How did Renaissance theatre create its powerful effects with so few resources? In The Shakespearean Stage Space, Mariko Ichikawa explores the original staging of plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries to build a new picture of the artistry of the Renaissance stage. Dealing with problematic scenes and stage directions, Ichikawa closely examines the playing conditions in early modern playhouses to reveal the ways in which the structure of the stage was used to ensure the audibility of o...

Shakespeare Closely Read is a collection of essays by Shakespearean scholars, all of which were originally papers presented at the 2008 International Shakespeare Conference at Stratford-upon-Avon. Each contains a close reading of Shakespearean or other Elizabethan dramatic texts in an effort to open up new meanings and interpretations. The volume contains an introduction by the editor on the history of close reading and its place in contemporary critical theory and practice.