The Dynamics of Inheritance on the Shakespearean Stage
eBook - PDF

The Dynamics of Inheritance on the Shakespearean Stage

  1. English
  2. PDF
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

The Dynamics of Inheritance on the Shakespearean Stage

About this book

Early modern England's system of patrilineal inheritance, in which the eldest son inherited his father's estate and title, was one of the most significant forces affecting social order in the period. Demonstrating that early modern theatre played a unique and vital role in shaping how inheritance was understood, Michelle M. Dowd explores some of the common contingencies that troubled this system: marriage and remarriage, misbehaving male heirs, and families with only daughters. Shakespearean drama helped question and reimagine inheritance practices, making room for new formulations of gendered authority, family structure, and wealth transfer. Through close readings of canonical and non-canonical plays by Shakespeare, Webster, Jonson, and others, Dowd pays particular attention to the significance of space in early modern inheritance and the historical relationship between dramatic form and the patrilineal economy. Her book will interest researchers and students of early modern drama, Shakespeare, gender studies, and socio-economic history.

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Yes, you can access The Dynamics of Inheritance on the Shakespearean Stage by Michelle M. Dowd in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & English Literary Criticism. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half title
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. List of illustrations
  8. Acknowledgments
  9. Note on texts and dates
  10. Introduction: Staging inheritance in early modern England
  11. 1 Crooked titles and inconstant estates
  12. 2 Revision and inaccessibility in The Duchess of Malfi
  13. 3 Travel, displacement, and the prodigal son
  14. 4 Dislocation and the loss of issue in Pericles
  15. 5 Claustrophobia and urban affiliation in Volpone and Epicene
  16. Epilogue
  17. Bibliography
  18. Index