A Theatergoer's Guide to Shakespeare

by Robert Thomas Fallon

Book Overview

Robert Fallon has written a book for those whose encounter with a play by Shakespeare, either in performance or on the printed page, has left them occasionally puzzled as to what in the world is going on. Shakespeare can be difficult: he wrote largely in verse and not in everyday speech; his plays are set in unfamiliar locales; and his lines abound in allusions that were familiar to Elizabethan audiences but not, alas, to us. His plays move us despite these difficulties, but they would even more so if we had a bit of deciphering and knew more about Shakespeare's London. A Theatergoer's Guide opens a window to that time while illuminating the timelessness of Shakespeare's plays, their portrayal of the human condition in any age. Written for the general reader "in plain though not inelegant English," the book is mercifully free of academic jargon or scholarly apparatus. It examines the most frequently staged plays scene by scene, and those less frequently performed act by act, in chapters that may be read in one sitting in anywhere from five to forty minutes. These chapters pursue the sequence of events clearly, but they are much more than tedious plot summaries, and they do not "dumb down" Shakespeare. They provide intelligent readers with incisive and engaging commentary on character, theme, setting, poetry, and stage history, in surveys that will help them follow the action with ease and understanding. Dedicated theatergoers as well as students and teachers unfamiliar with a play will find the book a rich source of pleasure and insight. It is destined to become a standard work in the field.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156663508X
• ISBN13: 9781566635080
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Superb for the dilettante...

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, you probably won't need this book. You'll attend the plays, read the plays, discuss the plays with like-minded folks, etc. HOWEVER, if you are a person (like me) who HATES the theater--finds it almost intolerably boring and faggoty--but wants to educate yourself on the canonical works of the consensus greatest writer EVER, this is your book. This is the book which will guarantee you the $1,600 clue on Jeopardy!, and give you a decent shot at the $2,000 one. Fallon is a good writer, and not prone to typos--though there are a few sprinkled throughout the five hundred pages. He outlines ALL of the plays carefully, cogently, and precisely, devoting more attention to the "better" plays, and giving the general idea of the "lesser" works. He does an admirable job altogether, although I WISH he would have restrained himself from offering his oft-redundant politically correct commentary. He never gets tired of tut-tutting how PRIMITIVE the social customs of Shakespeare's day were--especially regarding the treatment of women. And "Othello" gives him a soapbox to wag a finger at racial attitudes in Renaissance Italy. I don't think we need to be told time and again that these views are, by contemporary standards, simply ABHORRENT. (And I don't think that Shakespeare should be edited to appeal to modern bien-pensant sensibilities.) But other than a few eye-rolls here and there, this book delivers the goods. If you have only two weeks to brush up on Shakespeare--even if you're starting at TOTAL ignorance--this is your BIBLE.

Provides a companion to the plots

A Theatergoer's Guide To Shakespeare provides a companion to the plots, characters and themes of Shakespeare's plays, and will delight both beginning theater buffs and those studying Shakespeare. Fallon's treatment avoids the usual jargon and presents a clear picture of the play's events and characters, providing lively commentary on the plots and history. A recommended picks for a wide range of audiences, from students to drama fans.

Choose this Superb NOT "Dumbed-Down" Intro to Shakespeare!

In this fine introduction to Shakespeare, Prof. Robert Fallon had more sense than to try to "dumb down" Shakespeare. It can't be done--however, you CAN approach Shakespeare simply and cleanly, as the "Dummies" guides absolutely fail to do. The appropriate approach is to present the basics that are required to appreciate Shakespeare's plays, and that is exactly what Fallon has done in an enjoyable, highly readable text with no frills, distracting unfunny cartoons and trivia quizzes. To put my cards on the table, I worked in the recent past in a publishing company where I was not permitted to publish this excellent introductory guide myself, because it did not take a "for dummies" approach. I greatly regretted the stupidity of this decision (ever have a stupid boss?) and I salute Fallon for filling a need on the theater shelves of the bookstores. And bravo to his intelligent publisher Ivan R. Dee for putting out a well-designed volume. So take it from me, a theater lover for ages: This is the guide to choose if you want to begin to feel comfortable with Shakespeare or just want a solid guide to complement your experience of the plays.