Books in the Arden Shakespeare The State of Play series

Shakespeare''s and Peele''s Titus Andronicus has had a theatrical and a critical revival in the last fifteen years; the critical revival was perhaps prompted by Jonathan Bate''s Arden edition of the play and its revision of the traditional critical account that it is an immature work and overly sensationalistic with its emphasis on non-essential violence. Recent debates and approaches have drawn closer attention to the play''s classicism; re-defined its genre (for example the revised edition of the New Dramatic Sources will re-classify the play as one of Shakespeare''s Roman plays); re-considered the nature of violent spectacle, family relations and kinship, political alliance, race and miscegenation. This study will explore how the revitalized critical responses to early modern and contemporary performance histories has had a significant impact upon the wider reception of this play.

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays, whose elements resonate even more profoundly in the current climate of rising racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, queerphobia and right-wing nationalism. This collection of essays offers a 'freeze frame' that showcases a range of current debates and ideas surrounding the play. Each chapter has been carefully selected for its originality and relevance to your needs. Essays offer new perspectives that provide an up-to-date understanding of what's exciting and challenging about the play. Key themes and topics include: · Race and religion· Gender and sexuality· Philosophy· Animal studies· Adaptations and performance history

Shakespeare''s Sonnets both generate and demonstrate many of today''s most pressing debates about Shakespeare and poetry. They explore history and aesthetics, gender and society, time and memory, and continue to invite divergent responses from critics and poets. This freeze-frame volume showcases the range of current debate and ideas surrounding these still startling poems. Each chapter has been carefully selected for its originality and relevance to the needs of students, teachers, and researchers. Key themes and topics covered include:Textual issues and editing the sonnetsReception, interpretation and critical history of the sonnetsThe place of the sonnets in teachingCritical approaches and close readingMemorialisation and monument-makingContemporary poetry and the SonnetsAll the essays offer new perspectives and combine to give readers an up-to-date understanding of what is exciting and challenging about Shakespeare''s Sonnets. The approach, based on an individual poetic form, reflects how the sonnets are most commonly studied and taught.

The Revenger''s Tragedy (1606), now widely attributed to Thomas Middleton, is a play that provides a dark, satirical response to other revenge tragedies such as Hamlet. With its over-the-top and highly theatrical approach to revenge, The Revenger''s Tragedy has emerged as one of the most compelling examples of a drama by one of Shakespeare''s contemporaries. This collection of ten newly-commissioned essays situates the play with respect to other Middleton and Shakespeare works as well as repertory, showcasing recent research about the play''s engagement with issues such as religion, genre, race, language and performance.

Shakespeare''s Sonnets both generate and demonstrate many of today''s most pressing debates about Shakespeare and poetry. They explore history and aesthetics, gender and society, time and memory, and continue to invite divergent responses from critics and poets. This freeze-frame volume showcases the range of current debate and ideas surrounding these still startling poems. Each chapter has been carefully selected for its originality and relevance to the needs of students, teachers, and researchers. Key themes and topics covered include:Textual issues and editing the sonnetsReception, interpretation and critical history of the sonnetsThe place of the sonnets in teachingCritical approaches and close readingMemorialisation and monument-makingContemporary poetry and the SonnetsAll the essays offer new perspectives and combine to give readers an up-to-date understanding of what is exciting and challenging about Shakespeare''s Sonnets. The approach, based on an individual poetic form, reflects how the sonnets are most commonly studied and taught.

A collection of newly commissioned essays on Macbeth, designed to showcase current debates and ideas surrounding the play from a range of international scholars. Key themes and approaches covered include The Text, History and Topicality, Current Critical perspectives and Adaptation and Afterlife.