Northrop Frye on Shakespeare by Northrop Frye

Northrop Frye on Shakespeare Reviews

• 
  Karen

  Very interesting and informative book that helps explain the plots and characters of Shakespeare's plays-- I wanted to read something like this before I try to tackle reading any more of the plays themselves. Hamlet and Macbeth were fairly easy to read, of course, since I"ve seen so many productions of both (and seeing the action/story played out on the stage by actors makes understanding the dry text much easier in contex) but I wanted a scholarly essay that would help analyze some of the other plays that I haven't yet seen on stage or screen, before I attempt to read them! Recommended for anyone else interested in reading about Shakespeare's work from an analytical point of view.
• 
  Czarny Pies

  "Northrop Frye on Shakespeare" was a great pleasure for me to read probably because I was an undergraduate at Victoria College in the 1970s while he was still teaching there. The book is comprised of the lecture notes that Frye used for his undergraduate course on Shakespeare. The goal of these lectures it must be noted was not to present any of Frye's major theses but rather to tell freshmen and sophomores what they needed to know about Shakespeare in order to participate effectively in more advanced courses in their junior or senior years. These lectures served brilliantly in their day but are they are probably not well-suited to the current crop of first year students who are arriving on campus with different reading experiences from those of my generation.
  
  This much said, the pedagogical virtues of the lectures in this collection are many. Frye is very good at explaining what can be learned from the study of the first published Shakespearean works (i.e. the quartos and the folios.) Similarly, he does an outstanding job comparing the thematic interests of Shakespeare with those of his fellow Elizabethan dramatists (Ben Jonson, John Lyly, Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Dekker etc.) Finally, he describes in enlightening fashion how Shakespeare used the works of historians such as Geoffrey of Monmouth ("King Lear") and Plutarch ("Anthony and Cleopatra", "Julius Caesar").
  
  There are lapses of scholarship to be found in Frye's book however. Inexplicably Frye does not mention Matteo Bandello's "Romeo and Juliet" as the source for Shakespeare's play which it clearly is but instead implies that the origin can be found in anecdote in Dante's "Divine Comedy" .
  
  Given that a major theme in Frye's works was the great influence of the Bible on Western Literature, it is not surprising that in his lectures on Shakespeare, he frequently cites instances the characters quote or paraphrase scripture. He does so with admirable discretion however not allowing it to overwhelm the other issues discussed.
  
  Frye also makes the interesting point, that the Shakespearean plays that most interest the public vary with the historical era. Frye asserts that " Hamlet" was the most highly regarded work in the 19th when Romanticism held sway. During the first half of the 20th century when world events were dominated by "predatory rulers", "King Lear" came to the fore. Frye then makes the prediction that in the second half of the 20th Century, when politics is dominated by intrigue, "Anthony and Cleopatra" will attract more attention. This in fact did not come out but Frye was still correct to point out that the popularities of the different plays fluctuate from one era to the next.
  
  Frye was a charming man who throughout his career had the ability to fire the enthusiasm of young people for literature. Unfortunately I am not so sure that the lectures contained in this book will have the same magical effect that they did 50 years ago. Too much has changed in the interim.
• 
  Dayna Smith

  Frye's classic nonfiction literary criticism of nine of Shakespeare's plays. A must read for all teachers of Shakespeare or readers who love Shakespeare.
• 
  Jacob Hurley

  Frye goes through a selected set of plays and gives a general survey on each of them. He's got a very engaging style, very colloquial and casual (as compared to more academic writings) and probably just transcripts for lectures on Shakespeare courses he would teach at Yale. While he never does anything too exciting, he still has some nice readings (especially his take on Measure for Measure which I think is spot-on, and also to a lesser extent for lear). Again it's pretty short and while he preaches good stuff it's mostly another enjoyable survey through Shakespeare. I mean, it's basically the book equivalent of auditing a yale coursee with Northrop Frye on Shakespeare, which I don't think anyone would turn down.
• 
  Claire

  Frye gives a cohesive look at a variety of Shakespeare's plays. He uses accessible but thoughtful language that is informative.
• 
  Waleed

  Compiled from Frye's lectures to undergraduates at Victoria College Toronto, a lot of these lectures seem more suited to GCSE level. The later lectures have some interesting insights using archetypal criticism.
• 
  David Sweet

  Really enjoy Frye’s style. Not as haughty as Bloom. You feel like your in Frye’s lecture hall and he passes insight after insight. Enjoyable and accessible.
• 
  Paytan

  Accessible writing and interesting arguments! Frye is a go-to for me because his readings of Shakespeare always manage to increase my enjoyment of the original works, which is more than I can say for most of the papers I’ve encountered so far. Not that they’re not informative, but I’m not always intrigued by (or even comfortable with) the interpretations.
  
  I especially enjoyed the chapters on Hamlet and King Lear. More of a personal preference, but it was refreshing to see Frye acknowledge the situation in Hamlet that “Freudian critics” tend to focus on but then completely move on to more interesting aspects of the play.
• 
  Michelle

  Refreshing + sound + sane about Shakespeare. Has a chapter on Midsummer as well as incidental comments so reading my way through again in preparation. Good job of discussing language, character and place in literature. Frye also keeps the reader and the conversation grounded in the practicalities of theatre.
• 
  Steven

  focuses on the class system of the time to illuminate WS the historical character...also tries to capture what is going on with WS the poet who speaks to all times and places...too much from the point of view of "the noted critic Northrop Frye" but nonetheless a terrific book
• 
  Paola

  - romeo e giulietta
  - sogno di una notte di mezza estate
  - riccardo III, enrico IV
  - amleto
  - re lear
  - antonio e cleopatra
  - misura per misura
  - il racconto d'inverno, la tempesta
  - la tempesta
• 
  Jess

  Also a good read-along, Frye only covers some of the plays, but what he does cover is well worth looking at.
• 
  Smiley

  I bought this second-hand Fitzhenry & Whiteside hardcover at the BookExpo XIV (15-25 October) in BKK yesterday (approx. US$ 4.00).
• 
  Lazarus P Badpenny Esq

  Don't be fooled by the thumbnail - my old edition is possibly the ugliest book I've ever seen; nevertheless, it's arrived with a day to spare before my assignment is due.
• 
  David Cain

  Wonderful analysis and insight into some of Shakespeare's best plays - my only complaint is that it wasn't ten times longer, or at least long enough to consider Macbeth and Othello.
• 
  Connor

  Pretty great analysis of shakey from Frye here. these are compiled from recordings of his lectures on Shakespeare. No real extraordinary insights here, just a great grasp of Shakespeare's language on it's own terms as well as it's effects on his audience.