Shakespeare and Reception Theory: (Shakespeare and Theory)

Arden Shakespeare and Theory provides a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical developments that have dominated Shakespeare studies in recent years, as well as those that are emerging at the present moment. Each volume provides: · a clear definition of a particular theory; · a survey of its major theorists and critics; · an analysis of its significance in Shakespeare studies; · a summary of relevant political, social and economic contexts; · a wealth of suggested resources for further investigation. Reception Theory provides readers with a unique overview and understanding of the ways in which both audiences and readers have reacted to Shakespeare's works historically and in the present. This study demonstrates how recent emphases on a reader’s and a spectator's role in the creation of meaning might allow us to contemplate Shakespeare’s work in fresh and often provocative ways. Among the plays included as case studies are A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, The Tempest, King Lear and Henry V. Shakespeare and Reception Theory pays close attention to early modern modes of interaction in the playhouse alongside more recent assumptions that underlie spectating and performing.

Table of Contents:
Series Editor's Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1. First Principles Chapter 2. The Role of the Spectator and Reader Chapter 3. Literary Communities and Affective Experience Chapter 4. The Resistant Reader Chapter 5. Shakespeare and Public Responses Conclusion Appendix Notes References Index

About the Author :
Nigel Wood is Professor of Literature at Loughborough University, UK. He has served as advisor to the RSC and Royal National Theatre on Shakespeare productions and directed several of Shakespeare's plays. He edited She Stoops to Conquer and Other Eighteenth-Century Comedies (2007), and co-edited with David Lodge Modern Theory and Criticism (2008).

Review :
[Wood’s] combination of different aspects such as psychology, identity, public sphere, etc. also has some interdisciplinary significance to the reception theories … Such an interdisciplinary approach not only enables Wood to discuss the reception problems with new perspectives but also to shift among different reception theories with ease … Besides some theoretical contributions, this book also has some practical significance. It can serve as a valuable reference for scholars who are keen on reception studies or Shakespeare performance studies, and the theoretical templates developed in the book are wealthy resources for students who seek a systematic introduction of response theories and fields for any further investigation.