William Shakespeare’s As You Like It (Hardcover)  | Released: 2008

As You Like It has been acclaimed as the best of the Golden Comedies of Shakespeare. It brings together the elements of romance and pastoralism to form an inextricable blend that was possible only for him. The present study aims at making the text more accessible to the students of Shakespeare. Besides providing the socio-political milieu of Shakespeares time, it gives a scene-wise critical account of the text, thus providing ample opportunity for the reader to familiarise himself with the text. The analyses of the different elements of drama are accompanied with the views of renowned critics. The book contains many citations from the text. Classical theories of comedy as well as Elizabethan comments have been lucidly and briefly explained. A select Bibliography and an Index have been provided at the end. The book is highly readable, self-contained and comprehensive. It will undoubtedly prove to be an invaluable reference book for both students and teachers of English literature.Table of Contents: General Preface; Introduction; 1. The Background; 2. Life and Works; 3. The Story and the Genre; 4. A Scene-wise Analysis of the Play; 5. The Major Themes; 6. The Major Characters; 7. The Minor Characters; 8. The Plot-Structure; 9. Imagery in As You Like It; 10. Poetic Style: Diction and Versification; 11. Critical Reception: A Brief History; 12. Important Questions; Bibliography; Index