
Anthropocene Theater and the Shakespearean Stage revises the anthropocentric narrative of early globalization from the perspective of the non-human world in order to demonstrate Nature's agency in determining ecological, economic, and colonial outcomes. It welcomes readers to reimagine theater history in broader terms, and to account for more non-human and atmospheric players in the otherwise anthropocentric history of Shakespearean performance. This book analyses plays, horticultural manuals, cosmetic recipes, Puritan polemics, and travel writing in order to demonstrate how the material practices of the stage both catalyze and resist early forms of globalization in an ecological arena. William Steffen addresses the role of an understudied ecological performance history in determining Shakespeare's iconic cultural status, and models how non-human players have undermined Shakespeare's authoritative role in colonial discourse. Finally, this book makes a celebratory argument for the humanities in the age of climate change, and invites interdisciplinary engagement a research community that is compelled to find strategies for cultivating a hopeful tomorrow amidst unprecedented anthropogenic environmental changes.
This work investigates how the non-human world and ecological forces actively shaped the development of early modern theater and the subsequent globalization of Shakespearean performance. William H. Steffen, a scholar of early modern literature and environmental studies, utilizes a multidisciplinary framework to challenge traditional anthropocentric histories. By examining the intersection of material culture and ecological agency, the author argues that the stage functioned as a critical arena where non-human entities influenced colonial and economic outcomes.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Scholars in the field of ecocriticism identify this text as a significant contribution to the intersection of environmental studies and early modern drama. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's rigorous application of materialist theory to historical performance.
Page Count:
336
Publication Date:
2023-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0192699954
ISBN-13:
9780192699954
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!