Shakespeare - by J Hart (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this stunning reinterpretation of Shakespeare s works, Jonathan Hart explores key topics such as love, lust, time, culture, and history to unlock the Bard s brilliant fictional worlds. From an in-depth look at the private and public myths of love in the narrative poems, through an examination of time in the sonnets, to a discussion of gender in the major history plays, this book offers close readings and new perspectives. Delving into the text and context of a wide range of poems and plays, Hart brings his wealth of experience to bear on Shakespeare s representation of history.

Review Quotes

"I am happy to have this volume on my shelves because it contains edited, student-accessible texts of a number of plays that would otherwise be more difficult to read and teach: this is a major publication in the area of non-Shakespearean drama, even if relation to Shakespeare is both its organizing principle and its commercial selling point." (SEL Studies in English Literature, Vol. 56 (2), 2016)

'In this book, Hart combines his immense learning and his extraordinary gifts as poet, literary critic, and historian in a unique way. Shakespeare: Poetry, History, and Culture is the product of many years of research, thinking, teaching, and writing about Shakespeare. It combines brilliant and comprehensive new readings of Shakespeare's poems with equally original readings of Shakespeare's history plays. All these readings are placed in the full context of the intellectual, political, and social history of Shakespeare's time. A rich spectrum of topics is addressed in detail: love and lust; Renaissance rhetorical theory; imperialism, barbarism, and monstrosity; Greece, Rome, and Italy in Shakespeare's plays; gender in the history plays; irony and time in Shakespeare; Henry V as a problem play. This wonderful book is an invaluable Shakespeare companion for students, teachers, and general readers.' J. Hillis Miller, UCI Distinguished Research Professor of Comparative Literature and English, University of California, Irvine, USA

About the Author

JONATHON HART is Director of Comparative Literature and Professor of English at University of Alberta, Canada.