Annotated Bib

 My focus has been on Shakespeare's fool trope and how it carries into modern day media. However, as I researched, I became aware of the significant differences between the trope in a comedy like Twelfth Night and a tragedy like King Lear. I've refocused my research to that and hope to incorporate a modern media element, but the looser focus might turn up something interesting.

1. Adams, Jennifer. Y Is for Yorick. 1st ed. Layton: Gibbs Smith, 2011.  Print. 

I was given this book as a Christmas gift a few years ago. It's a fun and at times insightful alphabet book about characters from various Shakespeare plays. As I've been drawn to Twelfth Night, I've noted the 2-page summary in the back. Additionally, I explored characters from Twelfth Night, King Lear, and As You Like It, all of which use the fool trope differently but I still believe for the same end.

2. Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. Print.

This is my personal Shakespeare anthology I've had for almost 10 years. There are many short summaries at the beginning that set a framework for Shakespearean society, and reading through some of those made me thing about the contrasting roles of the fool in comedies versus tragedies. If possible, I'd like to incorporate that into my research.

3. Boyce, Charles, and David Allen White. Shakespeare A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Plays, His Poems, His Life and Times, and More. New York: Facts on File, 1990. Print.

Jessica (I believe) mentioned this book in class, so I found the reference copy in the HBLL and flipped through it. There are 5 or 6 compelling entries that not only summarize but also include a bit of context for characters and ideas. The "Fool (1)" entry was particularly helpful. I've struggled to find a succinct definition to move forward with, and A-Z has helped to refine my thinking.

4. Shaheen, Naseeb. Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays. Newark: U of Delaware, 1999. Print. 

This book was suggested as a reference resource in the Shakespeare Guide on the HBLL website. In an effort to broaden my perspective, I read through some of the supplementary material from this book. It identifies the complex themes of morality as historically contingent, reminding me that my perspective of society and the fool's interactions within it are also historically contingent. My topic needs to be malleable in order to accommodate new information.

5. Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. 9th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. Print.

 I have this anthology because I like keeping textbooks, and I was required to get this one for ENGL 291. The introduction talks about the courtly culture inspired by The Courtier. There were new and changing expectations of public and noble figures, ones that Shakespeare was fascinated and amused by. The fool directly reflects certain reactions to rigid social structure. I hope to find some more focused resources that parse out the nuances of court interactions.