Sexuality in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream

by Gary Wiener (Editor)

Overview

This informative volume explores William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream through the lens of sexuality. The book examines Shakespeare's life and influences and offers readers a series of essays for consideration on topics related to sexuality, such as the notions of the war between the sexes, taboo sexuality, and the marginalization of women's sexuality. The text also offers readers contemporary perspectives on topics related to sexuality, such as adolescent sexuality, the categorizing of people into sexual classifications, and sex education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780737763881
Publisher:	Greenhaven Publishing LLC
Publication date:	11/23/2013
Series:	Social Issues in Literature Series
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	15 - 17 Years

Table of Contents

Introduction 9

Chronology 16

Chapter 1 Background on William Shakespeare

1 The Life of William Shakespeare: Encyclopedia of World Biography 20

2 Shakespeare Was Knowledgeable About Sex Stanley Wells 32

Chapter 2 Sexuality in A Midsummer Night's Dream

1 A Midsummer Night's Dream Is a War Between the Sexes Ace G. Pilkington Olga A. Pilkington 47

2 A Midsummer Night's Dream Urges Brides to the Wedding Bed David Wiles 53

3 The Ass Motif in The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night's Dream Deborah Baker Wyrick 62

4 A Midsummer Night's Dream Exposes Taboo Sexuality Bruce Boehrer 88

5 Shakespeare's Defiant Daughters Affirm a New Morality Diane Elizabeth Dreher 97

6 A Midsummer Night's Dream: "Jack shall have Jill; / Nought shall go ill" Shirley Nelson Garner 107

7 Productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream Have Evolved Over the Years W. Reginald Rampone Jr. 128

Chapter 3 Contemporary Perspectives on Sexuality

1 Adolescent Sexuality Is a Universal Concern Monique Long 141

2 More Grey than Gay Apoorva Dutt 146

3 What Do Men Really Want? Eric Jaffe 151

4 Americans Are Still Not Honest About Sexuality Bob Minor 164

5 National Sex Education Standards Spark Controversy Nirvi Shah 169

For Further Discussion 175

For Further Reading 176

Bibliography 177

Index 182