
John Webster, Renaissance Dramatist
David Coleman(Author)
Edinburgh University Press
Published on 12. October 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-0-7486-3465-1 (ISBN)
Description
Transgressive and darkly brilliant, the drama of John Webster has long been recognised as one of the crowning glories of the English Renaissance. But this apparently idiosyncratic individual, fascinated by insanity, corruption, and the macabre, was also a successful businessman, involved in trade networks beyond the theatre, and writing most of his plays in apparently amicable collaboration with a host of other dramatists. Such is the enigma of John Webster; caricatured as a pessimist obsessed with morbidity and death, Webster's true significance lies in his ability to perceive that the darkness at the heart of humanity must co-exist with the routine and the social interaction of everyday life. John Webster, Renaissance Dramatist locates Webster's remarkable plays within the context of the culture from which they sprang. Examining the uncertain political, religious, and economic climate of Jacobean London, this book offers a guide to one of the most distinctive, yet most elusive, voices of Renaissance England. Introducing readers to both the great tragedies, The Duchess of Malfi and The White Devil, and the lesser-known works, this book explains why Webster has fascinated and horrified generations of critics and theatregoers, and argues that the relevance and resonance of Webster's drama continues to grow.Key Features* The most comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to Webster's dramatic oeuvre* Individual chapters on The White Devil, The Duchess of Malfi and The Devil's Law-Case place each major play in their historical, cultural and critical contexts* Examines the performance history of the plays, from the original stage performances to twenty-first century cinematic interpretations* The only introductory guide to Webster to take account of the most pioneering recent scholarship
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 215 mm
Width: 139 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
224 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7486-3465-1 (9780748634651)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

David Coleman
John Webster, Renaissance Dramatist
E-Book
10/2010
Edinburgh University Press
€22.49
Available for download

David Coleman
John Webster, Renaissance Dramatist
E-Book
10/2010
Edinburgh University Press
€0.00
Available for download
Person
David Coleman is Lecturer in Early Modern Literature at Queen's University Belfast. He is the author of Drama and the Sacraments in Sixteenth-Century England (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007) as well as a contributor to The Literary Encyclopaedia.
Content
Prologue: Webster's Aesthetic Relativism; 1. A London Life; 2. Textual Culture: Webster's Collaborative Drama; 3. 'Changeable Stuff': The White Devil; 4. 'Rich Tissue': The Duchess of Malfi; 5. 'Worthy Parts': The Devil's Law-Case; 6. 'Gleefully Savage': The Tragedies in Performance; 7. Bibliography; Index.