Description
Was a real skull used in the first performance of Hamlet? Were Shakespeare's plays Elizabethan blockbusters? How much do we really know about the playwright's life? And what of his notorious relationship with his wife? Exploring and exploding 30 popular myths about the great playwright, this illuminating new book evaluates all the evidence to show how historical material-or its absence-can be interpreted and misinterpreted, and what this reveals about our own personal investment in the stories we tell.
About the Author
Laurie Maguire is Professor of English at the University of Oxford, tutorial fellow at Magdalen College, and the author or editor of seven books. She is a regular theater reviewer for the TLS and has lectured widely across the UK and the USA.
Emma Smith is tutorial fellow at Hertford College, Oxford. She is the author or editor of six books, a regular reviewer for the TLS, and has lectured widely across the UK and the USA.
The authors have previously collaborated together on articles on Middleton and Shakespeare and on graduate courses at the University of Oxford.
Reviews
"Laurie Maguire and Emma Smith's 30 Great Myths About Shakespeare is a thought-provoking myth-buster ... It entertains the reader with new material and detective-like connections ... A huge amount of research, work and selection lies behind this book, and it pays off. Not just students, but every academic should take note." (Times Literary Supplement, 29 November 2013)
"Lively, enjoyable and sensible throughout." (London Review of Books, 5 December 2013)
"The myth that Macbeth is jinxed in the theatre, is, says Maguire, a 'self-fulfilling prophecy based on a hoax.' And so it is, and delightfully so, but you'll have to read the book to find out why." (Irish Examiner, 5 June 2013).
"This is a good book by trustworthy Shakespeareans ... The individual myths, structured into moderate-length essays (thus you do not have to read them in order), can be excellent for discussions in the classroom or lecture-room. Though the book obviously targets readership already into Shakespeare, every novice will enjoy finding satisfactory answers to the myths they are bothered with." (Huffington Post, 24 April 2013)
"The value of this little book lies in its ceaseless exploration." (Times Higher Education, 7 March 2013)
"Even if you know Shakespeare well, this delightful book will offer thought-provoking new angles." (The Scotsman, 2 March 2013)
"A book that manages the rare feat of exercising scholarly caution...while still providing a highly entertaining portrait of the man himself." (Sunday Times, 24 February 2013)
Book Information
ISBN 9780470658512
Author Laurie Maguire
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Wiley-Blackwell
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 295g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 11mm
