Shakespeare in the Present
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Author Description
Shakespeare in the Present is a stunning collection of essays by Terence Hawkes, which engage with, explain, and explore 'presentism'. Presentism is a critical manoeuvre which uses relevant aspects of the contemporary as a crucial trigger for its investigations. It deliberately begins with the material present and lets that set the interrogative agenda. This book suggests ways in which its principles may be applied to aspects of Shakespeare's plays. Hawkes concentrates on two main areas in which Presentism impacts on the study of Shakespeare. The first is the concept of 'devolution' in British politics. The second is presentism's commitment to a reversal of conceptual hierarchies such as primary/secondary and past/present, and the interaction between performance and reference. The result is to sophisticate and expand our notion of performing and to refocus interest on what the early modern theatre meant by the activity it termed 'playing'.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This book investigates the critical methodology of 'presentism' as a framework for interpreting Shakespearean drama through the lens of contemporary social and political realities. Terrence Hawkes, a prominent scholar in the field of Shakespearean studies, argues that the act of reading and performing Shakespeare should be driven by the material concerns of the present day rather than an attempt to reconstruct an unreachable historical past. By challenging traditional academic hierarchies, Hawkes proposes that the contemporary moment acts as a necessary trigger for interrogating the relevance and meaning of early modern texts.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- An exploration of 'presentism' as a critical maneuver in literary analysis
- An examination of the concept of 'devolution' within the context of British politics
- A theoretical framework for reversing conceptual hierarchies such as past versus present
- An analysis of the interaction between theatrical performance and cultural reference
- A re-evaluation of the early modern definition of 'playing'
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars frequently cite this work as a provocative contribution to the debate surrounding historical versus presentist approaches to Shakespearean criticism. The text is recognized for its dense theoretical arguments and its challenge to established academic conventions regarding the study of early modern drama.
Page Count:
176
Publication Date:
2003-01-01
Publisher:
Taylor & Francis Group
ISBN-10:
0203167082
ISBN-13:
9780203167083
Performance Studies
Criticism history
Political Theory
Literary Criticism
