William Shakespeare wrote during a great age of exploration, not only of England but around the globe. The locales featured in the playwright’s works are crucial to the drama that unfolds in each of his plays, from Shylock’s house in The Merchant of Venice to Kronberg castle in Hamlet.
In All the World’s a Stage: A Guide to Shakespearean Sites, Joseph Rosenblum identifies and describes all of the settings featured in the bard’s plays—from modest dwellings noted in a brief scene or to the wide array of castles that featured prominently in many of his histories and tragedies. This volume delineates the historically prominent settings of Shakespeare’s epic dramas, such as the glorified Rome and the sensual Egypt that Marc Antony is torn between in his pursuit of Cleopatra. Rosenblum also discusses how some of Shakespeare’s settings were either altered for dramatic purposes, such as the imagined sea coast of Bohemia in A Winter’s Tale, or the invention of Prospero’s island in The Tempest. While the book contains much plot summary, the author analyzes the choice of location as well.
Though focused on plays and poems, this volume also discusses locations associated with Shakespeare that do not appear in his works. In addition to descriptions of very real settings throughout Great Britain, the author notes underground stops in London ideal for tourist exploration. Indeed, anyone interested in a Shakespearean tour of England will find material here for designing such a trip. Meticulously researched, All the World’s a Stage: A Guide to Shakespearean Site is an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and fans of England’s greatest playwright.