Maurice Charney Libri

Focusing on the themes of fantasy and imagination, this commentary delves into the complexities of Hamlet, arguing for its status as a premier tragedy. It highlights the play's exploration of dark elements and the psychological depth of Hamlet's character, presenting the narrative as a revenge tale steeped in mystery rather than merely ethical considerations. The analysis seeks to uncover the layers of passion and dreaming that underpin the play's enduring significance.

How to Read Shakespeare offers an approach to Shakespeare through reading and seeing his plays. The assumption is that Shakespeare's plays are fully comprehensible to modern readers and theater-goers and that they can be thoroughly enjoyed. The author approaches the plays creatively without the barriers of academic study. Some of the specific topics studied are Dramatic Conventions, The Poetry of the Theater, Shakespeare's Characters, Structure and Dramatic Scene, The Presented Text, and The World of the Play: Theatrical Significances. How to Read Shakespeare encourages readers to develop their histrionic imagination.

Exploring the nature of evil, this book offers an in-depth analysis of Shakespeare's villains through their language, imagery, and stage presence. Each chapter focuses on key characters such as Iago, Macbeth, and Shylock, providing a comprehensive examination of their development and impact within the plays. This unique study sheds light on the complexities of villainy in Shakespeare's work, making it an essential read for those interested in literary analysis and character studies.

This book presents a detailed consideration of aspects of Shakespeare's writing style in his plays. Each chapter offers a detailed discussion about a single feature of style in a chosen Shakespeare play.

In this broad-ranging exploration of the nature of comedy Professor Charney considers its popular roots as well as the major issues in comic theory. &ltI>Comedy High and Low seeks to bridge the gap between comic literature, especially stage comedy, and the popular comedy of jokes, graffiti, and comic happenings of everyday life. With examples taken mainly from major figures of stage comedy from Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Jonson, the Restoration dramatists, and Moliere to Beckett, Pinter, Durrenmatt, Stoppard, and Orton, it brings a historical perspective to the subject, and also includes many allusions to the great film comedies of Keaton, Chaplin, Fields, and the Marx Brothers. An extensive critical bibliography supplements this provocative and highly readable book."