The Culture of Slander in Early Modern England

Hardback

Main Details

Title The Culture of Slander in Early Modern England
Authors and Contributors      By (author) M. Lindsay Kaplan
SeriesCambridge Studies in Renaissance Literature and Culture
Physical Properties
Format:Hardback
Pages:164
Dimensions(mm): Height 236,Width 159
Category/GenreLiterary studies - c 1500 to c 1800
ISBN/Barcode 9780521584081
ClassificationsDewey:820.9355
Audience
Professional & Vocational

Publishing Details

Publisher Cambridge University Press
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publication Date 13 October 1997
Publication Country United Kingdom

Description

Slander constitutes a central social, legal and literary concern of early modern England. A category of discourse which transgresses the law, it offers a more historically grounded and fluid account of power relations between poets and the state than that offered by the commonly accepted model of official censorship. An investigation of slander reveals it to be an effective, unstable and reversible means of repudiating one's opposition that could be deployed by rulers or poets. Spenser, Jonson and Shakespeare each use the paradigm of slander to challenge official criticism of poetry, while contemporary legal theory associates slander with poetry. However, even as rulers themselves make use of slander in the form of propaganda to demonise those they perceive to be their foes, ultimately they are unable to contain completely the threat posed by slanderous accusations against the state.

Reviews

'... this thoughtful and thought-provoking book deserves a warm welcome.' Renaissance Journal