Shakespeare's Objects
Early Modern Material Culture
Will be published approx. on 25. June 2026
312 pages
978-1-350-12359-5 (ISBN)
Description
The world in which Shakespeare lived and wrote was a material one before it was a textual one - made up of people's interactions with a wide variety of things. Shakespeare's plays were first experienced as a rich mixture of objects, language, spaces and actors' bodies. This accessible and fascinating book delves into the lives of 33 significant things through full-colour images and an easy-to-read analysis of their significance.
Objects include beds and perfumes, doublets and torches, lutes, spurs, clocks and handkerchiefs, all explored in relation to social status, gender, race, economics and manufacture. Individually and together, they reveal the rich cultural and physical geography within which the playwright, his characters and audiences lived their lives. Shakespeare's Objects asks who owned these things and how were they used? It considers the diverse reality of trade, exchange and conquest which meant some individuals in early modern England could encounter carpets from Turkey and China, dyes from the Americas and paper from Venice, alongside woods and fabrics from their local communities.
Whether you are an actor thinking about how to use props, a student wanting to understand early modern drama, a theatrical designer considering a period setting, a museum professional wanting to understand the significance of objects in your care, or someone curious about objects from the past which are unfamiliar, you will find something useful in this essential guide to early modern things.
Objects include beds and perfumes, doublets and torches, lutes, spurs, clocks and handkerchiefs, all explored in relation to social status, gender, race, economics and manufacture. Individually and together, they reveal the rich cultural and physical geography within which the playwright, his characters and audiences lived their lives. Shakespeare's Objects asks who owned these things and how were they used? It considers the diverse reality of trade, exchange and conquest which meant some individuals in early modern England could encounter carpets from Turkey and China, dyes from the Americas and paper from Venice, alongside woods and fabrics from their local communities.
Whether you are an actor thinking about how to use props, a student wanting to understand early modern drama, a theatrical designer considering a period setting, a museum professional wanting to understand the significance of objects in your care, or someone curious about objects from the past which are unfamiliar, you will find something useful in this essential guide to early modern things.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
60 colour illustrations
File size
22,27 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-350-12359-5 (9781350123595)
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
Book
approx. 07/2026
The Arden Shakespeare
€25.00
Not yet published
Person
Catherine Richardson is Professor, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Arts and Humanities, School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, University of East Anglia, UK.
Content
Introduction
List of Illustrations
1. Bed
2. Book
3. Carpet
4. Chamber
5. Chest/Coffer/Trunk
6. Chimney/Hearth/Fireplace
7. Clock/Watch
8. Closet/Study
9. Codpiece/Points
10. Dinner/Supper
11. Doublet
12. Gift
13. Gown
14. Handkerchief
15. Hat/Cap
16. Hose/Stockings
17. House
18. Ink
19. Letter
20. Lights/Lanterns/Lamps/Links/Torches
21. Linen
22. Lute
23. Perfume/Sweet
24. Picture/Painting/Portrait
25. Ship/Boat/Bark
26. Silk/Satin/Velvet
27. Spoon
28. Spur
29. Stool
30. Sword
31. Table
32. Tapestry/Arras
33. Token
Index
List of Illustrations
1. Bed
2. Book
3. Carpet
4. Chamber
5. Chest/Coffer/Trunk
6. Chimney/Hearth/Fireplace
7. Clock/Watch
8. Closet/Study
9. Codpiece/Points
10. Dinner/Supper
11. Doublet
12. Gift
13. Gown
14. Handkerchief
15. Hat/Cap
16. Hose/Stockings
17. House
18. Ink
19. Letter
20. Lights/Lanterns/Lamps/Links/Torches
21. Linen
22. Lute
23. Perfume/Sweet
24. Picture/Painting/Portrait
25. Ship/Boat/Bark
26. Silk/Satin/Velvet
27. Spoon
28. Spur
29. Stool
30. Sword
31. Table
32. Tapestry/Arras
33. Token
Index
