Everything you need to know about the cultural contexts of 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream'. Is this just a light-hearted romp or is Shakespeare trying to make serious points about courtship, love, marriage and human folly? This book provides detailed in-depth discussion of the various influences that an Elizabethan audience would have brought to interpreting the play. How did people think about the world, about God, about sin, about kings, about civilized conduct, about the magic and madness of love and attraction? Historical, literary, political, sociological backgrounds are explained within the biblical-moral matrices by which the play would have been judged. This book links real life in the late 1590s to the world on the stage. Discover the orthodox beliefs people held about religion. Meet the Devil, Sin and Death. Learn about the social hierarchy, gender relationships, court corruption, class tensions, the literary profile of the time, attitudes to comedy – and all the subversions, transgressions, and oppositions that made the play a hilarious farce but also an unsettling picture of a world so close to disaster.

A thief like no other is about to steal Alan Dubain's heart... Shining star of the Moghul empire, diplomat in the court of William VI, and secretly devoted to the cause of undermining both, Alan Dubain is better known to most people as Prince Akbar, a bloodthirsty warlord whose very name brings dread. But when Alan suddenly finds the sister of Akbar's most hated enemy, he realizes his carefully crafted double life is about to be turned upside-down. Hallie Norris may have grown up in a normal world, but now she's in a reality where it's increasingly evident she's out of place. As a cancer survivor who is no stranger to battles, Hallie decides to take matters in her own hands, and goes on a mission to locate the biggest, baddest, and most respected fighter she can find to convince him to train her...and there's no one badder than the infamous Prince Akbar. With revolutionaries, an emperor, and Alan's own father demanding their respective heads on platters, Hallie and Alan learn that love can bloom in the hearts of even the deadliest of enemies.

Can Othello be a woman? Can Ophelia be a man? Why not? Intended for Shakespeare lovers, scholars, and Shakespearean theater professionals, this study explores ways in which gender is being reinterpreted by British and North American productions since the turn of the millennium. First discussing gender theory, including modern, individualistic identity, this book leads to deep shifts in thinking about sex, gender identity and expression, and sexuality seen in 21st century Shakespearean production casting, directing, and acting decisions. The inclusion of selected productions and characters such as Othello, Richard III, Ophelia, and Olivia encourage readers to make use of "category creation" to reinterpret these characters by rethinking gender. Covered productions are divided into three sections including those that "cross-sex" cast, those that "resex" a character, and those that leave open questions of gender considering how terms like "gender-blending," "gender-bending," or "gender-blind" are meaningful in 21st century Shakespeare.

This volume traces the modern critical and performance history of this play, one of Shakespeare's most-loved and most-performed comedies. The essay focus on such modern concerns as feminism, deconstruction, textual theory, and queer theory.

Although many opera dictionaries and encyclopedias are available, very few are devoted exclusively to operas in a single language. In this revised and expanded edition of Operas in English: A Dictionary, Margaret Ross Griffel brings up to date her original work on operas written specifically to an English text (including works both originally prepared in English, as well as English translations). Since its original publication in 1999, Griffel has added nearly 800 entries to the 4,300 from the original volume, covering the world of opera in the English language from 1634 through 2011. Listed alphabetically by letter, each opera entry includes alternative titles, if any; a full, descriptive title; the number of acts; the composer’s name; the librettist’s name, the original language of the libretto, and the original source of the text, with the source title; the date, place, and cast of the first performance; the date of composition, if it occurred substantially earlier than the premiere date; similar information for the first U.S. (including colonial) and British (i.e., in England, Scotland, or Wales) performances, where applicable; a brief plot summary; the main characters (names and vocal ranges, where known); some of the especially noteworthy numbers cited by name; comments on special musical problems, techniques, or other significant aspects; and other settings of the text, including non-English ones, and/or other operas involving the same story or characters (cross references are indicated by asterisks). Entries also include such information as first and critical editions of the score and libretto; a bibliography, ranging from scholarly studies to more informal journal articles and reviews; a discography; and information on video recordings. Griffel also includes four appendixes, a selective bibliography, and two indexes. The first appendix lists composers, their places and years of birth and death, and their operas included in the text as entries; the second does the same for librettists; the third records authors whose works inspired or were adapted for the librettos; and the fourth comprises a chronological listing of the A–Z entries, including as well as the date of first performance, the city of the premiere, the short title of the opera, and the composer. Griffel also include a main character index and an index of singers, conductors, producers, and other key figures.

I hope children of all ages enjoy the antics and adventures of the Suwannee River critters in these tales; and it is my fervent hope that everyone is aware of their need for protection and recognition as special species, not only in Florida but for all of planet Earth. Sundown

This book offers detailed listings of all the major Shakespeare plays on stage and screen in North America. Exploring each of the play's performance history, including reviews and useful information about staging, it provides an engaging reference guide for academics and students alike.

The Book of Altars and Sacred Spaces shows you how to curate over 50 magical spaces throughout your home that artfully and intentionally observe seasonal celebrations. Anjou Kiernan, creator of the Light of Anjou online witchery shop and apothecary and named “One of the Magical Women on Instagram You Should Be Following” by Refinery 29, shows you how to create altars and sacred spaces based on the Wheel of the Year. Simple rituals and DIY projects give you the tools you need to mindfully reflect upon the seasonal Sabbats and holidays. Whether building a sacred fire pit for Beltane or Feast Table for the Autumn Equinox, learn how to honor the sacred doorways of the year and bring magic into your daily life.