Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Shakespeare has made the big time. No less than Liberace or Elvis Presley, Shakespeare is big-time in the idiomatic sense of cultural success. "Big Time Shakespeare" discusses the supply side of this cultural production, arguing that Shakepeare retains his authority, at least in part, because suppliers of cultural goods have been skillful at generating demand for products that bear his trademark.
"Big-Time Shakespeare" suggests that his plays represent the pathos of our civilization. His characters remain interesting because we recognize what they are going through. Examining Shakespeare's cultural authority and clarifying the semantics of his name in our culture, Bristol attempts to bridge the gap between conservative affirmations of the ideals and achievements of Western civilization, and the equally disconcerting programs of compulsive resistance and critique.
Synopsis
Shakespeare has made the big time. No less than the Beatles or Liberace, Elvis Presley or Mick Jagger, Shakespeare is big-time in the idiomatic sense of cultural success and widespread notoriety. Not only has he achieved canonical status, Shakespeare is a contemporary celebrity. His artistic distinction and aptitude for controversy constantly keeps his name in the public eye.
Bristol debates Shakespeare's cultural authority, and clarifies the semantics of his name in our culture. Big-Time Shakespeare suggests his plays represent the pathos of our civilisation with extraordinary force and clarity. Shakespeare's contradictory understanding of the social and cultural past is also examined with close analysis of The Winter's Tale, Othello, and Hamlet.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [235]-250) and index.