Shakespeare: The Comedies

'Dwelling almost wholly within the text, this well-organised and appealingly written book will be most useful to relative beginners in Shakespeare who need to be alerted to the texture and rhythm of language and event in the plays.' - Claire Preston, Times Higher Education Supplement

Shakespeare's comedies combine charm and wit with probing intelligence.Shakespeare's comedies combine charm and wit with probing intelligence. Through detailed analysis of passages from A Midsummer Night's Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It and Twelfth Night this book explores the satire and sympathy, the linguistic variety, and the dramatic skill which make Shakespearean comedy both entertaining and profound. Part II suggests connections with the rest of Shakespeare's work, and concludes with a survey of comic theory and criticism devoted to the comedies.