Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 2, No. 328. Tuesday, 17 Dec 1991.
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1991 22:07:01 -0500
From: Tad Davis <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Subject: 3.0324 1991 Scholarship in Retrospect
Comment: RE: SHK 3.0324 1991 Scholarship in Retrospect
One item I would certainly nominate is Schoenbaum's revision of
SHAKESPEARE'S LIVES. But I've already said my say on that one and won't
repeat myself.
I would also strongly recommend ANALYZING SHAKESPEARE'S ACTION by Charles
and Elaine Hallett (Cambridge UP, 1991). The Halletts have tried to
analyze Shakespeare's dramatic action into "frames," which are composed of
"sequences," which are composed of moment-by-moment "beats." Their
discussion borrows much from current day-to-day theatrical terminology, but
extends and codifies it in a way that not only clarifies Shakespeare's
action, but provides a useful tool for dramatic analysis in general. I
think the Halletts truly have a finger on the pulse of Shakespeare's magic.
Like Mark Rose's SHAKESPEAREAN DESIGN, they have tried not only to parse
the action of the plays into analytical units but to understand the
artistic rationale for the division. Charles Hallett has also recently
presented a detailed analysis of parts of "King Lear" using the same
approach.
Tad Davis
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