Author Description
Stratford made the man, but London made the phenomenon that is Shakespeare. This volume takes an historical approach to Shakespeare's connections with London. It explores Stratford's various links with the capital, significant locations for Shakespeare's work, people with whom he associated, his resistance to pressure from the City authorities, and the cultural diversity of early modern London. Among many aspects of his life in the City and its environs, it covers the playhouses in Shoreditch, his associations with Bishopsgate, his brother Edmund's residence on Bankside, and elements of London life that went into the making of Falstaff. Being 'forest born', he was always an outsider and could never have been, or felt, accepted as a citizen. We find him repeatedly a sojourner in the City, on the move. His home and family lay in Stratford. Despite his success in the capital, we might almost imagine him to have been a reluctant Londoner. Shakespeare and London draws on a range of documentary sources including City parish registers, county sessions records and the archives of London's Bridewell Hospital. It sets out details about those who inhabited Shakespeare's milieu, or played some part in shaping his writing and acting career. This volume is Ideal reading for undergraduates, graduates, and specialists of Shakespeare studies.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates the complex relationship between William Shakespeare and the city of London, arguing that the capital was the primary catalyst for his professional development and artistic output. Duncan Salkeld, a scholar of early modern literature, utilizes a diverse array of primary source materials—including parish registers, judicial records, and hospital archives—to reconstruct the social and physical environment of Shakespeare's London. The book posits that Shakespeare remained a perpetual outsider in the city, balancing his professional success in the capital with his enduring personal ties to Stratford.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Historical analysis of Shakespeare's residential and professional movements within London.
- Examination of the cultural and social diversity of early modern London.
- Investigation of specific locations including Shoreditch, Bishopsgate, and Bankside.
- Use of archival evidence from Bridewell Hospital and county sessions records.
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on the intersection of Shakespeare's life and the geography of London, rather than providing a comprehensive biography of his entire life.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students of Shakespearean studies frequently cite this work as a valuable resource for understanding the material conditions of the playwright's career. Experts highlight the book's rigorous use of archival documentation to ground Shakespeare's life in the specific urban context of the period.
Page Count:
224
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0192559788
ISBN-13:
9780192559784
Biography
History
English & College Success
London England
Shakespeare Studies
Early Modern
Literary Criticism
English