Bloomsbury ShakesFear and How to Cure It: The Complete Handbook for Teaching Shakespeare

For teachers and lovers of Shakespeare, ShakesFear and How to Cure It provides a comprehensive approach to the challenge and rewards of teaching Shakespeare and gives teachers both an overview of each of Shakespeares 38 plays and specific classroom tools for teaching it. Written by a celebrated teacher, scholar, and director of Shakespeare, it shows teachers how to use the text to make the words and the moments come alive for their students. For the general reader it refutes the idea that Shakespeares language is difficult and provides a survey of the plays by someone who has lived intimately with them on the page and on the stage. Review ShakesFear and How to Cure It: The Complete Handbook for Teaching Shakespeare is written from the perspective of someone who has seemingly spent his entire adult life entrenched in the world of Shakespeare. Ralph Alan Cohen’s authority is undisputed, and as such, he conveys knowledge that is insightful, practical, and, above all else, immensely useful for teaching and learning. Cohen has taken his decades of experience and created a manual of sorts to help educators learn different (perhaps better) ways to approach teaching Shakespeare in the classroom … [Early] chapters show Cohen’s ability to connect and engage with the reader in a way that feels like talking with a colleague. The content is rich with practical and helpful advice, and his language is comfortable and easy to follow … A fantastic resource for educators. Although new(er) Shakespeare teachers will probably benefit the most, I do believe the book can provide new perspectives and ideas for experienced teachers as well. Cohen has a gift for communication, allowing ShakesFear to be accessible and useful to a wide audience. ― American Reference Books AnnualWhat fun it must be to have Cohen as a teacher! ... [His] compelling book offers us a haven. ― Times Higher Education About the Author Ralph Alan Cohen is the Founding Executive Director of the American Shakespeare Center and Professor of Shakespeare in Performance at Mary Baldwin College, USA.