Shakespeare: Ideas in Profile (Ideas in Profile – small books, big ideas) by Paul Edmondson (PDF)

Description

Ideas in Profile: Small Introductions to Big TopicsShakespeare is the world’s greatest writer. In this lively and authoritative introduction, Paul Edmondson presents Shakespeare afresh as a dramatist and poet, and encourages us to take ownership of the works for ourselves as words to be spoken as well as discussed. We get a wide sense of what his life was like, his rich language, and astonishing cultural legacy. We catch glimpses of Shakespeare himself, how he wrote and see what his works mean to readers and theatre practitioners. Above all, we see how Shakespeare tackled the biggest themes of humanity: power, history, war and love.Shakespeare scholar Paul Edmondson guides us through the most important questions around Shakespeare and in the process reminds us just why he is so celebrated in the first place.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Informative and a pleasant read. Recommended reading for any Bard enthusiast. Then go catch a play!Thanks for making this book available.

⭐XXXXX“This book is not primarily ‘about’ performance or criticism though both relate closely to how I understand and enjoy Shakespeare. Nor will it tell you the stories of the plays (except a few, incidentally, in passing).But it will, I hope, explain what kind of writer Shakespeare is, where his work came from, why it matters, what he means to me, and why I think he is worth spending time with (though there is never any moral obligation to like his work).”The above comes from this book by Rev Paul Edmondson. He is Head of Research and Knowledge as well as Director of the Stratford-upon-Avon Poetry Festival for The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. He is also a trustee of The British Shakespeare Association.(Stratford-upon-Avon is a town in Warwickshire, England, on the River Avon. It is the birthplace of playwright and poet William Shakespeare, 1564 to 1616.)This book is touted as an “introduction” to Shakespeare (but curiously not by the author himself) but it seems to me to be so much more. As this book tells us about Shakespeare, I found it to be informed, witty, up-to-date, and well-written. It seems to whet the reader’s appetite for Shakespeare, not satiate it. This is good as Shakespeare should never be a duty.The first chapter presents something of what Shakespeare’s life and career were like, the places he spent time in, some of the people he knew, and the world in which he lived. It gives an historical overview of the FACTS about his life avoiding assumptions. The next chapter looks at his writing process in the theatre (which was the shaping force of his imagination). Chapter three considers what he wrote. Shakespeare was a poet and thinker who wrote enduring plays as well as a dramatist who wrote equally-enduring poetry.The fourth chapter details Shakespeare’s power as a dramatic poet through his depiction of thought and emotion by considering six topics: love, war, history, mortality, transgression, and forgiveness. The penultimate chapter considers performance as a way of encountering Shakespeare, the importance of theatre reviewing, and suggests how we might place ourselves as close as possible to his language by reading a Shakespeare sonnet aloud to ourselves. The final chapter answers to question “Why Shakespeare?”This book is illustrated with drawings throughout that enhance the narrative.Though not stated explicitly, this book may have been written to commemorate the death of Shakespeare 400 years ago. (He died April 23, 1616.)Finally, the very beginning of this book presents a forty-six entry chronological listing of Shakespeare’s works with dates. While this is okay, I think it would have been more informative to divide this list into categories such as tragedies, comedies, histories, sonnets, lost plays, etc. Beside each entry in a particular category, important information could have been given.For example, under the category “Comedies,” you might have this entry: “The Tempest (1610-11, Tragicomic Romance),” under “Tragedies,” you might have the entry “Troilus and Cressida (1602, Problem Play, Minor Play),” and under “The Sonnets,” you would have “1582-1609, 154 written.” (A sonnet is a type of poem of 14 lines.)In conclusion, read this book to find out for yourself what all the fuss is about and if Shakespeare REALLY deserves his reputation. Or you can read this book to learn about the man who said we should:“Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”(First published 2015; a chronology of Shakespeare’s works; introduction; 6 chapters; main narrative 170 pages; further reading; notes; acknowledgements; index)<>XXXXX

⭐This short and innovation introduction had lots of insights. There is a short “What was his life like?” that presents a short biography, and Doctor Edmonson really knows this as head of research for he Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. I think its safe to say that his grammar school education of 6 days a week from 6 or 7 to dusk, was stronger than mine. I really liked the discussion of Shakespeare’s library in the chapter on “How did he write” .and how he summarizes the original sources that Shakespeare used for the plays. I will refer to this chapter again! I think he highlights that the change from Queen Elizabeth to King James did “shift the dramatic tone” The chapters on “What did he write?” a “The Power of Shakespeare” give a short categorizations and analysis of the plays. These are useful for new readers, but perhaps not innovative. The “encountering Shakespeare” offers the reader a challenge to read each Sonnet three times out loud, for full effect. The “Why Shakespeare” offers some of Rev Edmonson most personal insights in “Shakespeare and I”One outcome for me, is that I will find and read “The Book of Sir Thomas More” now considered “patched up” by Shakespeare, and maybe Edward III (he may have wrote 4 of 18 scenes). Not sure about The London Prodigal and A Yorkshire Tragedy, which name Shakespeare as the author … (both performed by Kings Men, or maybe put on by publisher?)

⭐This really excellent little book is much more than a Shakespeare primer. Paul Edmondson – a man who knows his subject, working as he does at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust – tells us about Shakespeare’s life and World, his language and works. However, also discussed are how we should approach Shakespeare – how we should question and analyse the poems, sonnets and plays, and just why they continue to be so enjoyed around the World. I especially enjoyed the sections where Edmondson explains the joy he found in discovering Shakespeare, very much mirroring my own experience, as well as the simple satisfaction of helping others toward similar enjoyment of the Bard’s work. I think the advice, to read Shakespeare as well as see the works in production is spot on and Edmondson’s appreciation of the sonnets is both inspiring and insightful.Written in a very accessible and easy to read style, without the “highbrow” pretensions of many tomes on the subject, this is a book that anyone with even a passing interest in Shakespeare, his works and their performance would enjoy. Its a book I know I will dip into quite often for reference or to reinforce my knowledge and I have no hesitation to recommending it to others.

⭐A worthy introduction and a handy source of reference. All of the material can be found elsewhere but the advantage of this edition is its’ size and ease of access.

⭐ok

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