Overview
What was Shakespeare? For Edward Pechter, the question does not concern the time-worn mystery of identity--whether the Bard was the glover's son from Stratford or the Earl of Oxford or any of the other pretenders. Instead, Pechter examines how our talk about the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries has changed since the 1960s. Viewing today's critical scene with affectionate humor and dauntless penetration, Pechter assesses the problems, the disagreements, the disruptions, and the continuities that have accompanied the reign of poststructuralism.Synopsis
What Was Shakespeare? For Edward Pechter, the question does not concern the timeworn mystery of identity--whether the Bard was the glover's son from Stratford of the Earl of Oxford or any of the other pretenders. Instead, Pechter examines how our talk about the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries has changed since the 1960s. Viewing today's critical scene with affectionate humor and dauntless penetration, Pechter assesses the problems, the disagreements, the disruptions, and the continuities that have accompanied the reign of poststructuralism.
Although Shakespeare criticism may seem to have moved beyond confusion into chaos, Pechter hardly views the current fragmentation in literary studies as a crisis. Weighing the merits of diverse approaches, he concludes that although differences among Shakespeareans may be beyond resolution, disagreement need not prevent--and may even foster--the writing of rewarding commentary.