Shakespeare has made the big time. No less than the Beatles or Liberace ElvisPresley or Mick Jagger Shakespeare is bigtime in the idiomatic sense ofcultural suc... » 

Shakespeare has made the big time. No less than the Beatles or Liberace ElvisPresley or Mick Jagger Shakespeare is bigtime in the idiomatic sense ofcultural success and widespread notoriety. Not only has he achieved canonicalstatus Shakespeare is a contemporary celebrity. His artistic distinction andaptitude for controversy constantly keeps his name in the public eye. Bristoldebates Shakespeares cultural authority and clarifies the semantics of hisname in our culture. BigTime Shakespeare suggests his plays represent thepathos of our civilisation with extraordinary force and clarity. Shakespearescontradictory understanding of the social and cultural past is also examinedwith close analysis of The Winters Tale Othello and Hamlet. «