The Disguised Ruler in Shakespeare and his Contemporaries

by Kevin A Quarmby, Helen Ostovich

Overview

Measure for Measure, Malcontent and other disguised ruler plays are typically interpreted as synchronic political commentaries about King James. Quarmby, by contrast, traces the disguised ruler's medieval origins and marks its presence on the Elizabethan stage. Influenced by European tragicomedy, the motif had by Jacobean times transformed romantic images of royal disguise into more sinister instances of politicized voyeurism. Market forces in London's vibrant repertory system fuelled this dramatic evolution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781409479239
Publisher:	Ashgate Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	05/28/2013
Series:	Studies in Performance and Early Modern Drama
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Kevin A. Quarmby is Assistant Professor of English at Oxford College of Emory University, Atlanta, and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Halle Institute for Global Learning. His prior career was professional UK actor.

Table of Contents

Contents: Preface; Introduction: the disguised ruler in Shakespeare and his contemporaries; The disguised ruler on the Elizabethan stage; The Malcontent: a play in two forms; Measure for Measure: conventionality in disguise; The Phoenix and The Fawn: law, morality and the medievalism of disguise; Disguised ruler afterlives: the spectre of terrorism; Afterword: the sting in The Wasp's tail; Bibliography; Index.