Shakespeare and Renaissance Politics

Description

This study examines Shakespeare's drama and poetry in terms of contemporary political writings dealing with the constitution, the role of the monarchy, parliament, the lessons of English history and other relevant topics. Andrew Hadfield argues that Shakespeare, like many of his contemporaries, was concerned with the question of the succession and the legitimacy of the monarch in the 1590s and early 1600s when Elizabeth was an aged and ailing queen, the manifestation of a dying dynasty which left England with an uncertain future. From early works such as "The Rape of Lucrece" and "Titus Andronicus", through the histories to "Hamlet", Shakespeare's work is haunted by the problem of political legitimacy. Although clearly worried by the impending accession of James VI, Shakespeare's plays written after 1603 suggest that he was relieved by the stability that the Scottish king brought to his English kingdom.

ANDREW HADFIELD is Professor of English at the University of Sussex, UK.