Title in English: Two Wedding Comedies.
This volume contains new Czech translations of two wedding comedies – a popular genre of English Renaissance theatre. “Much Ado About Nothing” (c. 1598–1599) is one of the most popular plays by Shakespeare, chiefly thanks to its thrilling story about love, betrayal and deception, but also due to its relatable characters, which, before finding their loves, learn that appearances can be deceptive and that bravado might be hiding tender feelings. The play was translated for the first time under the new title “Tolik poprasku pro nic” by Anna Hrdinová. “Double Falsehood” (1727) by the Shakespearean scholar and dramatist of the first part of the 18th century Lewis Theobald is probably an adaptation of the lost tragicomedy “Cardenio”, written by William Shakespeare at the very end of his career in collaboration with his younger colleague and successor John Fletcher. Even in Theobald’s piece, love and friendship goes through hardships and the play’s protagonists have to, before achieving their happily ever after, must show resilience and moral strength. This edition presents “Double Falsehood” to the Czech readers for the first time, in the translation by Filip Krajník. Both of the plays are accompanied by scholarly introductions and explanatory footnotes that will help the readers understand the works and also will situate the plays into their original historical, literary and cultural contexts. In the case of “Much Ado About Nothing”, a special introductory study is devoted to the staging history of the play in the Czech Lands and of the play’s translation into the Czech language. This student edition is aimed at the general reading audience, secondary-school and university students and also at the lovers of literature, theatre and culture in general.
