Bøger af Vernon Elso Johnson

A selection of essays exploring the themes and issues raised by Shakespeare's 1606 drama.

"Nashville Lullaby" is an exploration of the devastating poverty of the 1920s South from the observant eyes of a six-year-old boy forced to be wise beyond his years. The boy, burdened and sharpened by a neurological disorder - uncontrollable tics, spasms, and night terrors - tries to process the desperate poverty of his close knit but fatherless family in 1926. In Louisiana, his uncle faces off a group terrorizing a black man, and the boy stumbles on Klan activity. In Nashville, where they move, he is taunted and brutally beaten by juvenile bullies because of his condition. And his mother struggles to find food and coal to keep the family alive.

In Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare's Macbeth, three witches gather amid a ferocious storm. They began an incantation that terminates with the chant, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair," a phrase that, in many ways, sets the tone for the forthcoming events of the play. As we begin to learn more about the greed, ambition, and hunger for power that drives Lady Macbeth to do the unthinkable, we also watch the unraveling of her somewhat complicit husband, our title character, Macbeth. One of Shakespeare's most popular plays, the story of Macbeth is overwhelmed by themes of power, corruption, and remorse, leaving a lasting impression on both readers and viewers alike. This compelling edition explores Shakespeare's Macbeth through the lens of power. Readers are introduced to a series of essays that put forth varying perspectives on the role of power in relation to Macbeth, discussing topics such as the criminal as a tragic hero and Macbeth as a play of morality rather than religion. The book also explores contemporary perspectives on the drive for power using relevant and timely examples such as corporate ambition, the presidency, and American dynasties.

When Hamlet's father, the King of Denmark, dies suddenly, the country is thrown into confusion with no clear leadership. After his father's ghost reveals that he was poisoned by Hamlet's mother and uncle, Hamlet must grapple with the dissolution of a world he once trusted. This book examines the topic of corruption in Shakespeare's Hamlet through a series of essays that touch upon topics such as the symbolic role of sickness and disease, parallels between the politics in the play and Elizabethan England, how Claudius created generational disorder, and the relationship between corruption and inequality. Promoting cross-curricular study, the text also invites readers to engage with contemporary perspectives on modern-day corruption.

Adolescence and coming of age are explored through the work of Romeo and Juliet with a variety of perspectives presented.