How the Classics Made Shakespeare
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See more"This book grew from the inaugural E. H. Gombrich Lectures in the Classical Tradition that I delivered in the autumn of 2013 at the Warburg Institute of the University of London, under the title, "Ancient Strength: Shakespeare and the Classical Tradition"--Preface, page ix.
Ben Jonson famously accused Shakespeare of having 'small Latin and less Greek.' But he was exaggerating. Shakespeare was steeped in the classics. Shaped by his grammar school education in Roman literature, history, and rhetoric, he moved to London, a city that modelled itself on ancient Rome.
He worked in a theatrical profession that had inherited the conventions and forms of classical drama, and he read deeply in Ovid, Virgil, and Seneca.
In a book that combines stylistic brilliance, accessibility, and extraordinary range, acclaimed literary critic and biographer Jonathan Bate, one of the world's leading authorities on Shakespeare, offers groundbreaking insights into how, perhaps more than any other influence, the classics made Shakespeare the writer he became.
How the Classics Made Shakespeare reveals the profound impact of Roman literature and thought in shaping Shakespeare's work and legacy.
Series: E. H. Gombrich Lecture Series
View allBook Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Critics praise Bate's How the Classics Made Shakespeare for its elegant style, rich learning, and compelling scholarship. Jonathan Locke Hart highlights Bate's skill in discussing text and context, while Chris Tudor calls the book "enthralling" and "enlightening." Reviewers commend the work's clarity, vibrancy, and insightful commentary, noting it as a delightfully readable academic resource with illuminating observations on every page.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691210148
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 13 October 2020
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Illustration: 18 b/w illus.
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Jonathan Bate is Foundation Professor of Environmental Humanities at Arizona State University and Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University. His many books include Soul of the Age: A Biography of the Mind of William Shakespeare. He broadcasts regularly for the BBC, is the coeditor of The RSC Shakespeare: Complete Works, and wrote an acclaimed one-man play for Simon Callow, Being Shakespeare. Twitter @profbate
Also by Jonathan Bate
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