Annotated table of contents

Nina Yelina. The Folk-lore Tradition in Shakespeare

Folk-lore in «Midsummer Night's Dream», «Hamlet» and «Macbeth»; relation between medieval beliefs and Renaissance culture; the importance of imaginary characters taken from the folk-lore in the realistic texture of the plays.

Israel Werzman. Shakespeare and Montaigne

Montaigne an introvert, Shakespeare an extrovert. Montaigne is sceptical in his attitude to great men, Shakespeare enhances their greatness. Shakespeare is in sympathy with Montaigne when the latter praises ancient heroes, man's greatness, the fantastic in art.

Vladimir Rogov. The Problem of the Nature of Man in «Measure for Measure»

The strife of the human and beastly as exemplified in the characters and conflicts of the play.

Zdenek Střibrný. Time in «Troilus and Cressida»

The essay treats both «The Technique of Time» and «The Philosophy of Time». The English version of the essay was published in «Shakespeare Jahrbuch», Bd. 112, Weimar, 1976, p. 105—121.

Igor Ratsky. Shakespeare's «Pericles»

«Pericles» is Shakespeare's first attempt in the genre of tragicomedy. The multiplicity of the functions of Gower in the play, its audio-visual ornamentation (pantomime etc.); convention and symbolism in the action; simplified characterization; sea-images. Double plot, Marina's fate as a repetition of Pericles' story. The play as a parable of life. Humanistic ideas in the play. «Pericles» paves the way to both the sombre «Cymbeline» and the optimistic «Winter's tale».

Julia Ginsburg. Soviet Shakespeareans on the Tragic in Shakespeare

A comprehensive review of different trends and opinions. A. Lunacharsky's pre-revolutionary essay on «Hamlet» as a lesson stimulating to fight against fate. Crude sociological explanation of the tragic motives in Shakespeare by V. Friche in the twenties, who regarded the playwright as the exponent of the decaying aristocracy; A. Smirnov's suggestion in the early thirties that Shakespeare was expressing the humanistic ideology of the rising bourgeoisie. The turn of the tide after V. Kemenov's criticism of both (1936) establishing the view of Shakespeare as a humanist expressing the attitudes of the people towards life and social institutions. A. Smirnov adapts this point of view in later books and essays, as well as M.M. Morozov. A. Anikst's formula: «The roots of Shakespeare's conflicts are social, but the tragedies are human» (1963). L. Pinsky: «The main-line subject of Shakespeare's tragedies is the fate of man in inhuman society» (1961). The views of the two last named scholars are analysed in detail.

Mark Sokoliansky. Henry Fielding on Shakespeare

Fielding was one of the first to reject classicist disapproval of Shakespeare, he protested against the mutilation of his plays in 18th century adaptations and criticized the practices of some 18th century editors of Shakespeare.

Valentina Komarova. Shakespeare's «Julius Caesar» and Ben Jonson's «Sejanus his Fall»

Jonson's aversion to tyranny is as strong as Shakespeare's, and his praise of Brutus and Cassius is ardent. Yet there are some points of disagreement between Jonson and Shakespeare. The former lays stress on the ethical values, regardless of the forms of government, while Shakespeare shows the complex dialectical relations between personal and political values.

Alexander Parfenov. Ben Jonson's «Epicoene, or The Silent woman»

The place of the comedy among the works of Jonson. Its sources. Hyperbole in character presentation (Morose). The role of noise and silence in the composition of the play. Practical jokes and the carnival spirit in «Epicoene».

Galina Tolova. John Webster's «Duchess of Malfi»

The analysis of Webster's masterpiece leads to the conclusion that Webster's dramatic method comprises both Renaissance realism with the style of the baroque.

Lilit Kadzhaznuni. On the Authorship of the «Two Noble Kinsmen»

On the basis of lexicological analysis the author compares certain words and classes of words in Shakespeare, Marlowe, Chapman, Jonson, Beaumont and Fletcher and comes to conclusion that Shakespeare had no hand in the play, which in style resembles the early work of Fletcher with the possibility that he had a collaborator.

Abram Shtein. The Maly theatre plays Shakespeare

A survey of the history of the Shakespeare productions of the oldest Moscow dramatic theatre during the 19th century.

Alexander Lipkov. The Artist and Conscience

The author traces the artistic and moral problems in Grigori Kozintsev's film interpretation of Shakespeare's «Hamlet» and «King Lear», as well as the ideas of his books «Shakespeare our contemporary» and «The Space of Tragedy». Kozintsev's interpretation of Shakespeare is the reflection of the artist's deep concern with the human condition of the 20th century.