
Shakespeare and Religion
Alison Shell(Author)
The Arden Shakespeare (Publisher)
Published on 29. January 2015
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-4725-6817-5 (ISBN)
Description
This book sets Shakespeare in the religious context of his times, presenting a balanced, up-to-date account of current biographical and critical debates, and addressing the fascinating, under-studied topic of how Shakespeare's writing was perceived by literary contemporaries, whose priorities were more obviously religious than his own. It advances new readings of several plays, including Hamlet, King Lear and The Winter's Tale, and draws on under-exploited contemporary analogues, ranging from conversion narratives, books of devotion and polemical pamphlets to manuscript drama and emblems.
This study describes a writer whose language is saturated in religious discourse but whose invariable practice is to subordinate religious matter to the aesthetic demands of the work. For Shakespeare, as for few of his contemporaries, the Judaeo-Christian story is something less than a master narrative.
This study describes a writer whose language is saturated in religious discourse but whose invariable practice is to subordinate religious matter to the aesthetic demands of the work. For Shakespeare, as for few of his contemporaries, the Judaeo-Christian story is something less than a master narrative.
Reviews / Votes
[This] constitutes the most sophisticated account of Shakespeare and religion that I have encountered. It is the work of a sharp and distinctively original intelligence. * Blair Worden * Shakespeare and religion is a hot topic these days ... Anyone wanting to know more about all this could well start with Alison Shell's excellent survey... * Times Literary Supplement *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
340 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4725-6817-5 (9781472568175)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Alison Shell
Shakespeare and Religion
E-Book
09/2014
1st Edition
The Arden Shakespeare
€30.99
Available for download

Alison Shell
Shakespeare and Religion
E-Book
09/2014
1st Edition
The Arden Shakespeare
€30.99
Available for download
Person
Alison Shell is Professor of English at University College London, UK, and currently runs the English Department's MA in English: Shakespeare in History, and sits on the steering committee for the UCL Centre for Early Modern Exchanges. She is an editor for the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies' series 'Catholic and Recusant Texts in Early Modern England'. She reviews for the Times Literary Supplement, the Church Times and a number of academic journals.
Content
Textual Note
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
List of Illustrations
Introduction
1. Antitheatricalism in Shakespeare's Age
2. Shakespeare's Life and Works: Catholic Critiques
3. Good Works: Shakespeare's Use of Religious Moralism
4. Providence, Fate and Predestination: From Tragedy to Tragicomedy
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
List of Illustrations
Introduction
1. Antitheatricalism in Shakespeare's Age
2. Shakespeare's Life and Works: Catholic Critiques
3. Good Works: Shakespeare's Use of Religious Moralism
4. Providence, Fate and Predestination: From Tragedy to Tragicomedy
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index