HOUSTON, Nov. 29, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Written for an educated general audience by Shakespeare scholar Herbert B. Rothschild Jr., Profoundly Entertaining: An Introduction to Shakespeare's Artistry offers an opportunity to think about Shakespeare's achievement in a sustained way. Without any overarching argument to make -- merely with admiration for the most intelligent, honest, and courageous confrontation of human life of which we have written record -- the book invites its readers to accompany Shakespeare on his journey of exploration into the human condition.
The project began as a series of lectures on Houston's public television station in spring 2002 under the auspices of the University of Houston. The public feedback emboldened its author to involve a larger audience in discussions that would render more profound their enjoyment of the plays.
Following an introduction to Shakespeare's life and the theatrical conditions within which he worked, Rothschild offers extended analyses of plays selected to represent the full range of dramatic types. In the process, he follows Shakespeare's developing grasp of human possibilities -- into the harrowing darkness of the mature tragedies to the marvelous vision of the last plays. Profoundly Entertaining demonstrates how an appreciation of Shakespeare's intellectual and moral force can deepen our delight in his theatrical genius, as well as our grasp of the terms on which we too must conduct our lives.
While not written for literary scholars, Profoundly Entertaining is sufficiently original in the way its discussions develop and many of its specific insights will reward attention by academic as well as general readers. Those who are interested in Shakespeare -- and their numbers are legion -- will find in this book a challenging but accessible discussion of Shakespeare's artistry.
About the Author
Educated at Yale and Harvard, Herbert Rothschild Jr. pursued his academic career at Louisiana State University and, much later, at the University of Houston. His scholarship focused on the plays of Shakespeare and other Renaissance literature, resulting in articles published in such academic journals as The Modern Language Review, English Literary Renaissance, South Central review, and Neophilologus. Beginning with the Civil Rights Movement, he simultaneously engaged in struggles for peace and justice. The present work reflects both activities and his attempt to integrate them in his own understandings of authentic life.
Profoundly Entertaining * by Herbert B. Rothschild Jr.
An Introduction to Shakespeare's Artistry
Publication Date: November 3, 2006
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