All's Well that Ends Well

by William Shakespeare, Russell Fraser (Editor), Alexander Leggatt (Introduction)

Overview

Alexander Leggatt has written a new Introduction to this updated edition of Russell Fraser's text on one of Shakespeare's most ambiguous plays. Leggatt's interest in performance informs his introduction and account of the instability of the main characters. He offers a thoughtful account of the play's critical and theatrical fortunes to the end of the twentieth century, as well as of the audience experience. An updated reading list completes the edition. First Edition Hb (1986): 0-521-22150-1 First Edition Pb (1986): 0-521-29365-0

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521827935
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	09/25/2003
Series:	New Cambridge Shakespeare Series
Edition description:	Updated edition
Pages:	174
Product dimensions:	6.18(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Susan Snyder is Gil and Frank Mustin Professor of English Literature, Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania.

Date of Death:

2018

Place of Birth:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Place of Death:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Preface; Abbreviations and conventions; Introduction by Alexander Leggatt: Sources and traditions; The Shakespearean context (and the date); Critical reception and stage history; The play; Note on the text; List of characters; THE PLAY; Textual analysis; Reading list.

Editorial Reviews

"The New Cambridge Shakespeare's updated All's Well is a first-class edition, suited for advanced readers who want a copiously footnoted but otherwise unadorned edition for the play." Sixteenth Century Journal Patrick McHenry, Columbus State University

From the Publisher

All the performances in this production are polished. It's a pure pleasure to hear the lines delivered for their meter still ring with emotion, and Emma Fielding is particularly strong as Helena. She manages to make listeners feel both the vulnerability and the strength of her badly treated character. However, the performance as a whole is not fully satisfying; too many of the play's high points depend upon deception, for example, the display of key items (like Bertram's ring) for the sight of the audience, or upon character reactions. Partially, this is due to the extreme faithfulness with which the stage version is adapted; a more liberal adaptation might have captured key points more successfully. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

DEC 03/JAN 04 - AudioFile