Customer Reviews

The Mediaeval Stage (Dover Books on Literature & Drama)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved the background and insight E.K. Chambers provides in this book, although it must be said at the outset that while it was written as a scholarly work at its time, some of the material has been called into question. Nevertheless, Chambers gives a fine overview of the history of European theater, festivals and holy day celebrations, tracing their roots in pagan ritual. He manages to convey a sense of how Shakespeare arrived in the London Theater-- sets the scene, gives the background of the attitudes and expectations around stage performance which helps set the stage for Shakespeare, and makes his rise to the top of the world of theater both more reasonable and more impressive.

The notes and appendices are delightful, especially if you have background in Latin, French or other romance languages. The richness of materials, especially at the time before the internet made available the obscure details of earlier times, is still quite satisfying.

I am most grateful to Dover for their wonderful work republishing books like this!

Few have the gift for presenting color to 'the thing' observed as E.K. does! Buy it, never come out of it.

This book is a wonderfully detailed record of theatre as it developed form the early liturgical tropes into the medieval theatre that precursered the Elizabethan that we know so well.

An excelent resource for anyone wishing to study the origins of english theatre. Highly recommended.