The Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare

Cambridge Introductions to Literature

by Emma Smith

This lively and innovative introduction to Shakespeare promotes active engagement with the plays, rather than recycling factual information. Covering a range of texts, it is divided into seven subject-based chapters: Character; Performance; Texts; Language; Structure; Sources and History, and it does not assume any prior knowledge. Instead, it develops ways of thinking and provides the reader with resources for independent research through the 'Where next?' sections at the end of each chapter. The book draws on scholarship without being overwhelmed by it, and unlike other introductory guides to Shakespeare it emphasizes that there is space for new and fresh thinking by students and readers, even on the most-studied and familiar plays.

Genres: Shakespeare, Nonfiction, Criticism, Reference

178 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2007

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Emma Smith is Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Oxford. She has lectured widely in the UK and beyond on the First Folio and on Shakespeare and early modern drama. Her research interests include the methodology of writing about theatre, and developing analogies between cinema, film theory and early modern performance. Her recent publications include Macbeth: Language and Writing (2013), The Cambridge Shakespeare Guide (Cambridge, 2012) and Shakespeare's First Folio: Four Centuries of an Iconic Book (2016).

Reviews

[Hannah]

doing a quick brushup on the primary sources and handbooks/companions/guides before pre-phd summer draws to a close lol

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a tour of the plays; an overview of what interests Shakespeare scholars: language, structure... all the lit crit stuff... character, how performance can change the meaning. This was some real escapism for me. Thinking about Shakespeare wrestling with his sources or writing for certain actors took me much further from my day-to-day than any genre fiction could.

[Debbie Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite good, but it is misbilled as a "Introduction to Shakespeare."

Emma Smith is very smart and insightful here. Far less will be gotten out of it if the reader doesn't have a familiarity with a broad range of Shakespeare's plays.

Even more unfortunate however is that many who are well past the need of "introductions" will skip it. But it is not the familiar rehash of Shakespeare's life, times, and theater. It is full of fresh insights.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packed full of information and critical analysis but extremely readable too. Scholarly but accessible.

[Salivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

ترجمه‌ی "علمی و فرهنگی" واقعا رو مخ بود.

[Meri Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an into to reading and understanding Shakespeare, this book did a pretty good job. It was a bit too optimistic in its claim that it required no prior knowledge, discussing details of plays as if everybody has read them. There was also a tendency towards long, confusing sentences where the subject got lost in a labyrinth of intervening clauses. For the most part, though, the writing was fairly clear and the ideas were interesting and informative.

[Emylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started the book before I had read very many plays so I struggled to keep up with all of the references. I started over at the end of the school year and found it to be a much easier and enjoyable read.

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good intro for those looking for a lightweight bulk but are not afraid to be intellectually challenged.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant read! Short, concise and incredibly interesting. While any Shakespeare enthusiast will know quite a bit of what is mentioned here already, it serves the purpose of an introduction very well. The chapters 'History' and 'Texts' were particularly good. The former chapter was especially useful in reminding you - through focusing on contemporary ideas of gender and race (to name just a few) - just how crucial it is to be aware of other texts surrounding Shakespeare, and not to think of him as some timeless bard, conveying universal ideas inextricable from what was going on around him. 'Texts' is especially worth reading, if only to realise more concretely how much Shakespeare relied on other sources. The examples explored by Smith elicited some 'ummmmm' moments, if you know what I mean... (probably not, try that noise from high pitch to low pitch, then it makes more sense).

Overall, if you're a Shakespeare enthusiast, you'll probably still learn things from this, despite the fact that it's only an introduction. It's full of nuggets. Golden ones, often. Enjoy them. Enjoy the nuggets.