William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra

by Ken Parker

Overview

Kenneth Parker gives a historical and critical exposition of commentaries of the play. These are traced back to firmly held assumptions, about theories of literary production and consumption as well as political relations, not yet wholly shed in the present. Dominant traditions (of Cleopatra as 'whore' and 'gypsy'; of Antony as 'deserter'; of 'Rome' as the measure by which it, as well as 'Egypt' should be read) are not simply questioned, but instead, close reading of the text of the play provides a comprehensive set of alternative readings based upon mostly postcolonial and feminist theories. From this there emerges the concluding argument that, of all Shakespeare's plays, Antony and Cleopatra is the text for our times; one that is 'past the size of dreaming'.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780746311400
Publisher:	Liverpool University Press
Publication date:	10/31/2005
Series:	Writers and Their Work
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 5.57(h) x 0.35(d)

Table of Contents

	List of Illustrations	viii
	Acknowledgements	ix
	Note on the Text	xi
	Abbreviations	xii
1	Introduction: 'Behold and see'	1
2	Theories: 'All length is torture'	4
3	Rome: 'To drench the Capitol'	17
4	Egypt: 'A lass unparalleled'	37
5	Conclusion: 'Past the size of dreaming'	62
Appendix A	Chronology	74
Appendix B	Recent Stage Productions	77
	Notes	79
	Select Bibliography	89
	Index	98