书目

Four Comedies：The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night

内容简介

"TheTamingoftheShrew"Robustandbawdy,TheTamingoftheShrewcaptivatesaudienceswithoutrageoushumorasKatharina,theshrew,engagesinacontestofwills-andlove-withherbridegroom,Petruchio,inacomedyofunmatchedtheatricalbrilliance,filledwithvisualgagsandwittyrepartee."AMidsummerNight'sDream"Fairymagic,lovespells,andanenchantedwoodturnthemismatchedrivalriesoffouryoungloversintoamarvelousmix-upofdesireandenchantment,alltouchedbyShakespeare'sinimitablevisionoftheintriguingrelationshipbetweendreamsandthewakingworld."TheMerchantofVenice"Thisdarkcomedyofloveandmoneycontainsoneofthetrulymythicfiguresinliterature-Shylock,theJewishmoneylender.The"poundofflesh"hedemandsaspaymentofAntonio'sdebthasbecomeauniversalmetaphorforvengeance.Here,pathosandfarcecombinewithmoralcomplexityandromanticentanglements,todisplaytheextraordinarypowerandrangeofShakespeareathisbest."TwelfthNight"Setinatopsy-turvyworldlikeaholidayrevel,thiscomedyjuxtaposesaromanticplotinvolvingseparatedtwinsandmistakenidentitywithamoresatiriconeaboutthehumiliationofapompouskilljoy.Thehilarityistouchedwithmelancholy,andtheplayends,notwithlaughter,butwithaclown'splaintivesong.EachEditionIncludes:-Comprehensiveexplanatorynotes-Vividintroductionsandthemostup-to-datescholarship-Clear,modernizedspellingandpunctuation,enablingcontemporaryreaderstounderstandtheElizabethanEnglish-Completelyupdated,detailedbibliographiesandperformancehistories-Aninterpretiveessayonfilmadaptationsoftheplay,alongwithanextensivefilmography

作者简介

WilliamShakespearewasborninStratford-upon-AvoninApril1564,andhisbirthistraditionallycelebratedonApril23.Thefactsofhislife,knownfromsurvivingdocuments,aresparse.HewasoneofeightchildrenborntoJohnShakespeare,amerchantofsomestandinginhiscommunity.WilliamprobablywenttotheKing'sNewSchoolinStratford,buthehadnouniversityeducation.InNovember1582,attheageofeighteen,hemarriedAnneHathaway,eightyearshissenior,whowaspregnantwiththeirfirstchild,Susanna.ShewasbornonMay26,1583.Twins,aboy,Hamnet(whowoulddieatageeleven),andagirl,Judith,werebornin1585.By1592ShakespearehadgonetoLondonworkingasanactorandalreadyknownasaplaywright.Arivaldramatist,RobertGreene,referredtohimas"anupstartcrow,beautifiedwithourfeathers."Shakespearebecameaprincipalshareholderandplaywrightofthesuccessfulactingtroupe,theLordChamberlain'sMen(laterunderJamesI,calledtheKing'sMen).In1599theLordChamberlain'sMenbuiltandoccupiedtheGlobeTheaterinSouthwarkneartheThamesRiver.HeremanyofShakespeare'splayswereperformedbythemostfamousactorsofhistime,includingRichardBurbage,WillKempe,andRobertArmin.Inadditiontohis37plays,Shakespearehadahandinothers,includingSirThomasMoreandTheTwoNobleKinsmen,andhewrotepoems,includingVenusandAdonisandTheRapeofLucrece.His154sonnetswerepublished,probablywithouthisauthorization,in1609.In1611or1612hegaveuphislodgingsinLondonanddevotedmoreandmoretimetoretirementinStratford,thoughhecontinuedwritingsuchplaysasTheTempestandHenryVIIuntilabout1613.HediedonApril231616,andwasburiedinHolyTrinityChurch,Stratford.Nocollectededitionofhisplayswaspublishedduringhislife-time,butin1623twomembersofhisactingcompany,JohnHemingesandHenryCondell,puttogetherthegreatcollectionnowcalledtheFirstFolio.

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丛书

Bantam Classics

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