Touching viewers and readers with his presentation of social, moral, and political issues, Shakespeare holds ageless and unequaled appeal primarily because of the universal themes at the heart of his dramatic works. Shakespeare scholar Victor Cahn takes a unique approach to exploring the plays by identifying and explicating the themes that recur throughout the canon. Written in lively language, each of the 35 essays explores a core theme or topic and discusses its implications in several key plays in which it figures prominently. This user-friendly guide not only allows readers to better understand the significance of concepts such as power, politics, marriage or money; the organization by theme also helps users to compare and contrast these important topics across relevant plays. Cahn draws vivid connections between related works of Shakespeare, but just as importantly, enlightens readers as to the pertinence of these themes in contemporary life. While this thematic guide examines all of Shakespeare's plays, particular attention is devoted to those works most often read by students; the tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and Macbeth, the comedies including A Midsummer Night's Dream and Merchant of Venice, as well as the historical plays like Richard II, and the romantic works such as The Tempest. Students who wish to investigate a particular play in greater depth can refer to this book's title index to identify all citations of that work. This valuable literary resource serves myriad uses, enabling students to trace the thread of a theme, to compare its treatment in several plays, and to understand better a play, its characters, plot and language, by examining Shakespeare's central themes.

Characters 1 male, 1 female

Dramatic Comedy

In this play of letters, a young official in a college alumni off ce invites a celebrated but reclusive author to the thirty-fifth reunion of his class. When he declines, she charmingly prods him, and thereby begins a witty and revelatory correspondence that becomes part mystery, part memory, and part romance.

Rich and revealing." - The New Yorker

"Written beautifully as a series of letters, this warm and satisfying work follows in the footsteps of A.R. Gurney's Love Letters and deserves to become just as enduringly popular... Cahn serves up something of a bona fide thriller along with the genuinely wise psychological insights that lie at the heart of Roses in December, keeping us riveted until the final word has been read." -NYTheatre.com

Thriller / 1m, 2f / Interior Fit to Kill is a thriller about strategy, deception, and betrayal. Adrian, a charming but self-indulgent chess master, enjoys a life of luxury thanks to his marriage to Janice, an older but still sexy and vibrant woman who has made her fortune as the CEO of an exercise empire. The arrival of Amy, a reporter with an agenda of her own, unleashes a whirlwind of deadly schemes that will keep audiences guessing until the final seconds. "Deliciously scary...an event worth celebrating...[Cahn] establishes himself a master of black comedy involving murder in the great tradition of Wait Until Dark, Deathtrap, and Sleuth ...a tour-de-force achievement ..." - UPI "A comedy noir that tells of infidelity and murder, with a healthy dose of humor and requisite multiplying plot twists...[a] witty pulp thriller." - Timeout New York "Fabulous...a comic thriller with enough plot twists to fill a festival...quick exposition, swift character development, perfect dialogue...a swirling world of money and murder..." - Albany Times-Union "Marvelous...unqualified suspense with quite droll humor...a delicious blend of verbal structures..." - Schenectady Gazette "A thoughtful cat-and-mouse game that will keep you interested from beginning to end...revelation after revelation...solid entertainment and good fun..." - Troy Record "Deadly twists and countertwists..." - The New York Times

A useful guide for the general reader, as well as high school and undergraduate students, to Shakespeare's 37 plays. After a brief introduction outlining Shakespeare's life and career, Cahn carefully guides the reader through each play in turn, from first scene to last, using a mixture of quotation, paraphrase, and critical comment. His style is accessible and unpretentious, and his insights into the psychological consistency' of Shakespeare's characters--the main focus of the commentary--are stimulating and sometimes provocative. "Library Journal

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Contending that the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's work lies with his characters, Cahn systematically proceeds through a discussion of each play (within the traditional categories of tragedy, history, and romance) as if an audience were encountering that play for the first time. . . . This critical appreciation approach differentiates Cahn's companion/handbook from other Shakespeareana . . . in which the intention is to assemble a body of Shakespearean lore for information. In Cahn's work, suggestions for further reading (usually a short list of the prominent, old studies) follows each analysis. Two appendixes (The Two Noble Kinsmen and a who's who of the Royal Figures are provided. A one-page select bibliography, a character index, and a general index end the book. It is highly recommended for any general public library and for academic collections at all undergraduate levels. "Choice"

Since their first production four centuries ago, the plays of William Shakespeare have been the most widely produced, popularly acclaimed, and critically examined works in the world's literature. In this unique book, Victor L. Cahn, an acclaimed teacher of drama, guides the reader scene by scene through each of Shakespeare's thirty-seven plays, recreating the freshness and theatrical effect of performance. Cahn has based his approach on the assumption that the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's plays lies in the characters, and with clarity and subtlety he focuses on how the implications of the characters' actions and the nuances of their language contribute to the plays' impact.

The introduction briefly traces Shakespeare's life and career, and explains some of the social and artistic circumstances that influenced his work. The plays are grouped by genre: Tragedies, Histories, Comedies, and Romances. This structure allows Cahn to explore Shakespeare's development in all four dramatic forms, as well as to suggest relationships between characters, themes, and images throughout the works. In addition, Cahn discusses the plays as reflective of Shakespeare's age, particularly the Renaissance concern with the tension between individual rights and social responsibility. The text is free from extensive scholarly apparatus, but valuable suggestions for further reading follow the analysis of each play, and a selected bibliography concludes the volume. The comprehensiveness of the book, as well as the accessibility and quality of its interpretations, make it a valuable resource for courses in Shakespeare, drama, and British literature, and a worthy addition to high school, college, university, and public library reference collections.

Charlotte runs an influential political blog from her home on Cape Cod. Irene, working for a long-time Senator in the midst of a tough campaign, supplies Charlotte with damaging material about the Senator's opponent. Megan, an aide to the Senator's opponent, arrives with new reports, and these three power-brokers lock horns in a battle of manipulation and political intrigue. As charges escalate and the battle swerves in unexpected directions, these highly intelligent and articulate women serve up blackmail, power plays, and plenty of media spin. In other words, politics as usual "A tight drama, cleverly constructed " -New York Theatre Wire

Synopsis: The absurdities of contemporary politics and culture are lampooned in this unique and biting novel, composed entirely of media "sound bites." Here are the voices of our time: politicians, reporters, pundits, and voters, all clashing amid a senatorial campaign between a young conservative woman and a venerable liberal man. The result is a fast-paced satire filled with sharp dialogue and ironic surprises. Endorsements: "Victor Cahn is just as adept writing about politics and the media as he is lecturing on Shakespeare. Sound Bites is an original, entertaining romp that captures the political spirit of our day." --Richard J. Garfunkel, host of The Advocates "A brilliant piece of writing . . . I was mesmerized." --BlogTalkRadio.com " Cahn] establishes himself as a master of black comedy." --UPI Author Biography: Victor L. Cahn is Professor of English at Skidmore College. He is the author of five books on Shakespeare; critical volumes on Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter; Conquering College; the memoir Classroom Virtuoso; and the novel Romantic Trapezoid. Several of his plays have been produced Off-Broadway and published by Samuel French.

In this witty and ironic novel, Melissa and Dave claim to love each other, but clash as to how the relationship should proceed. Their predicament is complicated by Beth, who brazenly asserts her own amorous intentions. Add a provocative element of mystery, and the result is a subtly subversive comedy about contemporary romance.

When Victor Cahn's Shakespeare the Playwright was issued in 1991, it was highly recommended for any general public library and for academic collections at all undergraduate levels (Choice) and viewed as a useful guide for the general reader, as well as high school and undergraduate students Library Journal. Now Professor Cahn has revised his introduction to make the context of Shakespeare's plays more meaningful to the beginning researcher and to show how the plays have been performed from the 16th century onward. In addition, the bibliographies for each of the 37 plays have been updated to include the best new research. These updates and revisions will enhance the use of this guide for the general reader, student, and researcher, from high school onward. Since their first production four centuries ago, the plays of William Shakespeare have been the most widely produced, popularly acclaimed, and critically examined works in the world's literature. In this unique book, Victor L. Cahn, an acclaimed teacher of drama, guides the reader scene by scene through each of Shakespeare's thirty-seven plays, re-creating the freshness and theatrical effect of performance. Cahn has based his approach on the assumption that the fundamental appeal of Shakespeare's plays lies in the characters, and with clarity and subtlety he focuses on how the implications of the characters' actions and the nuances of their language contribute to the plays' impact. The introduction briefly traces Shakespeare's life and career, and explains some of the social and artistic circumstances that influenced his work. The plays are grouped by genre: Tragedies, Histories, Comedies, and Romances. This structure allows Cahn to explore Shalespeare's development in all four dramatic forms, as well as to suggest relationships between characters, themes, and images throughout the works. In addition, Cahn discusses the plays as reflective of Shakespeare's age, particularly the Renaissance concern with the tension between individual rights and social responsibility. The text is free from extensive scholarly apparatus, but valuable suggestions for further reading follow the analysis of each play, and a selected bibliography concludes the volume. The comprehensiveness of the book, as well as the accessibility and quality of its interpretations, make it a valuable resource for courses in Shakespeare, drama, and British literature, and a worthy addition to high school, college, university, and public library reference collections.