Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama

Where does Shakespeare fit into the drama of his day? Getting to know the work of Shakespeare's contemporaries offers an insight into Elizabethan and Jacobean preoccupations and the theatrical climate of the early modern period. This book provides an essential overview of some major dramatic works from their stage origins to today's screen productions. Each chapter includes: a detailed analysis of a play by Shakespeare considered alongside a key work by one other significant playwright of the day (including The Merchant of Venice, Volpone, The Spanish Tragedy, Titus Andronicus, Othello, The Changeling, Romeo and Juliet, The Duchess of Malfi, Measure for Measure, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tragedy of Mariam, Doctor Faustus and Hamlet); close reading of the texts; a discussion of early modern theatrical practices; a focus on one ground-breaking example of early modern drama on screen; suggestions for links with other early modern texts and further reading. This is an ideal introduction for students of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, providing a route map to the very latest developments in early modern drama studies while fostering confident and independent critical thinking about a range of canonical texts. -- from back cover.