Description
Book SynopsisThe eponymous alchemist of Ben Jonson’s quick-fire comedy is a fraud: he cannot make gold, but he does make brilliant theatre.
The Alchemist is a masterpiece of wit and form about the self-delusions of greed and the theatricality of deception. This guide will be useful to a diverse assembly of students and scholars, offering fresh new ways into this challenging and fascinating play.
Trade ReviewThe Alchemist, A Critical Reader is an excellent source for a teacher or researcher who is tackling the play and for the interested students who wish to carry their investigations of the play beyond the classroom lecture. -- Kenneth Tucker, Murray State University, USA * The Shakespeare Newsletter *
Table of ContentsSeries Introduction Notes on Contributors Timeline Introduction 1 The Critical Backstory DAVID BEVINGTON 2
The Alchemist on the Stage: Performance, Collaboration and Deviation ELIZABETH SCHAFER and EMMA COX 3 The State of the Art MATTHEW STEGGLE 4 New Directions: Space, Plague and Satire in Ben Jonson’s
The Alchemist MATHEW MARTIN 5 New Directions: Staging Gender IAN MCADAM AND JULIE SANDERS 6 New Directions:
The Alchemist and the Lower Bodily Stratum BRUCE BOEHRER 7 New Directions: Waiting for the End? Alchemy and Apocalypse in
The Alchemist MARK HOULAHAN 8 Pedagogical Strategies and Web Resources ERIN JULIAN and HELEN OSTOVICH Notes Selected Bibliography Index
