As You Like It: Twayne's New Critical Introduction to Shakespeare (Vol. 15)

About the Book

Providing a detailed history of the play in production, both on stage and on screen, this volume's introduction demonstrates how changing conceptions of gender roles have affected the portrayal of Rosalind. The striking differences between the British tradition and the freer treatment the play has received abroad are discussed, as well as the politics of "court" versus "country." Printed alongside the New Cambridge edition of the text, the commentary draws on primary sources to illuminate how costuming, stage business, design, and directorial choices have affected the play's performance About The Author: William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thoma