Stephen Booth has, for over forty years, proposed a distinct understanding of how Shakespeare's plays and poems work upon us and a unique and rigorous way of reading them. The essays here reflect his insights and method and are meant both to recognize his monumental achievements as a critic and to suggest the enduring value of his work to Shakespeare scholarship. The first chapter explains both the method and the strengths of Booth's approach to Shakespeare. The next two--on Romeo and Juliet and The Rape of Lucrece--demonstrate Booth's way of reading Shakespeare. The following four chapters...

For teachers and lovers of Shakespeare, ShakesFear and How to Cure It provides a comprehensive approach to the challenge and rewards of teaching Shakespeare and gives teachers both an overview of each of Shakespeare's 38 plays and specific classroom tools for teaching it. Written by a celebrated teacher, scholar, and director of Shakespeare, it shows teachers how to use the text to make the words and the moments come alive for their students. For the general reader it refutes the idea that Shakespeare's language is difficult and provides a survey of the plays by someone who has lived...

For teachers and lovers of Shakespeare, ShakesFear and How to Cure It provides a comprehensive approach to the challenge and rewards of teaching Shakespeare and gives teachers both an overview of each of Shakespeare's 38 plays and specific classroom tools for teaching it. Written by a celebrated teacher, scholar, and director of Shakespeare, it shows teachers how to use the text to make the words and the moments come alive for their students. For the general reader it refutes the idea that Shakespeare's language is difficult and provides a survey of the plays by someone who has lived...