As You Like It: Language and Writing explores one of Shakespeare’s best-known comedies. It considers the literary and theatrical contexts in which Shakespeare was writing; examines, in detail, the different forms of language used in the play and considers ways in which language and meaning have changed over time, and are affected by performance. Each chapter contains a 'Writing matters' section which provides suggestions for activities that can further enhance a student’s understanding of the play. This informative guide to Shakespeare's popular comedy equips students with the critical skills to analyze its language, structure and themes and to expand and enrich their own responses to the play.
Abigail Rokison-Woodall is Lecturer in Shakespeare and Theatre, The Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon, UK and was formerly a professional actor.
INTRODUCTIONDATING THE PLAYTHE FIRST FOLIO AND ITS COPYTHE ELIZABETHAN THEATREBLANK VERSE DRAMATHE CONVENTIONS OF PROSEA CLASSICAL EDUCATION 1) LANGUAGE IN CONTEXTGENREFESTIVE COMEDYPASTORALSOURCE AND SETTINGCHARACTERSMETATHEATREMASQUEWRITING MATTERS2) LANGUAGE: FORMS AND USESVERSE AND PROSEPERSONAL PRONOUNSASIDES AND SOLILOQUIESRHETORICWRITING MATTERS3 LANGUAGE OVER TIMEISSUES OF INTERPRETATIONCONTEMPORARY REFERENCES, CHANGING MEANINGS AND ARCHAIC LANGUAGEINTERPRETATION OF LANGUAGE ON THE MODERN STAGEAS YOU LIKE IT ON FILM: WHERE PICTURES DO THE WORKWRITING MATTERS4) PERFORMING THE LANGUAGEPERFORMING METREPERFORMING RHETORICPERFORMING ‘YOU’ AND ‘THOU’WRITING MATTERSBibliography
Ed Woodall, Abigail Rokison-Woodall, UK) Rokison-Woodall, Dr Abigail (The Shakespeare Institute, Michael Dobson, Abigail Rokison-Woodall, Simon Russell Beale