Shakespeare: The Comedies

R. P. DRAPER is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Aberdeen and has published widely in the fields of Shakespeare and modern literature and, in particular, on D.H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy. His most recent publication is An Introduction to Twentieth-Century Poetry in English, also published by Macmillan.

'Dwelling almost wholly within the text, this well-organised and appealingly written book will be most useful to relative beginners in Shakespeare who need to be alerted to the texture and rhythm of language and event in the plays.' - Claire Preston, Times Higher Education Supplement

• Contents General Editor's Preface A Note on Editions PART ONE: ANALYSING SHAKESPEARE'S COMEDIES Introduction: The Nature of Shakespearean Comedy Atmospherics Sympathetic Criticism Illusion Romantic Sentiment Wooing Fools (1): Dupes Fools (2): Clever Fools Manlike Women Odd Men Out Set Pieces Endings General Conclusions to Part One PART TWO: THE CONTEXT AND THE CRITICS The Other Comedies and the Poems Histories, Tragedies, and Last Plays Theories of Comedy and Criticism of Shakespeare's Comedies Further Reading Index.