The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy - edited by Claire McEachern

Sep 21, 2026

The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy introduces readers to the forms, contexts, and critical and theatrical lives of Shakespeare’s ten tragedy plays. It is built around thirteen concise essays by leading scholars across Britain and North America, tracing how Shakespearean tragedy originated, developed, and diversified, and how it has been received on stage, as text, and in criticism. Coverage includes literary precursors, cultural backgrounds, tragedy sub-genres, and receptions, with attention to major tragedies and additional key plays.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages286

Reading Time7 h 20 min

AccessFree to download

Preface

Chronology

List of abbreviations

What is a Shakespearean tragedy?

The language of tragedy

Tragedy in Shakespeare’s career

Shakespearean tragedy printed and performed

Religion and Shakespearean tragedy

Tragedy and political authority

Gender and family

The tragic subject and its passions

Tragedies of revenge and ambition

Shakespeare’s tragedies of love

Shakespeare’s classical tragedies

The critical reception of Shakespeare’s tragedies

Antony and Cleopatra in the theatre

Select bibliography

Index

The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy The Companion acquaints the student reader with the forms, contexts, and critical and theatrical lives of the ten plays considered to be Shakespeare’s tragedies. Shakespearean tragedy is a highly complex and demanding theatre genre, but the thirteen essays, written by leading scholars in Britain and North America, are clear, concise, and informative. They address the ways in which Shakespearean tragedy originated, developed, and diversiﬁed, as well as how it has fared on stage, as text, and in criticism. Topics covered include the literary precursors of Shakespearean tragedies (medieval, classical, and contemporary), cultural backgrounds (political, religious, social, and psychological), and the sub-genres of Shakespeare’s tragedy (love tragedy, revenge tragedy, and classical tragedy), as well as the critical and theatrical receptions of the plays. The book examines the four major tragedies and, in addition, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, and Timon of Athens. Claire McEachern is Associate Professor at the Department of English, University of California, Los Angeles. She is the author of The Poetics of English Nationhood, 1512–1612 (Cambridge, 1996), and co-editor (with Debora Shuger) of Religion and Culture in the English Renaissance (Cambridge, 1997) . THE CAMBRIDGE COMPANION TO SHAKESPEAREAN TRAGEDY EDITED BY CLAIRE McEACHERN published by the press syndicate of the university of cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge cb 2 1rp , United Kingdom cambridge university press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge, cb2 2ru, UK 40 West 20th Street, New York, ny 10011-4211, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, vic 3207, Australia Ruiz de Alarcn 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa [http://www.cambridge.org](http://www.cambridge.org) Cambridge University Press 2002 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2002 Reprinted 2004 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge Typeface Sabon 10/ 13 pt System LATEX 2ε [tb ] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy / edited by Claire McEachern. [p. cm](p. cm).–(Cambridge Companions to Literature) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 0 521 79009 3 – isbn 0 521 79359 9 (pb.) 1. Shakespeare, William, 1564–1616 – Tragedies – Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Tragedy – Handbooks, manuals, etc. i . McEachern, Claire Elizabeth, 1963– ii . Series. pr 2983 . c 28 2002 822.3􀀂􀀂 3 – dc21 2002067262 isbn 0 521 79009 3 hardback isbn 0 521 79359 9 paperback CONTENTS List of illustrations page vii List of contributors viii Preface ix Chronology xi List of abbreviations xiii 1 What is a Shakespearean tragedy? 1 tom mca lin don 2 The language of tragedy 23 russ mcdonald 3 Tragedy in Shakespeare’s career 50 david be vingt on 4 Shakespearean tragedy printed and performed 69 michael warren 5 Religion and Shakespearean tragedy 86 huston die hl 6 Tragedy and political authority 103 michael hattaway 7 Gender and family 123 catherine bel sey 8 The tragic subject and its passions 142 gail kern paster contents 9 Tragedies of revenge and ambition 160 robert n . watson 10 Shakespeare’s tragedies of love 182 catherine bates 11 Shakespeare’s classical tragedies 204 copp lia kahn 12 The critical reception of Shakespeare’s tragedies 224 r . a . f oakes 13 Antony and Cleopatra in the theatre 241 barbara hod g don Select bibliography 264 Index 272 ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Hamlet, 1603 Quarto. Sigs h2v–h3r. Cou

FAQs

What is the focus of The Cambridge Companion to Shakespearean Tragedy?

It acquaints students with the forms, contexts, and critical and theatrical lives of Shakespeare’s tragedy plays.

How is the book structured and who contributes?

It consists of thirteen essays written by leading scholars in Britain and North America, covering origins, development, diversification, and reception.

Which plays does the book examine?

It examines major tragedies as well as Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus, and Timon of Athens.

Sep 21, 2026

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