Shakespearean and Jacobean Tragedy - Cambridge Contexts in Literature

Shakespearean and Jacobean Tragedy Author/s: Rex Gibson Tragedies echoed the brutalities and injustices of the time and mirror other features of the age. Exploration was opening up new worlds, the discoveries of science were rapidly expanding knowledge and the country was fiercely divided in matters of religion. Tragedy explores what it is to be human and these anxious, sceptical times fuelled the imagination of Shakespeare and other playwrights. The book considers the tragedies of Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, John Webster and Thomas Middleton and invites the reader to consider how they are still fresh and relevant today. Features: Each title includes a wide-ranging yet carefully levelled introductory discussion of a literary period, genre or theme, to provide students with an excellent introduction to an area of literature. Helps students to address the new assessment objective 4 ('demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received') - worth up to 35% of the A level qualification under new guidelines. Discussion questions and end-of-section tasks offer an invaluable resource for self study as well as helpful exam preparation. A mini-anthology of texts and extracts saves teachers time searching for appropriate 'wider reading' texts.