Overview

Cavendish and Shakespeare, Interconnections explores the relationship between the plays of William Shakespeare and the writings of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle (1623-1673). Cavendish wrote 25 plays in the 1650s and 60s, making her one of the most prolific playwrights”man or woman”of the seventeenth century. The essays contained in this volume fit together as studies of various sorts of influence, both literary and historical, setting Cavendish's appropriation of Shakespearean characters and plot structures within the context of the English Civil Wars and the Fronde. The essays trace Shakespeare's influence on Cavendish, explore the political implications of Cavendish's contribution to Shakespeare's reputation, and investigate the politics of influence more generally. The collection covers topics ranging from Cavendish's strategic use of Shakespeare to establish her own reputation to her adaptation of Shakespeare's martial imagery, moral philosophy, and marriage plots, as well as the conventions of cross dressing on stage. Other topics include Shakespeare and Cavendish read aloud; Cavendish's formally hybrid appropriation of Shakespearean comedy and tragedy; her transformation of Shakespearean women on trial; and her re-imagining of Shakespearean models of sexuality and pleasure.

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9780754654537

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Reviews

'Cavendish and Shakespeare, Interconnections marks a milestone in Cavendish criticism by charting this prolific woman writer's creative engagement with Shakespeare and revealing her early contributions to critical assessment of his work.' Renaissance Quarterly 'The high quality of the essays gathered here, and their willingness to engage in informed speculation about Cavendish's meanings and practices [...] suggest that Cavendish studies are generating a good deal of intellectual energy.' Review of English Studies

'Cavendish and Shakespeare, Interconnections marks a milestone in Cavendish criticism by charting this prolific woman writer's creative engagement with Shakespeare and revealing her early contributions to critical assessment of his work.' Renaissance Quarterly 'The high quality of the essays gathered here, and their willingness to engage in informed speculation about Cavendish's meanings and practices [...] suggest that Cavendish studies are generating a good deal of intellectual energy.' Review of English Studies

’Cavendish and Shakespeare, Interconnections marks a milestone in Cavendish criticism by charting this prolific woman writer’s creative engagement with Shakespeare and revealing her early contributions to critical assessment of his work.’ Renaissance Quarterly ’The high quality of the essays gathered here, and their willingness to engage in informed speculation about Cavendish's meanings and practices [...] suggest that Cavendish studies are generating a good deal of intellectual energy.’ Review of English Studies

Author Information

Katherine Romack is Assistant Professor of English at the University of West Florida, USA. James Fitzmaurice is Professor of English at Northern Arizona University, USA., and Director of Distance Education for the School of English at the University of Sheffield, UK Katherine Romack, James Fitzmaurice, Shannon Miller, Erna Kelly, Brandie R. Siegfried, Alex Bennett, Mihoko Suzuki, Vimala C. Pasupathi, Amy Scott-Douglass, Karen Raber.

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