How Long to Read The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero

How Long Does it Take to Read The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero?

It takes the average reader 11 hours and 24 minutes to read The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero by W. Hess

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

The "Dark Side of Shakespeare" trilogy by W. Ron Hess has been his 20-year undertaking to try to fill-in many of the gaps in knowledge of Shakespeare's personality and times. The first two volumes investigated wide-ranging topics, including the key intellectual attributes that Shakespeare exhibited in his works, including the social and political events of the 1570s to early-1600s. This was when Hess believes the Bard's works were being "originated" (the earliest phases of artistry, from conception or inspiration to the first of multiple iterations of "writing"). Hess highlights a peculiar fascination that the Bard had with the half-brother of Spain's Philip II, the heroic Don Juan of Austria, or in 1571 "the Victor of Lepanto." From that fascination, as determined by characters based on Don Juan in the plays (e.g., the villain "Don John" in "Much Ado")and other matters, Hess even made so bold as to propose a series of phases from the mid-1570s to mid-80s in which he feels each Shakespeare play had been originated, or some early form of each play then existed -- if not in writing, at least in the Bard's imagination. Thus, the creative process Hess describes is a vastly more protracted on than most Shakespeare scholars would admit to -- the absurd notion that the Bard would jot off the lines of a work in a few days or weeks and then immediately have it performed on the public stage or published shortly thereafter still dominates orthodox dating systems for the canon. Hess draws on the works of many other scholars for using "topical allusions" within each work in order to set practical limits for when the "origination" and subsequent "alterations" of each play occurred. In the trilogy's Volume III, Hess continues to amplify a heroic "knight-errant" personality type that Shakespeare's very "pen-name" may have been drawn from, a type which envied and transcended the brutal chivalry of Don Juan. This was channeled into a patriotic anti-Spanish and pro-British imperial spirit -- particularly with regard to reforming and improving the English language so that it could rival the Greco-Roman, Italian, and Frenchpoetic traditions -- one-upping the best that the greats of antiquity and the Renaissance had achieved in literature. In fact, as vast as the story is that Hess tells in his three volumes, there is a huge volume of material he is making available out of print (on his webpage at http://home.earthlink.net/~beornshall/index.html and via a "Volume IV" that he plans to offer on CD for a nominal cost via his e-mail [email protected]). Among this added material is a searchable 1,000-page Chronological listing of "Everything" that Hess deems relevant to Shakespeare and his age, or to the providing of the canon to modern times. Hess feels that discernable patterns can be detected through that chronology that help to illuminate the roles of others in the Bard's circle, such as Anthony Munday and Thomas Heywood. The network of 16th and 17th century "Stationers" (printers, publishers, and book sellers) and their often curious doings provide many of those patterns. Hess invites his readers to help to continuously update the Chronology and other materials, so that those can remain worthwhile research resources for all to use. For, the mysteries of Shakespeare and his age can only be unraveled through fully understanding the patterns within.

How long is The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero?

The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero by W. Hess is 674 pages long, and a total of 171,196 words.

This makes it 227% the length of the average book. It also has 209% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 15 hours and 35 minutes to read The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero aloud.

What Reading Level is The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero?

The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero?

The Dark Side of Shakespeare: An Elizabethan Courtier, Diplomat, Spymaster, & Epic Hero by W. Hess is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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