Richard III (Bloom's Shakespeare Through the Ages)
Equal parts tragedy and history play, Richard III chronicles the rise and short reign of its diabolical title character. Of this masterful creation, esteemed critic Harold Bloom has written, "The manipulative, highly self-conscious, obsessed hero-villain moves himself from being the passive sufferer of his own moral and/or physical deformity to becoming a highly active melodramatist."
The wild and undisciplined child depicted as Prince Hal in the two-part Henry IV grows to become a courageous and deft leader. Based on the life of its title monarch, Henry V chronicles the events surrounding the battle of Agincourt in 1415, part of the Hundred Years' War. In the centerpiece of the play, the Saint Crispin's Day speech, Henry praises the English forces with the well-known words: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers."
Providing a unique perspective on a fascinating aspect of early modern culture, this volume focuses on the role of food and diet as represented in the works of a range of European authors, including Shakespeare, from the late medieval period to the mid seventeenth century.
Think On My Words: Exploring Shakespeare's Language David Crystal, a well-known British popularizer of language and linguistics, looks at the variegated elements of Shakespeare's words, from spelling and punctuation, to pronunciation and meter, from Shakespeare's coinages (not as many as we think), to his influences. You don't need to know anything about linguistics to understand this book; Crystal explains all the technical terms and concepts briefly and sufficiently, but if you do know about language, the book may interest you more.
Arguably the most revered and researched author of all time, William Shakespeare has forever changed the face of literature. Bloom's How to Write about William Shakespeare offers valuable paper-topic suggestions, clearly outlined strategies on how to write a strong essay, and an insightful introduction by Harold Bloom on writing about Shakespeare. This new volume is designed to help students develop their analytical writing skills and critical comprehension of the legendary Bard of Avon and his timeless works. Reading level: Grades 9 and up/College
