Shakespeare's Problem Plays

by E.M.W. Tillyard

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Shakespeare, Literary Criticism, Reference, Theatre

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Eustace Mandeville Wetenhall (E. M. W.) Tillyard OBE was an English classical and literary scholar who was Master of Jesus College, Cambridge from 1945 to 1959.

Reviews

[Dayna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tillyard examines Shakespeare's so-called "problem plays" which include: "Hamlet," "Troilus and Cressida," "All's Well That Ends Well," and "Measure for Measure." He walks us through the problems with these plays and what makes them good plays even so.

[Lucinda Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very stimulating reading and also highly readable. Professor Tillyard is the sort of Shakespearian scholar who makes the playright and his intentions simply make sense.
I particularly recommend the chapter on 'All's Well'. On reading this, suddenly, the discrepancies in Bertram's unsympathetic character and the suddeness of his capitulation to Helena in the happy ending made complete sense to me. I realised that, as a gruff, inarticulate youth his apology to her,'Both,both, oh, pardon!' was about as elequent as he could be whilst remaining sincere. Very different from his flowery pleas when he is attemtping to seduce Diana...
The chapters on 'Measure for Measure' and 'Hamlet' are fascinating, too.