Ovid's great poem, Metamorphoses, was a source of life long fascination and inspiration for Shakespeare. He drew on its great myths throughout his career: in early works like Venus and Adonis and Titus Andronicus, works of the middle period like A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night, and late plays such as The Winter's Tale and The Tempest. This book provides a comprehensive examination of his use of Ovid's poem with contributions from international scholars. It begins by examining the use of Ovid's myth in early Elizabethan literature, a use dramatically changed by Marlowe and Shakespeare himself. It then offers detailed readings of Shakespeare's use of Ovid in a wide range of plays and poems, placing emphasis on several important but often underestimated features. The book also provides a survey of twentieth-century criticism and methodology in the field.

A comprehensive examination of Shakespeare's use of Ovid's epic poem, Metamorphoses.

About the Author
Dr A. B. Taylor, formerly Dean of Humanities at the Swansea Institute, has published widely on Shakespeare and the Elizabethans in leading journals. Now a full-time writer, his other works include poetry, short stories and radio plays.

Reviews
'... this pleasing collection takes the scholarship of Ovid and Shakespeare forward in many subtle ways.' Review of English Studies
'Anyone with an interest in Shakespeare's poetical debts would benefit from this book.' New Theatre Quarterly
'... wide ranging and valuable ...' Shakespeare Yearbook



Book Information
ISBN 9780521771924
Author A. B. Taylor
Format Hardback
Page Count 232
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 449g
Dimensions(mm) 237mm * 161mm * 19mm