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The Age of Shakespeare
In The Age of Shakespeare , Frank Kermode uses the history and culture of the Elizabethan era to enlighten us about William Shakespeare and his poetry and plays. Opening with the big picture of the religious and dynastic events that defined England in the age of the Tudors, Kermode takes the reader on a tour of Shakespeare’s England, vividly portraying London’s society, its early capitalism, its court, its bursting population, and its epidemics, as well as its arts—including, of course, its theater. Then Kermode focuses on Shakespeare himself and his career, all in the context of the time in which he lived. Kermode reads each play against the backdrop of its probable year of composition, providing new historical insights into Shakspeare’s characters, themes, and sources. The result is an important, lasting, and concise companion guide to the works of Shakespeare by one of our most eminent literary scholars.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
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About the author
Frank Kermode
186 books91 followersSir John Frank Kermode was a highly regarded British literary critic best known for his seminal critical work The Sense of an Ending: Studies in the Theory of Fiction, published in 1967 (revised 2003).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 12, 2017
"Is a sharp wit match’d with too blunt a will;
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills
It should none spare that come within his power."
-- WILLiam Shakespeare, Love's Labor's Lost, Act II, 1
I'll probably read and review several books on Shakespeare, etc., this year as I'm digesting the First Folio. Currently, I'm also reviewing Bloom's Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, play-by-play, and jumping in and out of the Norton Shakespeare -- but typically I wait to see what Bloom and Greenblatt say AFTER I've read the play first and written my review. Bloom is one of those academic critics for me that I have to be careful to not let graze in rivers above where I drink.
This book is exactly what I would hope all the VSI (Oxford's Very Short Introductions) would BE (and yes, I realized this ISN'T a VSI). It covers lightly the major ground and leaves you wanting more, but seems to also understand it is meant to only be a general introduction to the time, the man (Shakespeare), and his craft (plays and poems). Because it checks in at less than 200 pages, it isn't going to get very deep into any of these, but the writing is crisp, interesting, and compelling. There are just enough hidden jewels too, to leave the advanced amateur (not saying I am, not saying I'm not) from being bored with an introduction that simply relates all the old stories and old interpretations. It isn't perfect, but it dares to be very good.
Anyway, I'm off to bed to dream of moors, whores & money lenders.
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills
It should none spare that come within his power."
-- WILLiam Shakespeare, Love's Labor's Lost, Act II, 1
I'll probably read and review several books on Shakespeare, etc., this year as I'm digesting the First Folio. Currently, I'm also reviewing Bloom's Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, play-by-play, and jumping in and out of the Norton Shakespeare -- but typically I wait to see what Bloom and Greenblatt say AFTER I've read the play first and written my review. Bloom is one of those academic critics for me that I have to be careful to not let graze in rivers above where I drink.
This book is exactly what I would hope all the VSI (Oxford's Very Short Introductions) would BE (and yes, I realized this ISN'T a VSI). It covers lightly the major ground and leaves you wanting more, but seems to also understand it is meant to only be a general introduction to the time, the man (Shakespeare), and his craft (plays and poems). Because it checks in at less than 200 pages, it isn't going to get very deep into any of these, but the writing is crisp, interesting, and compelling. There are just enough hidden jewels too, to leave the advanced amateur (not saying I am, not saying I'm not) from being bored with an introduction that simply relates all the old stories and old interpretations. It isn't perfect, but it dares to be very good.
Anyway, I'm off to bed to dream of moors, whores & money lenders.
May 29, 2011
I’ve found the Modern Library Chronicles books to be somewhat of a mixed bag, as another reviewer aptly put it. Hans Kung’s “The Catholic Church: A Short History” and Stephen Kotkin’s “Uncivil Society: 1989 and the Implosion of the Communist Establishment,” which I’ve recently also reviewed, were very good, and full of information for people of all backgrounds. Frank Kermode’s “Age of Shakespeare,” however, I found to be written for an audience who has little to no knowledge of late sixteenth century and early seventeenth century English culture and politics. It may be the case that the varying quality can be attributed to the word limits imposed on the authors (all hover around 200 pages excluding ancillary notes or bibliographies). Many good introductory sources require a book anywhere between two and three times this long, especially when times were as complicated as Shakespeare’s were. This could have been a better book had it been on just the history of Elizabethan and Jacobean England itself, but as I want to share below, Kermode chose to make much of the book about Shakespeare’s life and work instead, and I think the book suffers for it.
None of this is to say that Kermode doesn’t manage to distill some really good information in a very small number of pages. The early chapters do a superb job of emphasizing the various changes from Catholicism to Anglicanism (under Henry VIII), back to Catholicism (under Mary I), and then back to Protestantism (under Elizabeth I), and particularly how those changes manifested themselves in many plays of the time, most of which never seemed far-removed from inherently political concerns.
Kermode is honest, admitting that most of what we know of Shakespeare’s early life is purely from speculation. Did he come to London seeking the patronage of Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton? Did the Jesuit (and later, martyr) Edmund Campion discreetly pass Catholic literature on to William and his father John when William was young? The possibilities are interesting to think about, but again are ultimately conjecture. He also traces the incredible rise in the place of the playwright as a subtopic in several of the book’s chapters, from the liminality of the unsavory vagabond during Elizabeth’s reign to the reverence and honor many had gained by the time of the early part of James I’s reign. Some of the best information is the background provided about the Rose, Globe, and Blackfriars theatres - their construction, the various people that were responsible for writing and producing the plays, the kinds of audiences that frequented each theatre, et cetera.
The chapters that suffer the most are the longest, which happen to be the ones which cover Shakespeare’s plays. It seems like Kermode is racing as fast as he possibly can to write at least half a page or so on every play, which he manages to do; he spends a few pages on a couple of them. However, as I mentioned above, none of what he says sticks with the reader. Instead, we get randomly introduced tidbits, interesting though they are. He tells us that in “Titus Andronicus,” Shakespeare carefully interrelates the ideas of humor and social taboo; that the influence of Terence and Plautus is easily discerned in “The Comedy of Errors”; and that Bottom echoes, if not directly copies Saint Paul’s “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9) in Midsummer Night’s Dream (IV.i.204-214). There is no rhyme or reason as to why he includes what he does. Many books need not be as long as they are. This one should have been much longer.
The first half of the book is worth the introduction to the England of the time, but I would say the second half can easily be skipped. There are simply too many other good supplements to Shakespeare’s plays out including Mark Van Doren’s “Shakespeare,” Auden’s lectures, Northrop Frye, or if you’re feeling particularly reactionary, Bloom’s “Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human.”
None of this is to say that Kermode doesn’t manage to distill some really good information in a very small number of pages. The early chapters do a superb job of emphasizing the various changes from Catholicism to Anglicanism (under Henry VIII), back to Catholicism (under Mary I), and then back to Protestantism (under Elizabeth I), and particularly how those changes manifested themselves in many plays of the time, most of which never seemed far-removed from inherently political concerns.
Kermode is honest, admitting that most of what we know of Shakespeare’s early life is purely from speculation. Did he come to London seeking the patronage of Henry Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton? Did the Jesuit (and later, martyr) Edmund Campion discreetly pass Catholic literature on to William and his father John when William was young? The possibilities are interesting to think about, but again are ultimately conjecture. He also traces the incredible rise in the place of the playwright as a subtopic in several of the book’s chapters, from the liminality of the unsavory vagabond during Elizabeth’s reign to the reverence and honor many had gained by the time of the early part of James I’s reign. Some of the best information is the background provided about the Rose, Globe, and Blackfriars theatres - their construction, the various people that were responsible for writing and producing the plays, the kinds of audiences that frequented each theatre, et cetera.
The chapters that suffer the most are the longest, which happen to be the ones which cover Shakespeare’s plays. It seems like Kermode is racing as fast as he possibly can to write at least half a page or so on every play, which he manages to do; he spends a few pages on a couple of them. However, as I mentioned above, none of what he says sticks with the reader. Instead, we get randomly introduced tidbits, interesting though they are. He tells us that in “Titus Andronicus,” Shakespeare carefully interrelates the ideas of humor and social taboo; that the influence of Terence and Plautus is easily discerned in “The Comedy of Errors”; and that Bottom echoes, if not directly copies Saint Paul’s “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (I Corinthians 2:9) in Midsummer Night’s Dream (IV.i.204-214). There is no rhyme or reason as to why he includes what he does. Many books need not be as long as they are. This one should have been much longer.
The first half of the book is worth the introduction to the England of the time, but I would say the second half can easily be skipped. There are simply too many other good supplements to Shakespeare’s plays out including Mark Van Doren’s “Shakespeare,” Auden’s lectures, Northrop Frye, or if you’re feeling particularly reactionary, Bloom’s “Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human.”
August 8, 2015
Although I am no Shakespearean scholar, and Kermode is, I have to say I was more pleased with Bill Bryson's book on the great playwright. I don't think there were any major clashes of interpretation, but there was too much reading of the plays in this one. No criticism there, but I just don't like it as much. Not even sure why I have been on a Shakespeare biography kick recently, either. Surely it can't be bad for me. But I think I have had enough.
September 12, 2015
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Quite a bit of information packed into such a short text. I was expecting more of an overview/introduction into England at the time of Shakespeare. While it did give that certainly, the text also mainly focused on the plays themselves, and how they related to life in England at the time, under both Elizabeth and James. It's broken up into different stages in Shakespeare's life and looks at the culture and climate of (mainly) London at the time. An interesting little read and for once even though it was not what I expected, it still held my attention.
Quite a bit of information packed into such a short text. I was expecting more of an overview/introduction into England at the time of Shakespeare. While it did give that certainly, the text also mainly focused on the plays themselves, and how they related to life in England at the time, under both Elizabeth and James. It's broken up into different stages in Shakespeare's life and looks at the culture and climate of (mainly) London at the time. An interesting little read and for once even though it was not what I expected, it still held my attention.
February 3, 2020
I was pleased with how well Kermode (evidently pronounce CARmuddy) combines the times with the persons and the plays while still paying some attention to some of the current theories about each.
December 4, 2012
Learned a few things, took a few naps.
December 28, 2014
Summaries of several plays. If this had been a student paper I would have given it an F.
November 22, 2016
For this Goodreads book review I decided to read The Age of Shakespeare by Frank Kermode, a 196 paged novel describing the Elizabethan era and the effect that Shakespeare had on this time period. The purpose for writing this book for the author is to inform and teach younger minds about the power and passion that was in William Shakespeare's work. He has written all you can write about Shakespeare himself and has been know to be the most distinguished scholar of this time period in Britain, and here we can see him use his talents to tell of the grand history of William Shakespeare.
There is no true theme to this book, it is simply a history lesson of one of the most celebrated and world changing poets to ever grace this Earth. Although some may find inspiration and hope when reading about Shakespeare, this book is simply just a retelling of his life and career. "Living as he must have in this environment of books, and himself writing poems and plays, the young Shakespeare would be aware that books could be dangerous as well as instructive." (Page 45)
This book was written in a description style and is very effective and tells history to a tee and gives little details that help the reader get a better idea of whats happening in that part. It truly makes the reader feel like they're experiencing it first hand.
This is a very well written and very interesting book, personally I'm not too interested in Shakespeare, I'm more of a Edgar Allen Poe type of person. But still this was a very good read, almost no grammar errors nor any historical errors. As said by the author on the first page: "The first task of one who sets out to write briefly on Shakespeare and his age must be to move the focus back from the life of the playhouse and say something about the greater world of national politics." (Page 11)
April 12, 2018
I decided to prepare for a weekend in Stratford-upon-Avon where I am going to see 'Macbeth' with Christopher Eccleston by reading 'The Age of Shakespeare'.
It's a well-written introduction to the context - historical, cultural and social - in which Shakespeare operated, although Shakespearian scholarship might have impacted on some of his conclusions since this was written in 2005.
This is almost the first book I've read about Shakespeare that doesn't complain about the lack of information there is about his life and it doesn't bother to toy with the idea that Shakespeare didn't write his own plays. Indeed, without mentioning it at all Kermode puts together an impressive case for why only Shakespeare could have written them.
Kermode also does a survey of all the plays, which I found interesting, giving background and context to some of the themes and tracing Shakespeare's development as a writer.
There are almost certainly more in-depth books about subjects covered in this book but there aren't many to equal it in terms of compactness of information.
It's a well-written introduction to the context - historical, cultural and social - in which Shakespeare operated, although Shakespearian scholarship might have impacted on some of his conclusions since this was written in 2005.
This is almost the first book I've read about Shakespeare that doesn't complain about the lack of information there is about his life and it doesn't bother to toy with the idea that Shakespeare didn't write his own plays. Indeed, without mentioning it at all Kermode puts together an impressive case for why only Shakespeare could have written them.
Kermode also does a survey of all the plays, which I found interesting, giving background and context to some of the themes and tracing Shakespeare's development as a writer.
There are almost certainly more in-depth books about subjects covered in this book but there aren't many to equal it in terms of compactness of information.
January 25, 2018
The first half of the book is useful (I'm teaching a college-level Shakespeare course), especially in laying out the religious context of Shakespeare's times, as well as the censorship of the theater. However, the chapters about Shakespeare's early theater experiences/play, The Globe, and Blackfriars trade too much in glossed summaries of all the plays, rather than extent the more interesting cultural narrative begun in the early chapters. (I can already tell that Kermode's Shakespeare's Language will be a much better work -- historicization just doesn't suit an old school textual critic like Kermode.)
August 11, 2019
Kermode's biography is a decent examination of life in Elizabethan and Jacobean England, and of Shakespeare's contributions to it. However, it suffered greatly for being read immediately after Greenblatt's Will in the World, a much more thorough and interesting look at the life and times of Shakespeare.
Had I read The Age of Shakspeare first, I would have had a much higher opinion of it. Alas, it came second to a far superior book, so I found myself turning pages not with interest, but with a shrug.
Had I read The Age of Shakspeare first, I would have had a much higher opinion of it. Alas, it came second to a far superior book, so I found myself turning pages not with interest, but with a shrug.
September 8, 2023
I found this a very satisfying little book. It takes a very panoramic look at the late Elizabethan/ Early Jacobean era using the progress of the theater and Shakespeare's company in its iterations as a focusing lens for the time. I've read the biographical stuff, and a good bit of the peripheral history of his contemporaries and incidental characters in his life, the career history, and of course, the popular critical stuff, and "The Shakespeare Wars" but Kermode supplies a missing element I found. It is a sweeping, albeit, brief, tie to the history of the realm and the development of the theater in England, and of The Globe and the Blackfriars theater, in particular, that harmonizes all the rest.
March 10, 2020
The first few chapters are a quick guide to the religious, political, and cultural background to Shakespeare's life and work. Of particular interest is the author's summation of the scholarly debates around what was lost as a result of the Reformation.
The later half of the book looks at each of Shakespeare's works against the backdrop laid out in the start of the book. The result is a very interesting study indeed.
Really liked it.
The later half of the book looks at each of Shakespeare's works against the backdrop laid out in the start of the book. The result is a very interesting study indeed.
Really liked it.
March 12, 2020
interesting to read about Shakespeare's plays in their historical context. I did not know they were written for three separate theaters, either. Having said that, this book is most useful for those VERy familiar with The Bard's works.
February 11, 2019
A brisk introduction to the cultural and political context of Shakespeare's London.
June 12, 2020
An excellent resource. The closing bibliographic note gives valuable directions to further readings. Buy it and keep it.
January 8, 2021
Good info on the world at large during this specific time period/person of interest.
December 31, 2025
Mmm a mixed bag. Too much literary criticism of the plays, not enough history or biography - although when present, I enjoyed those aspects very much.
February 24, 2017
Academic and repetitive in places, this is nonetheless a concise introduction to the plays of Shakespeare in their context.
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December 7, 2015Frank Kermode wrote the book, The Age of Shakespeare, to inform readers about the age of England and the life and theater of William Shakespeare. This novel explains the early times in England. It talks about the religion, people, town, and the theater. It then talks about Shakespeare and his life. We learn about his life in theater and all of the plays and poetry he had wrote. Kermode explains many of the plays, what they are about and who is in them.
I don't think there is a main theme to this book, but it explains and goes to detail about Shakespeare's poems and plays. Also he talks about different theaters around England including one called The Globe, which was a main theater to Shakespeare. We learn all about his work and even his life outside of theater. Also we learn in the beginning about England back then, we find out how the people lived. We learn about the religion people followed back then and the town of England and even the queen, Elizabeth. England back then was all about theater and Shakespeare was a huge part of that.
The Age Of Shakespeare is in third person. This novel is an example of expository writing. It is a biography about Shakespeare and history on early England. I think this is the only acceptable way to right a book on this type of subject or else it would either be very hard to understand or make no sense. It was written very nice because it went into so much detail about so many things and people can learn a lot from this.
Although this was definitely the most exciting book to read, I think it is very knowledgeable. I really understand a lot more about England and William Shakespeare's life and work. I can appreciate it much more now that I understand the point of view. I would recommend this book to many people even though they might not be drawn into it, it is still a fascinating book and was written very well. I wouldn't mind reading another book by Frank Kermode.
I don't think there is a main theme to this book, but it explains and goes to detail about Shakespeare's poems and plays. Also he talks about different theaters around England including one called The Globe, which was a main theater to Shakespeare. We learn all about his work and even his life outside of theater. Also we learn in the beginning about England back then, we find out how the people lived. We learn about the religion people followed back then and the town of England and even the queen, Elizabeth. England back then was all about theater and Shakespeare was a huge part of that.
The Age Of Shakespeare is in third person. This novel is an example of expository writing. It is a biography about Shakespeare and history on early England. I think this is the only acceptable way to right a book on this type of subject or else it would either be very hard to understand or make no sense. It was written very nice because it went into so much detail about so many things and people can learn a lot from this.
Although this was definitely the most exciting book to read, I think it is very knowledgeable. I really understand a lot more about England and William Shakespeare's life and work. I can appreciate it much more now that I understand the point of view. I would recommend this book to many people even though they might not be drawn into it, it is still a fascinating book and was written very well. I wouldn't mind reading another book by Frank Kermode.
February 19, 2016
“The Age of Shakespeare” is a book written for those familiar with the plays of the Bard. It is also not a biography of the man from Stratford. Rather it is a work that focuses on the plays and the period that produced them.
Parts 1-5 of the text deal with English history, the land itself, the times, and how Shakespeare as a citizen might have related to all of the above. It is succinctly written and contains interesting nuggets about the time period, but really breaks no new ground. However, Mr. Kermode stresses that we can only guess as to how Shakespeare related to the events of his times, and I appreciated his constant reminding the reader of that fact.
In Part 6, titled “Early Shakespeare”, the book switches course, and Kermode focuses on the plays individually, and how the events depicted in them connect (if at all) with what was happening historically. The chapter titled “Plays at the Globe” is mainly a play by play analysis of the works Shakespeare wrote in the first ten years of the Globe’s operation. It is interesting, if you have read these plays. If you haven’t then I suspect you would be lost and/or bored. This section includes a wonderfully insightful bit on “Love’s Labor Lost” that gives an interesting context to this difficult play. Kermode’s writing on “King Lear” is also especially strong and makes some connections within the text that I had not seen before. It is in these aspects that “The Age of Shakespeare” finds its greatest worth.
The book ends abruptly, which is jarring, but Kermode’s style is concise and to the point. He rarely elaborates or makes commentary. And it works. “The Age of Shakespeare” is a nice addition to the plethora of books about the greatest of English writers and will be a joy to those so inclined.
Parts 1-5 of the text deal with English history, the land itself, the times, and how Shakespeare as a citizen might have related to all of the above. It is succinctly written and contains interesting nuggets about the time period, but really breaks no new ground. However, Mr. Kermode stresses that we can only guess as to how Shakespeare related to the events of his times, and I appreciated his constant reminding the reader of that fact.
In Part 6, titled “Early Shakespeare”, the book switches course, and Kermode focuses on the plays individually, and how the events depicted in them connect (if at all) with what was happening historically. The chapter titled “Plays at the Globe” is mainly a play by play analysis of the works Shakespeare wrote in the first ten years of the Globe’s operation. It is interesting, if you have read these plays. If you haven’t then I suspect you would be lost and/or bored. This section includes a wonderfully insightful bit on “Love’s Labor Lost” that gives an interesting context to this difficult play. Kermode’s writing on “King Lear” is also especially strong and makes some connections within the text that I had not seen before. It is in these aspects that “The Age of Shakespeare” finds its greatest worth.
The book ends abruptly, which is jarring, but Kermode’s style is concise and to the point. He rarely elaborates or makes commentary. And it works. “The Age of Shakespeare” is a nice addition to the plethora of books about the greatest of English writers and will be a joy to those so inclined.
April 10, 2016
Пустилася в невеликий Shakespeare binge (спасибі британському кінематографу за пропаганду їхньої літературної спадщини), тож вирішила читнути хоч щось для контексту. Книжка Кермоуда - хороший оглядовий вступ, себто якщо ви самі не знаєте навіть, чому, наприклад, тема спадкування корони актуальна і болісна для того часу, то це книжка прямо для вас, а якщо такий базовий рівень знаєте, то вам там не буде нічого нового. Аналізу там немає, лише огляд, тому не сильно захопливо навіть при нульових знаннях (як от у мене). Зате дізнаєтеся багато всього потроху про історію тогочасного театру, архітектуру театрів (а також ціну вхідних квитків і відсутність там вбиралень), про співвідношення "Гамлета", англіканства, католицизму і Чистилища, про превалювання різних тропів у різних драмах (скажімо, в тому ж "Гамлеті" мотив подвоєння підкріплено повсюдним hendiadys), етц., етц.
Подекуди проривається фірмова Кермоудівська іронія штибу "It is the subject of much learned controversy, and Andrew Gurr puts it mildly when he remarks that it would be putting it mildly to call some of its features debatable" чи "Forman [тогочасний шарлатан-типу-ясновидець] correctly forecast the date of his own death-not a difficult trick if you don't mind committing suicide."
Подекуди проривається фірмова Кермоудівська іронія штибу "It is the subject of much learned controversy, and Andrew Gurr puts it mildly when he remarks that it would be putting it mildly to call some of its features debatable" чи "Forman [тогочасний шарлатан-типу-ясновидець] correctly forecast the date of his own death-not a difficult trick if you don't mind committing suicide."
December 17, 2012
2012 has been the year of Shakespeare for me too. A big fan thanks to an outstanding teacher at uni in Salamanca, I am currently watching the BBC adaptations and doing a little bit of general reading before I tackle individual plays in the Arden editions, going back to old favourites like Othello.
This is literary criticism "as I like it": simple, well-written and straight forward. At the moment, I am not interested in dense academic articles and this is a wonderful general introduction to Shakespeare and particularly the world of theatre in his time that also looks closely at some texts. It filled some gaps and introduced me to new things like "hendiadys". I am now reading The Language of Shakespeare by the same scholar and I think this may be a good order in which to tackle these two books. There are some repetitions, but that helps me to retain a few facts in my "baby brain".
Yes, reading non-fiction of any sort with my kids chanting times tables on the background continues to prove challenging. A short general book like this is, really, the best bet.
This is literary criticism "as I like it": simple, well-written and straight forward. At the moment, I am not interested in dense academic articles and this is a wonderful general introduction to Shakespeare and particularly the world of theatre in his time that also looks closely at some texts. It filled some gaps and introduced me to new things like "hendiadys". I am now reading The Language of Shakespeare by the same scholar and I think this may be a good order in which to tackle these two books. There are some repetitions, but that helps me to retain a few facts in my "baby brain".
Yes, reading non-fiction of any sort with my kids chanting times tables on the background continues to prove challenging. A short general book like this is, really, the best bet.
January 17, 2016
Kermode has such facile ease with Shakespeare's works that it became a pleasure to sit for a few moments and read this short history. He covers the Elizabethan era with sufficient information to be a tremendously informative without pretentiousness. Shakespeare's fellow actors, the playwrights who were his competitors, the books that were being circulated then, the Court politics and gossip are all fair game for the Bard.
I really appreciate that Kermode managed to give a brief report on each Shakespeare play and its staging. It makes this book one that I will refer back to in order to read a specific section or chapter when I need to do so. Its brevity makes it highly important for casual and dedicated readers alike.
Last, I liked this enought that I found another, an earlier Kermode book to read soon. Kermode is my now my new friend.
I really appreciate that Kermode managed to give a brief report on each Shakespeare play and its staging. It makes this book one that I will refer back to in order to read a specific section or chapter when I need to do so. Its brevity makes it highly important for casual and dedicated readers alike.
Last, I liked this enought that I found another, an earlier Kermode book to read soon. Kermode is my now my new friend.
March 12, 2016
Kermode has such facile ease with Shakespeare's works that it became a pleasure to sit for a few moments and read this short history. He covers the Elizabethan era with sufficient information to be a tremendously informative without pretentiousness. Shakespeare's fellow actors, the playwrights who were his competitors, the books that were being circulated then, the Court politics and gossip are all fair game for the Bard.
I really appreciate that Kermode managed to give a brief report on each Shakespeare play and its staging. It makes this book one that I will refer back to in order to read a specific section or chapter when I need to do so. Its brevity makes it highly important for casual and dedicated readers alike.
Last, I liked this enought that I found another, an earlier Kermode book to read soon. Kermode is my now my new friend.
I really appreciate that Kermode managed to give a brief report on each Shakespeare play and its staging. It makes this book one that I will refer back to in order to read a specific section or chapter when I need to do so. Its brevity makes it highly important for casual and dedicated readers alike.
Last, I liked this enought that I found another, an earlier Kermode book to read soon. Kermode is my now my new friend.
August 30, 2011
Only read four chapters so far (in about half an hour). This must be the briskest book I have ever read.
It is expertly written. I have seen some crits say it is desultory in its gloss on historical background. It isn't, just relevant, just giving what you need.
The main fascination with the book is how language changes in Shakespeare's plays over time (Kermode refers to all of them). Players become actors, interiority and monologue come to the forefront. We are at that time in history when individualism, language and mercantile protestantism cohere to shape a new sense of self and being. That, and much more. A book does not have to be long and turgid to get it all in.
It is expertly written. I have seen some crits say it is desultory in its gloss on historical background. It isn't, just relevant, just giving what you need.
The main fascination with the book is how language changes in Shakespeare's plays over time (Kermode refers to all of them). Players become actors, interiority and monologue come to the forefront. We are at that time in history when individualism, language and mercantile protestantism cohere to shape a new sense of self and being. That, and much more. A book does not have to be long and turgid to get it all in.
July 18, 2013
A brief and scholarly overview--combining insights into aspects of the Bard's plays but focusing largely on the historical and literary context of his works--the age of Shakespeare, as the title states. Well-written, though it cannot really be understood as only an introduction to Shakespeare's works, life, or the time period--it can only be appreciated with a substantial amount of prior knowledge. Enjoyable if you have read or seen Shakespeare and know something of English history and Tudor and Stuart England.
October 31, 2011
An excellent short book on Shakespeare and his world by noted critic Frank Kermode (who died earlier this week). It provides background on Shakespeare's life, the theater in Shakespeare's time, and a brief overview of many of his plays -- fit into the context of his artistic development and external circumstances. As could be expected from the author of a book called "Shakespeare's language," it is strong on the language in the plays, how it varies from character to character, the difficulty of differentiating voices in the Roman plays, and the varieties of verse that Shakespeare employed.
January 17, 2013
The Age of Shakespeare contains a wonderfully detailed literary picture of the time period of his life and some of his writing styles. In it you can read about the political and social happenings of the time. There are also experts from his works giving examples of his style of writing and the language.
I would recommend this book to those interested in Shakespeare. If you are not interested in him or are unfamiliar with any of his plays I would suggest not to read this book. If you had to read this book as a resource to some sort of school project it would be very useful.
I would recommend this book to those interested in Shakespeare. If you are not interested in him or are unfamiliar with any of his plays I would suggest not to read this book. If you had to read this book as a resource to some sort of school project it would be very useful.
February 27, 2015
A very interesting book that addresses the age of Shakespeare, highlighting the historical background, cultural, religious, and social contexts, and most of all the theatre and the Globe theater. I loved reading about the context of some of Shakespeare’s key play, and the challenges he faced. Reading this book was very informative and important for understanding the Master’s plays and I do highly recommend it.
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