Product Description

Timon of Athens has struck many readers as rough and unpolished, perhaps even unfinished, though to others it has appeared as Shakespeare's most profound tragic allegory. Described by Coleridge as 'the stillborn twin of King Lear', the play has nevertheless proved brilliantly effective in performance over the past thirty or forty years.This edition accepts and contributes to the growing scholarly consensus that the play is not Shakespeare's solo work, but is the result of his collaboration with Thomas Middleton, who wrote about a third of it. The editors offer an account of the process of collaboration and discuss the different ways that each author contributes to the play's relentless look at the corruption and greed of society. They provide, as well, detailed annotation of the text and explore the wide range of critical and theatrical interpretations that the play has engendered. Tracing both its satirical and tragic strains, their introduction presents a perspective on the play's meanings that combines careful elucidation of historical context with analysis of its relevance to modern-day society. An extensive and well-illustrated account of the play's production history generates a rich sense of how the play can speak to different historical moments in specific and rewarding ways.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126723 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 450 pages

Review
'...a critical introduction that...could scarcely be better...an admirable edition of Shakespeare and Middleton's challenging collaberative play.'
--Shakespeare Quarterly (2009)

From the Back Cover
The Arden Shakespeare is the established scholarly edition of Shakespeare's plays. Now in its thirs series, Arden offers the best in contemporary scholarship. Each volume guides you to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare's work.

This edition of Twelfth Night provides:

- A clear and authoritative text, edited to the highest standards of scholarship.

- Detailed notes and commentary on the same page as the text.

- A full, illustrated introduction to the play's historical, cultural and performance context.

- An in-depth survey of critical approaches to the poems.

- A full index to the introduction and notes.

- A select bibliography of references and further reading.

With a wealth of helpful and incisive commentary, The Arden Shakespeare is the finest edition of Shakespeare you can find.