Synopses & Reviews
Caroline Spurgeon's pioneer study of the imagery of Shakespeare's plays shows how much light can be thrown on Shakespeare's own mind and thought and on the themes and characters of the plays by a detailed examination of his imagery. At the same time she contrasts Shakespeare with other dramatists of his time, including Marlowe, Bacon, Ben Jonson and Dekker.
Review
'Something quite new in criticism, illuminating the operations of Shakespeare's mind and the principles of his art as they have never been illuminated before. No student of Shakespeare or of the workings of imagination can afford to miss this entrancing book.' Edwin Muir, The Scotsman
Review
'A monumental work without a single dull page.' George Rylands, The New Statesman
Review
'The most significant book on Shakespeare published since Bradley's Shakespearean Tragedy.' H. B. Charlton, Manchester Guardian
Synopsis
This book shows how much light can be thrown on Shakespeare's own mind and thought and on the themes and characters of the plays by a detailed examination of his imagery.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments; Preface; Part I. The Revelation of the Man: 1. The aim and method explained; 2. Shakespeare's Imagery compared with that of Marlowe and Bacon; 3. Imagery of Shakespeare and other dramatists compared; 4. The subject-matter of Shakespeare's images; 5. Shakespeare's senses; 6. Shakespeare's tastes and interests; 7. Shakespeare's tastes and interests (continued); 8. Evidence in the images of Shakespeare's thought; 9. Evidence in the image of Shakespeare's thought (continued); 10. Association of ideas; 11. Shakespeare the man; Part II. The Function of the Imagery as Background and Under-Tone in Shakespeare's Art: 12. Leading motives in the histories; 13. Leading motives in the comedies; 14. Leading motives in the romances; 15. Leading motives in the tragedies; Appendices; Index.