Shakespeare And Modernity

Shakespeare has variously been seen as the last great exponent of pre-modern Western culture, a crucial inaugurator of modernity, and a prophet of postmodernity.

This exciting collection of essays traces the changing reception of Shakespeare over the past four hundred years. Along the way it provides fascinating insights into:

• the nature of individuality, identity, and the self

• the inter-relations of the rise of capitalism, nation-states, and secular culture

• the sexual division of labor and gender identity

• the beginnings of Western colonialism, racism, and anti-Semitism.

This fresh look at Shakespeare's plays is an important contribution to the revival of the idea of 'modernity' and how we periodise ourselves, and Shakespeare, at the beginning of a new millennium.

Library Journal

Since both critical theory and Shakespeare are core elements of most graduate English programs, a new series of books focusing on critical theories on the Bard himself and his works can only be welcome. Routledge has launched its "Accents on Shakespeare" series with six titles and the promise of more to come. Each title takes a critical theory and applies it to some aspect of Shakespeare--such as the plays, themes in his work, or the effect of the theory on a reading. Each volume reviewed here begins with an introduction or foreword that frames the critical theory in question and sets the stage for the essays to follow. In seven essays, Philosophical Shakespeares explores such topics as value and meaning and the application of various philosophical schools to Shakespeare. In ten essays, Shakespeare and Modernity looks at identity and self, the rise of nationhood, the start of colonialism in the Western world, and other similar topics. In twelve essays, Marxist Shakespeares ponders such themes as the idea of social class in the plays and the effects of literature on nationalism. The contributors are professors in a range of subject areas, most of whom have previously published works on Shakespeare. Articulate, challenging, and enlightening, this unique, theory-based set of books is recommended for academic libraries.--Neal Wyatt, Chesterfield P.L., VA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.