The Meaning of Shakespeare, Volume 1

By Harold Clarke Goddard

Book Overview

A classic, accessible guide to the plays of Shakespeare by a legendary teacher and scholar

Centuries after they were originally performed, the plays of Shakespeare continue to inspire, entertain, and awe audiences and readers today. At the same time, however, there's no question that even the most sophisticated reader can sometimes benefit from the insight and guidance of an expert when entering Shakespeare's long-gone world and complicated figurative language.

William Goddard is here to help. He taught Shakespeare for decades as much-loved professor at Swarthmore College, and here he distills that experience into an accessible, engaging companion to the plays. Across two volumes, Goddard covers all of Shakespeare's plays and brings fresh insight to familiar characters, scenes, and verses. Goddard writes, "The greatest poetry has always depicted the world as a little citadel of nobility threatened by an immense barbarism, a flickering candle surrounded by infinite night" Shakespeare's candle still burns, and with Goddard's help we can all see it brighter than ever.

"I believe we are nearer the beginning than the end of our understanding of Shakespeare's genius . . . " Plays covered: The Comedy of Errors, Henry VI, Titus Andronicus, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Love's Labour's Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Romeo and Juliet, King John, Richard II, Henry IV, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry V, Henry VIII, Much Ado about Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, Hamlet

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B007YXSLSO
• ISBN13: 9780226300412
• Release Date: April 1951
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Simply the Best

This first volume covers Shakespeare up to Hamlet. For later plays, see volume two. In my opinion, Goddard is by far the best critic of Shakespeare's plays. He far outranks Bloom, who seems to be the popular Shakespeare critic these days. Goddard gets to the heart of the characters and stories without being sidetracked by modern ideologies and -isms. He doesn't try to distort the plays for something they are not.I particularly love the comedies of Shakespeare and Goddard gives them the attention they deserve that other critics don't. His insight into these lighter works are quite interesting. If you are more interested in Shakespeare's tragedies rather than his comedies or histories, you should get volume two instead, however I recommend getting both.As for the writing style, it is very enjoyable and not at all scholarly or incomprehensible. Actually I've read both volumes over and over, and I consider them to be a few of the best books in my library. They are a must have for Shakespeare fans.

Beautiful, insightful, a good read after the play

Goddard is a wonderful and insightful soul. His words and insights compliment Shakespeare beautifully. I would, however, recommend that one does not read his commentary on the play until after one has developed their own view of the play's meaning. So, I suggest reading Goddard after seeing the play because Goddard is mostly interested in analyzing the play, and one can see how closely their opinion matches Goddard's. I would, however, recommend reading Isaac Azimov's "Guide to Shakespeare" before seeing or reading a play. Asimov is more interested in explaining the internal concepts, historical relevence of peoples, places, things, Elizabethan terms etc... - his book acts as more of a key to better understanding what is being said. Goddard is a beautiful interpreter of the moral meaning and in attempting to grasp at the soul of Shakespeare - which one should obviously do on their own first, before consulting "expert" opinion. So read Asimov before the play and Goddard a few days after. Each has their books divided into 10-20 page discussions on each play. Although note that Goddard has two books, be sure to get the right book.

Wisdom Literature

It can be put quite simply--this book must be considered within the tradition of Wisdom Literature. It stands on it's own apart from the plays it interprets and analyses. It is a pleasure and joy to read on its own merits. Goddard speaks and you must listen. You may hold contrary opinions about certain plays and characters, but you will not disagree with him. His essays are full of his 40 odd years of teaching but his voice is that of an intimate, not one of the classroom. Buy both volumes and keep them on your bedside table.

Really Helpful For Understanding & Appreciating Shakespeare

Professor Goddard provides a fresh understanding of the Shakespeare plays, sonnets and poems that you will not find in most college courses or in other books of Shakespeare criticism. Don't miss this! Here is a man who taught, read and reflected on the Shakespeare plays, sonnets and poems for years and years and came to some global conclusions as to what they all mean. He even concludes that the meaning of all of Shakespeare is summarized in two lines from one of the sonnets (I'll let you discover this for yourself!). Be sure to notice that there are two paperbacks, volume one and volume two. The current publisher has split the original hardback edition into the two paperback volumes, so you really need both of these volumes. Different plays and poems are covered in each volume.

Best Shakespeare Criticism

Other writers about Shakespeare have tried to equal Goddard's labor of love, most recently Harold Bloom's Shakespeare: The Art of the Human. None come close, although Jan Kott's Shakespeare Our Contemporary is also great, as is Allan Bloom's Shakespeare's Politics. In fact, Goddard makes Harold Bloom's effort look like it was written by a boy.Goddard writes thoughtful, highly readable, analytic essays about each of the plays. His interpretations are the most original, but well-argued I've ever seen. Yet they frequently deviate from traditional interpretations. For example, Goddard makes a case against the much-loved, jingoistic interpretation of Henry V; Goddard reads much darker implications. In his essay about Romeo and Juliet, Goddard argues that the play is not about star-crossed lovers, but about Romeo's inability to match Juliet's love, which is the real source of tragedy. It's hard to disagree once you've read Goddard's interpretations, but even when you do, you'll be richer for the experience. For those of you interested in "old-fashioned" literary criticism, when writers considered it their duty, not to obscure the text or to deconstruct it, but to make difficult works more accessible, than this is for you. This is a purchase you will never regret.