Professor Foakes offers a new perspective on Shakespeare's most popular comedy, and also a profound archetypal play. The introduction describes the two main traditions in the stage history of A Midsummer Night's Dream, one emphasising charm and innocence, the other stressing darker suggestions of violence and sexuality, and relates them to similar traditions in critical interpretation, showing that both are necessary to a full understanding of the play. Illustrations show the variety of ways in which the play has been staged, including Peter Brook's 1970 production. The editorial commentary is especially concerned to help the reader visualise the play in performance. For this updated edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream the editor has added a new section to the Introduction which takes account of the number of important professional theatre performances since the famous Peter Brook production of 1970, and the large output of scholarly criticism on the play which has appeared in recent years. The Reading List has also been revised and augmented. The New Cambridge Shakespeare is an edition of Shakespeare's works, consisting of a separate volume for each play, and a volume each for the Sonnets and the narrative poems. The texts have been prepared by an international team of the very best scholars, who provide in each case a freshly-considered and modernised text, a substantial introduction and commentary at the foot of the page. The series pays particular attention to the play in performance, commenting on the stage action and offering a performance history with illustrations. It is aimed at students of Shakespeare from A level or its equivalent, and onwards, including undergraduates, graduates and teachers. An internation team of scholars offers:

• modernized, easily accessible texts
  
• ample commentary and introductions
  
• attention to the theatrical qualities of each play and its stage history
  
• informative illustrations

“ List of Illustrations
Preface
Abbreviations and Conventions
Introduction
 Date and occasion
 Sources
 The play on the stage
 The play in the mind
 Recent stage and critical interpretations
Note on the Text
List of Characters
Textual Analysis
Appendix: A Further Note on Sources
Reading List ”
Tags: Shakespeare, Drama, Literature, LiteraryCriticism

 

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