Final Point 1

Look over the editions for this class.  

1. (a) Who are their audiences? (b) What do the editors do to connect with their audiences?

- Macbeth

  a)  General audience, both new to Shakespeare and somewhat knowledgable

  b)  Short, general information about the time period, Shakespeare, and simple footnotes for clarification

- As You Like it

  a)  Specific educated audience.  They know a lot about Shakespeare and this specific play.  It adds new information based on the most knowledgeable research

  b) Very detailed introduction, footnotes, and appendixes;  

- The Tempest

  a)  Essayist, controversy seekers, and critical thinkers

  b)  Gives many ambiguous subjects with many different writers.

- Richard 3

  a) people interested in what other authors had to say around the time of Shakespeare; many of the essays in the back after the play are from the 1500s about King Richard and the plays of Shakespeare, as well as other plays and poems from the same time that expounded on Richard

  b) focuses on the cinema of Richard 3 and ways in which the character of Richard was created; the focus is more on those performing the play rather than those merely reading it

- Measure for Measure

  a) 16th Century Historians

  b) Brief historical intro, historical context footnotes, long chapters dealing with themes during the time of Shakespeare (such as government, marriage, and religion)

2. What kinds of audience might your group be interested in connecting with?

- General audience, with limited knowledge of Shakespeare. High school or freshman of college level

Why?

- general audience equals more sales

- easier to write; about our same level of understanding

- there is still detailed and new information within Shakespeare editions for general audiences. It allows people to learn more without having to read incredibly in-depth editions that take a lot of time and effort . . . especially when these editions are being read for fun and for individual edification on a busy schedule.