Ros King

Whether the fault of tedious teachers or hammy actors, Shakespeare is often seen as dry and impenetrable. In this fast-paced introduction, Ros King sets out to remind us of the sheer beauty and sophistication that can make Shakespeare's works a joy for any audience. Exploring his invention, wit, along with his uncanny characterisation, King argues archaic language should be no barrier to the modern reader. With summaries of The Bard's life and background, explanations of the plays' origins, and instructions on how to read his poetry, Shakespeare: A Beginner's Guide provides all the tools the general reader needs to embrace our greatest writer.

A Beginner's Guide

Shakespeare

This Handbook provides an introductory guide to The Winter's Tale offering a scene-by-scene theatrically aware commentary, contextual documents, a brief history of the text and first performances, case studies of key performances and productions, a survey of film and TV adaptation, a wide sampling of critical opinion and further reading.

The Winter's Tale

William Shakespeare

The Comedy of Errors has been popular on the stage during the last three centuries and has proved itself admirably suited to adaptation as pure farce and musical spectacle. For this updated edition, Ros King has provided a completely new Introduction to the existing text and commentary, in which she argues that the play cannot be regarded merely as a farcical romp based on a classical model, but belongs to the critically misunderstood genre of tragi-comedy. In stressing the seriousness which underlies the story, the Introduction picks out the play's religious imagery for special attention, whilst also engaging fully with the play's deft lightness of touch and its continuing popularity in the theatre. A fresh Reading List guides the reader towards further study.

The Comedy of Errors

Provides a scene-by-scene exploration of and commentary on William Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" and explores the play's historical background and cultural context. Also examines various performances of this play on the stage and reveals how its interpretation and presentation has changed over the years.

Richard Edwards

This book contains fully annotated critical editions of the surviving work of one of the most influential poets and dramatists writing in England before Shakespeare. Ros King rewrites the history of pre-Shakespearean drama, illustrating new approaches to 16th-century prosody, and to the modernization of dramatic poetry. King also re-evaluates the public role of theater and poetry during a turbulent period in English history. The book includes some of Edwards' never before printed and some newly ascribed poems, along with a number of original musical settings.

Ros King

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