Fear Not Shakespeare's Tragedies: A Comprehensive Introduction

No modern culture has remained untouched by the genius of William Shakespeare. He lived during the turbulent transition from feudalism to early capitalism that laid the foundation of today’s society. Jenny Farrell explores in very accessible detail four of the playwright's greatest tragic plays. Placing Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth in the context of ideas prevalent in his time, her lucid and vivid account reveals the reasons for their universal appeal. "Fear Not Shakespeare’s Tragedies" shows clearly the great contemporary relevance of Shakespeare’s plays.

Jenny Farrell was born in Berlin, German Democratic Republic (GDR). She grew up in a bilingual German-Scottish-Irish family, where from an early age she was familiar with the literature and music of these traditions. She graduated from Humboldt University Berlin in 1980, with a BA and a B Ed in English and German. The same university awarded her a PhD in English Romantic Literature in 1985. She has lived in Ireland since 1985, working as a lecturer in GMIT. Her main fields of interest are Irish and English poetry and the work of William Shakespeare.