A theme that obsessed Shakespeare in over 20 plays from Titus Andronicus to The Tempest was the relationship between a daughter and her father. This study traces chronologically the development of this theme, relating it to the little we know of his own two daughters, and sheds new light on his exploration of the family that so dominated his approach to drama. Drawing on a lifetime's experience of playing Shakespearean roles, Oliver Ford Davies, a former university lecturer and now an Honorary Associate Artist of the RSC and Olivier Award winner, has written an engaging and deeply researched study of a topic that has intrigued him from playing Capulet in 1967, King Lear in 2002, to Polonius in 2008.
A theme that obsessed Shakespeare in over 20 plays from Titus Andronicus to The Tempest was the relationship between a daughter and her father. This study traces chronologically the development of this theme, relating it to the little we know of his own two daughters, and sheds new light on his exploration of the family that so dominated his approach to drama. Drawing on a lifetime's experience of playing Shakespearean roles, Oliver Ford Davies, a former university lecturer and now an Honorary Associate Artist of the RSC and Olivier Award winner, has written an engaging and deeply researched study of a topic that has intrigued him from playing Capulet in 1967, King Lear in 2002, to Polonius in 2008.
Introduction
1. Early Plays
2. Comedies
3. Tragedies and Tragicomedies
4. Late Plays
5. Shakespeare and his Daughters
6. Fathers and Daughters in Contemporary Society
7. Fathers and Daughters in Drama 1585-1620
Conclusion
Notes
An exploration of fathers and daughters in Shakespeare's plays from an experienced and admired actor.
Oliver Ford Davies is an actor and Honorary Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is well known for his roles in Hamlet, King Lear and the history cycle, and has played many of Shakespeare's fathers over his distinguished career.
In Shakespeare’s Fathers and Daughters, Davies uses his experience
as a Shakespearean actor to examine the relationships between
fathers (and “father surrogates”) and daughters throughout
Shakespeare’s works. Included are discussions of performance
history and sources, character analysis, close readings, and
references to recent and contemporary performances. The first four
chapters—“Early Plays,” “Comedies,” "Tragedies and Tragicomedies,”
and “Late Plays”— move through the plays with father/daughter
relationships. The final three chapters—“Shakespeare and His
Daughters,” “Fathers and Daughters in Contemporary Society,” and
“Fathers and Daughters in Drama 1585–1620”—provide context for
understanding Shakespeare’s treatment of these relationships. In
addition to the discussion of the plays, Davies discusses the
characters of Capulet, Leonato, Polonius, and Lear in sections
tagged "An Actor's Perpsective." In these, he shares his personal
experiences with playing the father’s role, offering insight into
the process of preparing to perform Shakespeare. He includes
excerpts from his exchanges with fellow actors about their
characters—among those actors Mariah Gale, who played Ophelia to
Davies’s Polonius in the 2008 Royal Shakespeare Company production.
Written in clear and engaging prose, this book will be of
particular interest to those studying drama and performance
studies. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division
undergraduates through faculty and professionals.
*CHOICE*
A considered and convincing account of Shakespeare's development as
a dramatist ... This is a useful and enjoyable book written from a
perspective that very few people would be able to offer.
*Times Higher Education*
A welcome guide for anyone involved in theater production as well
as for students.
*SEL: Studies in English Literature 1500-1900*
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