All's Well, That Ends Well: New Critical Essays

by Waller; Gary

• ISBN13: 9780415973250
• ISBN10: 0415973252
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-12-12
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Described as one of Shakespeare's most intriguing plays, All's Well That Ends Wellhas only recently begun to receive the critical attention it deserves. Noted as a crucial point of development in Shakespeare's career, this collection of new essays reflects the growing interest in the play and presents a broad range of approaches to it, including historical, feminist, performative and psychoanalytical criticisms. In addition to fourteen essays written by leading scholars, the editor's introduction provides a substantial overview of the play's critical history, with a strong focus on performance analysis and the impact that this has had on its reception and reputation. Demonstrating a variety of approaches to the play and furthering recent debates, this book makes a valuable contribution to Shakespeare criticism.

Table of Contents

General Editor's Introduction	ix
List of Figures and Acknowledgments	xi
Contributors	xiv
Preface	xvii
From "the Unfortunate Comedy" to "this Infinitely Fascinating Play": the Critical and Theatrical Emergence of All's Well, That Ends Well	1
GARY WALLER
Revising the Sources: Novella, Romance, and the Meanings of Fiction in All's Well, That Ends Well	57
STEVEN MENTZ
"As Sweet as Sharp": Helena and the Fairy Bride Tradition	71
REGINA BUCCOLA
Tying the (K)not: The Marriage of Tragedy and Comedy in All's Well, That Ends Well	85
PAUL GLEED
All's Well, That Ends Well and the Art of Retrograde Motion	98
DEANNE WILLIAMS
Performing Woman: Female Theatricality in All's Well, That Ends Well	111
KENT R. LEHNHOF
"To make the 'not' eternal": Female Eloquence and Patriarchal Authority in All's Well, That Ends Well	125
ELLEN BELTON
Shakespeare's Miracle Play? Religion in All's Well, That Ends Well	140
HELEN WILCOX
She is in the Right: Biblical Maternity and All's Well, That Ends Well	155
MICHELE OSHEROW
"The credit of your father": Absent Fathers in All's Well, That Ends Well	169
DAVID M. BERGERON
"'Twas mine, 'twas Helen's": Rings of Desire in All's Well, That Ends Well	183
NICHOLAS RAY
"Sweet Practicer, thy Physic I will try": Helena and Her 'Good Receipt' in All's Well, That Ends Well	194
CATHERINE FIELD
All's Well, That Ends Well and the 1604 Controversy Concerning the Court of Wards and Liveries	209
TERRY REILLY
Playing it Accordingly: Parolles and Shakespeare's Knee-crooking Knaves	221
CRAIG DIONNE
All's Well as Television: the 1980 Moshinsky Production	234
BOB WHITE
Appendix: Select List of Productions of All's Well, That Ends Well, 1953-2006	247
Select Bibliography	251
Index	255