Shakespearean Rhetoric: A Practical Guide for Actors, Directors, Students and Teachers (Arden Performance Companions)

Classical Rhetoric, the art of persuasion, formed the sum and substance of Shakespeare's education and was the basis of his understanding of the power of language and how it worked to move, delight and teach. Rhetoric, which seeks to explain the way that language works to influence others, provides a powerful, transformative tool for approaching text in performance. This book helps you understand the key concepts of rhetoric. It gives clear explanations, stripped of jargon, and examples of rhetorical technique in the plays. It also provides engaging, practical exercises to unlock character and to identify themes in the plays through the lens of rhetoric. Academically rigorous, based on more than a decade of practical experience in the use of rhetoric in drama at the highest level, it is an ideal companion for anyone engaging with Shakespeare in performance.

Benet Brandreth Q.C. is a barrister and an award-winning performer and expert on rhetoric and Shakespeare's use of language. For over twelve years he has taught the principles and practical application of rhetoric to actors, directors and students at the RSC, the Donmar Warehouse, RADA and more.

Abigail Rokison-Woodall is Professor in Shakespeare and Theatre, The Shakespeare Institute, Stratford upon Avon, UK and was formerly a professional actor.

Sir Simon Russell Beale is the leading Shakespearean actor of his generation, having played King Lear, Hamlet, Macbeth, Malvolio, Timon of Athens, Benedick, Falstaff, Prospero and Richard II.