Shakespeare's Watch

William Shakespeare has gotten a bum rap from scholars on his use of time and location in his plays. Almost from the first, commentators determined that the Bard was indifferent to such mundane matters. With near glee, early critics pointed at apparent blunders like clocks appearing in Julius Caesar or the two gentlemen of Verona sailing to landlocked Milan. Yet, as any thespian knows, considerations of place and time are primary building blocks of their art. In Shakespeare's Watch: A Guide to Time and Location in the Plays, Buzz Podewell provides the location and designates the time of each scene in the playwright's comedies, tragedies, and histories. Working scene-by-scene, Podewell provides a brief synopsis of the action to first situate the story. A discussion of the location of each scene and its significance to the action follows, along with a designation of the time of the action (i.e. the play's time scheme) and the time-intervals between scenes. Additionally, both real and conjectural maps of the plays are included to give a sense of the geographical scope of each play. When relevant, maps of the actual historical battles referred to in the texts are also provided. Actors, designers, directors, scholars, and students will all find value in this unique and valuable resource.