Synopsis "Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher"
How does dramatic genius turn language, metre and structure into living theatre? Across lectures, essays and close textual notes, this searching work examines the craft behind Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies, romances and histories. Individual plays become testing grounds for questions of stage illusion, public taste, characterisation and moral judgement, while proposed classifications trace the development of an imagination governed not only by creative power but by disciplined dramatic construction. Close attention to verse reveals how rhythm can shape thought, character and theatrical effect. Textual emendations and metrical analyses sit beside broader reflections on Greek and English drama, poetry and performance, creating a form of Shakespeare criticism that moves between the smallest verbal choice and the architecture of an entire play. The central distinction is between organic dramatic form and drama built through more deliberate construction: a comparison that sharpens the discussion of language, morality, imagination and judgement without reducing the plays to a single theory. Ben Jonson emerges through sustained consideration of intellect, satire, character and metre, as well as his artistic relation to Shakespeare. Further commentary on Beaumont and Fletcher explores plotting, versification, political attitudes, morality and dramatic technique, extending the volume into a comparative study of contrasting theatrical methods. Rather than presenting a continuous argument, the collection preserves the energy of critical inquiry as it shifts from precise readings to large questions about how drama works. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.
