis

An introductory critical study for first year undergraduates which bridges the gap between A Level and university study. The book offers an accessible overview of key critical perspectives, early modern contexts, and methods of close reading, as well as screen and stage performances spanning several decades. Organised around the discussion of fourteen major plays, it introduces readers to the diverse theoretical approaches typical of today's English studies. This is a go-to resource that can be consulted thematically or by individual play or genre.

Critical approaches can overwhelm students who are daunted by the quantity and complexity of current scholarship; Bickley and Stevens are experienced teachers at both A and university level and are thus uniquely qualified to show how a mix of critical ideas can be used to inform ways of thinking about a play.

Review Quotes

"The particular strength of Pamela Bickley and Jenny Stevens' thorough guide to the study of Shakespeare's plays is its targeting. Their discussion of each of fourteen of the plays is framed via the introduction of a theoretical method and an exploration of Shakespeare's language, thus offering a critical tool-kit aimed squarely and effectively at undergraduates and ambitious sixthformers . . . Bickley and Stevens know their audience and address it clearly and unpatronisingly. Everyone who wants, or is just beginning, to study English literature at university would benefit from this book." --Emma Smith, Hertford College, Oxford, Around the Globe

"The defining quality of Bickley and Stevens' Essential Shakespeare is the absolute clarity of their organisation as they navigate the extensive field of Shakespearean criticism ... The palpable enjoyment to be found in close textual analysis is evident throughout the text and is extremely thorough and precise ... Bickley and Stevens engage students who will enjoy their direct, modern approach, as well as teachers who can enjoy the wry smile and the shared experience of justifying literary analysis to teenagers: 'Did Shakespeare really intend all this?'" --Tara Hanley, The Use of English

"[T]his engaging volume successfully explains the most important concepts related to the playwright's use of language through a number of critical perspectives ... The Essential Shakespeare is a well-balanced synthesis where each chapter provides a real wealth of information about the playwright. More importantly, it offers a highly readable overview of Shakespeare's main plays for those already acquainted with the playwright's language ... [I]t certainly deserves to be given a special place on academic bookshelves." --Sophie Chiari, Aix-Marseille Université, France, Cercles

About the Author

Pamela Bickley and Jenny Stevens have taught Shakespeare at pre-university and degree level for many years. They lead the English Association's ongoing involvement with transition issues and lecture and publish on a range of literary topics.