
Second Death
Theatricalities of the Soul in Shakespeare's Drama
Donovan Sherman(Author)
Edinburgh University Press
Published on 1. August 2017
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-4744-2609-1 (ISBN)
Description
Illuminates our understanding of the soul as a historically and philosophically vital concept through Shakespearean drama
Second Death seeks to revitalise our understanding of the soul as a philosophically profound, theoretically radical, and ultimately-and counterintuitively-theatrically realised concept. The book contends that the work of Shakespeare, when closely read alongside early modern cultural and religious writings, helps us understand the soul's historical placement as a powerful paradox: it was essential to establishing humanity but resistant to clear representation. Drawing from current critical theory as well as extensive historical research, Second Death examines works of Shakespearean drama, including The Merchant of Venice, Coriolanus, and The Winter's Tale, to suggest that rather than simply being incapable of understanding or physical realisation, the soul expressed itself in complex and subtle modes of performance. As a result, this book offers new ways of looking at identity, theatre, and spirituality in Shakespeare's era and in our own.
Key Features
Provides understanding of the soul as not only a religious, cultural, and literary concept, but also a theatrical oneDiscusses genealogy of the philosophical and theological traditions that inform the soul's placement in the early modern era, from Plato to Protestantism Includes novel readings of key works of Shakespearean drama along with substantial analyses of other Shakespeare plays (King Lear, Hamlet) as well as other early modern works (by John Donne, Christopher Marlowe, John Foxe, John Stow, Thomas Middleton, John Milton, and others)Draws new interdisciplinary connections among theatre studies, Shakespeare, critical theory, and religious studies
Second Death seeks to revitalise our understanding of the soul as a philosophically profound, theoretically radical, and ultimately-and counterintuitively-theatrically realised concept. The book contends that the work of Shakespeare, when closely read alongside early modern cultural and religious writings, helps us understand the soul's historical placement as a powerful paradox: it was essential to establishing humanity but resistant to clear representation. Drawing from current critical theory as well as extensive historical research, Second Death examines works of Shakespearean drama, including The Merchant of Venice, Coriolanus, and The Winter's Tale, to suggest that rather than simply being incapable of understanding or physical realisation, the soul expressed itself in complex and subtle modes of performance. As a result, this book offers new ways of looking at identity, theatre, and spirituality in Shakespeare's era and in our own.
Key Features
Provides understanding of the soul as not only a religious, cultural, and literary concept, but also a theatrical oneDiscusses genealogy of the philosophical and theological traditions that inform the soul's placement in the early modern era, from Plato to Protestantism Includes novel readings of key works of Shakespearean drama along with substantial analyses of other Shakespeare plays (King Lear, Hamlet) as well as other early modern works (by John Donne, Christopher Marlowe, John Foxe, John Stow, Thomas Middleton, John Milton, and others)Draws new interdisciplinary connections among theatre studies, Shakespeare, critical theory, and religious studies
Reviews / Votes
Donovan Sherman's study is original in the ways in which it seeks to join together a theology of the soul and the mode of performance and theatre. I admire the determinedly "pre-Cartesian" thrust of the book, as also the sense that Shakespeare is doing philosophical work in the form of theatre. -- Sarah Beckwith, Duke UniversityMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 155 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
386 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4744-2609-1 (9781474426091)
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

E-Book
08/2016
1st Edition
Edinburgh University Press
€24.49
Available for download

E-Book
08/2016
1st Edition
Edinburgh University Press
€0.00
Available for download
Person
Donovan Sherman is Assistant Professor at Seton Hall University, New Jersey. His research explores intersections of Renaissance literature, theatre and performance studies, religion, and philosophy. In addition to this first book he is also working on a second, The Radical Present: Rethinking Humanism in/as Performance. He has published scholarly articles in Shakespeare Quarterly, The Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Shakespeare Bulletin and Theatre Journal.
Content
Introduction: Conspiring ElementS; 1. This Tough World; 2. Governing the Wolf: Soul and Space in The Merchant of Venice; 3. Wounding the Wound: The Monuments of Coriolanus; 4. Mourning the Present: The Elegy of The Winter's Tale; Conclusion The Semi-Theatrical Prejudice; Notes.