Synopses & Reviews
Preeminent Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro shows how the tumultuous events in England in 1606 affected Shakespeare and shaped the three great tragedies he wrote that year—
King Lear,
Macbeth, and
Antony and Cleopatra.
In the years leading up to 1606, since the death of Queen Elizabeth and the arrival in England of her successor, King James of Scotland, Shakespeares great productivity had ebbed, and it may have seemed to some that his prolific genius was a thing of the past. But that year, at age forty-two, he found his footing again, finishing a play he had begun the previous autumn—King Lear—then writing two other great tragedies, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra.
It was a memorable year in England as well—and a grim one, in the aftermath of a terrorist plot conceived by a small group of Catholic gentry that had been uncovered at the last hour. The foiled Gunpowder Plot would have blown up the king and royal family along with the nations political and religious leadership. The aborted plot renewed anti-Catholic sentiment and laid bare divisions in the kingdom.
It was against this background that Shakespeare finished Lear, a play about a divided kingdom, then wrote a tragedy that turned on the murder of a Scottish king, Macbeth. He ended this astonishing year with a third masterpiece no less steeped in current events and concerns: Antony and Cleopatra.
The Year of Lear sheds light on these three great tragedies by placing them in the context of their times, while also allowing us greater insight into how Shakespeare was personally touched by such events as a terrible outbreak of plague and growing religious divisions. For anyone interested in Shakespeare, this is an indispensable book.
Review
"Shakespearean scholar Shapiro links the tumultuous events of 1605 and 1606 to three of the Bard's greatest works. . . . Shapiro's discoveries of long-lost sources and missed connections make this a fascinating tale. His well-written, scholarly exploration will stand as an influential work that is a joy to read.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Review
“The Year of Lear is a masterpiece, weaving together brilliant historical insight with acute literary analysis. James Shapiro is one of our great Shakespearean scholars, but he is also a master storyteller. . . . This book belongs on the very short shelf of required Shakespearean texts. Anyone who wonders whether Shakespeare still matters to us will find a resounding ‘yes in The Year of Lear.” Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of the Public Theater
Review
"In a difficult year for England, Shapiro recognizes a fruitful time for the countrys greatest playwright. . . . An impressively fine-grained Shakespearean inquiry." Booklist (starred review)
Review
“James Shapiros particular gift as a literary historian is to combine great good sense with daring imaginative reach—so that as we read his pages, we simultaneously look down into the workings of Shakespeares mind, and around him at the landscape of his tumultuous times.” Andrew Motion, former poet laureate of the United Kingdom
Review
“The Year of Lear is a book for anyone interested in history, or literature, or in the creation of the greatest play ever written.” Richard Eyre, former director of the National Theatre (London)
About the Author
James Shapiro is the Larry Miller Professor of English at Columbia University, where he has taught since 1985. He is the author of several books, including 1599 and Contested Will, and is the recipient of many awards and fellowships. Shapiro is a Governor of the Folger Shakespeare Library. He lives in New York with his wife and son.