This volume traces the modern critical and performance history of this play, one of Shakespeare's most-loved and most-performed comedies. The essay focus on such modern concerns as feminism, deconstruction, textual theory, and queer theory.

Reproduction of the original: Book of Burlesque by W.H. Davenport Adams

Includes parodies of Tennyson, Longfellow, Bret Harte, Thomas Hood, Swinburne, Browning, Shakespeare, Milton, Poe, Shelley, Cowper, Coleridge, Herrick, Carroll, Lever, Lover, Burns, Scott, Goldsmith, Kingsley, Byron and many others.

This book delves into the history and definition of burlesque, a form of entertainment that uses humor and mockery to satirize serious works. The term originated from the Italian word 'burla' which means a joke, ridicule, or mockery. Burlesque is often associated with caricature, parody, and extravagance, and has been used in literature and theater since the 17th century. The book explores its usage in the works of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and the classics. A fascinating read for those interested in the origins and evolution of this unique art form.

Nicoll's History, which tells the story of English drama from the reopening of the theatres at the time of the Restoration right through to the end of the Victorian period, was viewed by Notes and Queries (1952) as 'a great work of exploration, a detailed guide to the untrodden acres of our dramatic history, hitherto largely ignored as barren and devoid of interest'.