Shakespeare's Festive World: Elizabethan Seasonal Entertainment and the Professional Stage (European Studies in English Literature)

Francois Laroque's new perspective on Shakespeare's relation to popular culture has quickly become a classic of scholarship. Available now in paperback, the book opens new possibilities for Shakespeare studies, revealing the connections between his plays and the folklore, customs, games, and celebrations of the Elizabethan festive tradition. This acclaimed study shows how Shakespeare mingled popular culture with aristocratic royal forms of entertainment in ways that combined or clashed to produce new meaning.