
Shakespearean Rhetoric
A Practical Guide for Actors, Directors, Students and Teachers
Benet Brandreth(Author)
The Arden Shakespeare (Publisher)
Published on 22. April 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
264 pages
978-1-350-08796-5 (ISBN)
Description
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.
Reviews / Votes
Shakespearean Rhetoric will greatly aid anybody who needs a text illuminating in order to decipher character - not only in Shakespeare's works, but in most classic, European texts that students will be asked to study or perform. Acting Shakespeare is made easier with the guidelines of rhetorical techniques discussed and concisely demonstrated in Benet Brandreth's book. Unlocking a character through their chosen rhetorical techniques is explained in simple terms and shown to work in practice. A vital aid for all modern students of Shakespeare - with a concise grounding in English grammar thrown in for good measure. * Paterson Joseph * Benet's passion, knowledge and curiosity is contagious, and his ability to clearly transmit the origins and influences of Shakespeare's imagination to performance and artistic process could have a profound impact on both the individual actor and classical technique as a whole. * Edward Bennett * Benet Brandreth draws on his extensive experience coaching actors in Shakespearean Rhetoric. Featuring a foreword by director Josie Rourke and recommended by actors including Paterson Joseph, Brandreth's guide is designed to enhance readers' understanding of the key concepts of rhetoric and, in doing so, to make rhetoric a valuable and relevant tool for Shakespearean performance today. The result is a practical rather than an academic text which aims to make accessible not only Shakespeare's works, but the classical rhetorical texts with which the educational culture of his time was suffused. * The Year's Work in English Studies *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 214 mm
Width: 137 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
342 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-350-08796-5 (9781350087965)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Benet Brandreth
Shakespearean Rhetoric
A Practical Guide for Actors, Directors, Students and Teachers
E-Book
03/2021
1st Edition
The Arden Shakespeare
€21.99
Available for download

Benet Brandreth
Shakespearean Rhetoric
A Practical Guide for Actors, Directors, Students and Teachers
E-Book
03/2021
1st Edition
The Arden Shakespeare
€21.99
Available for download
Person
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 and RADA.
Content
1. Introduction
2. A Brief History of Classical Rhetoric
3. Shakespeare's Approach to Rhetoric
4. What is Rhetoric?
5. Invention: Ethos, Pathos and Logos
6. Disposition
6. Invention and Disposition in the Rehearsal Room
7. Style
8. Rhetorical Techniques and Tropes: Indicators of Mental State
9. Rhetorical Techniques and Tropes: Indicators of Theme and Structure
10. Style in the Rehearsal Room
11. Rhetoric in Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Othello and Macbeth
Notes
Index
2. A Brief History of Classical Rhetoric
3. Shakespeare's Approach to Rhetoric
4. What is Rhetoric?
5. Invention: Ethos, Pathos and Logos
6. Disposition
6. Invention and Disposition in the Rehearsal Room
7. Style
8. Rhetorical Techniques and Tropes: Indicators of Mental State
9. Rhetorical Techniques and Tropes: Indicators of Theme and Structure
10. Style in the Rehearsal Room
11. Rhetoric in Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Othello and Macbeth
Notes
Index