King Edward III [Paperback]

William Shakespeare (Author), Giorgio Melchiori (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 1998

Edward III is a major new addition to the Shakespearean canon. Melchiori claims that Shakespeare is the author of a significant part of the play, the extent of which is discussed in detail. The introduction explores the play's historical background and its relationship to the early cycle of history plays. The commentary examines in depth the play's linguistic and poetic features, while an extensive appendix on the use of sources explains the stages of its composition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Here in the elegant format emblematic of this collected edition ... is a play entitled King Edward III ... Giorgio Melchiori's introduction to the New Cambridge Edward III, together with the actual editorial presentation and appendix on the play's sources are models of learned scruple. What this superb edition compels us to keep asking is simply this: 'how did Shakespeare become Shakespeare?' Neither the history of literature nor of language provides a richer ground for wonder.' George Steiner, The Observer

'Anyone who reads through Edward III with an open mind will, I believe, accept that the Shakespeare canon is permanently enlarged. It is an exhilarating experience.' Contemporary Review

Book Description

Edward III is a major addition to the Shakespearean canon, being included for the first time in an authoritative edition of Shakespeare's works. Melchiori claims that Shakespeare is the author of a significant part of the play, the extent of which is discussed in detail. The introduction explores the play's historical background and its relationship to the early cycle of history plays. The commentary examines in depth the play's linguistic and poetical features, while an extensive appendix on the use of sources explains the stages of its composition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (March 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521596734
• ISBN-13: 978-0521596732
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the King's New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as "an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers." Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later under James I, called the King's Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlain's Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeare's plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars take this play with a grain of salt, July 12, 2006

By 

L. R. Donato - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: King Edward III (Paperback)

im not sure where i stand on the authorship of this play just yet, especially in an age which happily shuns the two noble kinsmen entirely. I would say this is worth a look if you're a scholar, but beginners need not take it as shakespearean cannon. the inclusion of edward III into shakespeare's corpus is a little hasty here.

8 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare for Scholars, May 8, 2001

By 

Ronald Sheikh "tiger84" (CLINTON TWP., MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: King Edward III (Paperback)

You know you're in trouble when the introduction has footnotes. The time period is the beginning of the Hundred Years War (actually 116 Years). The introduction gives you maps of Crecy and Poitiers (major battle sites) but that is silly because the book will pound you with Shakespeare's historical inaccuracies and compare them to the real record: Edward III's founding of the Order of the Garter to His Bloody Rape of Countess Salisbury (glossed over by the Bard). You don't need a family tree of British Royalty either--just remember the order of the history plays: Edward III, Richard II, Henry IV (1), Henry IV (2), and Henry V.

Edward III resembles Henry V--probably because for 116 years they've been fighting the same war against France: Edward III (Sluys, Crecy, Poitiers) Henry V (Agincourt). Henry V is far superior to Edward III.

The footnotes in the text have references to other Shakespeare plays--so read this one last--; the Oxford English Dictionary; and notes on the Sources, Froissart and Holinshed, which are written in Middle English; Running Commentary on Shakespeare vs. The Historical Record.

The Appendix has a scene by scene account of the sources.

This is a scholarly work--as an English Grad I say Bravissimo, Giorgio! However, for the general reader I recommend the Riverside Shakespeare (Complete Works). Yes, it's bulky but accessible to everyone. The Cambridge Edition is portable but its arcane language is accessible mainly to specialists in the field. I can understand the difficulty the reader from Bangkok, Thailand had in reading this edition: She's right on target.

14 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't tackle this history unprepared, February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: King Edward III (Paperback)

The New Cambridge edition provides an extensive introduction passage with the history and background of the play, as well as lengthy footnotes and annotations to the text, which makes the play difficult to read. And if you're not familiar with British history, you'll find yourself constantly flipping back to the introduction, trying to find out exactly what's going on, or who is on what side.

The book also provides plenty of illustrations pertaining to the actual dating of Edward III, footnotes and academic guidance, and a small textual analysis. The 'academic guidance' claims to be nonobtrusive, but as you read the actual play you find countless annotations and notes that may take up half the page. Nonobtrusive, you say? The illustrations are interesting, and the stage history can be intriguing. But, as mentionned before, the names are barely recognizable. You honestly don't know what they're talking about.

Shakespeare's tragedies and comedies are mostly good reading. Some histories like Richard III and Henry V as well as Henry IIX can prove interesting, too. And they're much easier to comprehend once they've been made into movies. But if you're not into Elizabethian English -- or simply can't understand it -- it's best that you leave Edward III for another time if you really want to read it, or learn the language. And while you're at it, refresh your knowledge of English history. It's that confusing.

As for whether Edward III really belongs to Shakespeare, the form is just about the same as the rest of the Bard's work. With some very rare exceptions the lines are in iambic pentameter. To the reader not very familiar with Shakespeare's works or English history, he would not be able to tell the difference between Edward III and any other history play.

I was surprised to find the history play tiresome, weary and bland, which led me to wonder whether the great Shakespeare really wrote something this dull. But one can't expect all of history to be interesting. Many writers chose historic subjects partly because they want to record history, not necessarily for entertaining purposes.

Even then, to read one of the six doubtful plays of Shakespeare could prove interesting. If you do decide to order it over the Internet -- as it is not available in Thailand -- and sit down and read it, make sure you know your English history and Elizabethian English. It'll be a tough and challenging ride. This work was edited and published with the more intellectual in mind.