Shakespeare and Renaissance Europe

by Andrew Hadfield (Editor), Paul Hammond (Editor)

This collection of essays explores the diverse ways in which Shakespeare and his contemporaries experienced and imagined Europe. The book charts the aspects of European politics and culture which interested Renaissance travellers, thus mapping the context within which Shakespeare's plays with European settings would have been received. Chapters cover the politics of continental Europe, the representation of foreigners on the English stage, the experiences of English travellers abroad, Shakespeare's reading of modern European literature, the influence of Italian comedy, his presentation of Moors from Europe's southern frontier, and his translation of Europe into settings for his plays.

Genres: Shakespeare, Nonfiction, History

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Heidi Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant book. Excellent exploration of the importance of political developments in the works of Shakespeare. As hugely readable and well researched as I would expect from The Arden Shakespeare. One for teachers, undergraduates and generally interested people.

[Jessica Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hadfield's take on Shakespeare and Renaissance Politics is a useful companion to Shakespeare especially if one is interested in Shakespeare's political motivation. The tone of this particular book is a less complicated than that of his 2005 Shakespeare and Republicanism.