Shakespeare and the Nobility: The Negotiation of Lineage (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780521872911)

Shakespeare and the Nobility examines how Shakespeare was influenced by the descendants of the aristocratic characters in his early history plays. The Henry VI trilogy and Richard III are among the first plays in the English dramaturgy that reflect the lives and activities of the ancestors of sixteenth-century aristocrats. In a time when the upper classes of England were obsessed with family lineage and reputation, the salient question is how William Shakespeare, a socially inferior playwright and actor, handled the delicate matter of portraying the complex and often unattractive ancestors of the most powerful people of his day. In answer to this question, this study examines the lives of the historical figures and their descendants, presenting fresh readings of the early histories, and argues that Shakespeare consistently modified his portrayal of the ancestors with their descendants in mind.

Author: Catherine Grace Canino
ISBN-10: 052187291X
ISBN-13: 9780521872911
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 02/04/2008
Pages: 278
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.28lbs
Size: 9.12h x 6.31w x 0.92d