A Feminist Companion to Shakespeare (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture)

The question is not whether Shakespeare studies needs feminism, but whether feminism needs Shakespeare. This is the explicitly political approach taken in the dynamic and newly updated edition of A Feminist Companion to Shakespeare. Provides the definitive feminist statement on Shakespeare for the 21st century Updates address some of the newest theatrical andcreative engagements with Shakespeare, offering fresh insights into Shakespeare’s plays and poems, and gender dynamics in early modern England Contributors come from across the feminist generations and from various stages in their careers to address what is new in the field in terms of historical and textual discovery Explores issues vital to feminist inquiry, including race, sexuality, the body, queer politics, social economies, religion, and capitalism In addition to highlighting changes, it draws attention to the strong continuities of scholarship in this field over the course of the history of feminist criticism of Shakespeare The previous edition was a recipient of a Choice Outstanding Academic Title award; this second edition maintains its coverage and range, and bringsthe scholarship right up to the present day Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Contents 9 Notes on Contributors 12 Preface to the Second Edition 19 Introduction 23 References 40 Part I The History of Feminist Shakespeare Criticism 41 Chapter 1 The Ladies’ Shakespeare 43 I 46 II 48 III 50 IV 53 V 55 VI 57 Note 59 References and Further Reading 60 Chapter 2 Margaret Cavendish, Shakespeare Critic 61 Introduction 61 Margaret Cavendish, Shakespeare Critic 65 Margaret Cavendish, First Feminist? 72 References and Further Reading 80 Chapter 3 Misogyny Is Everywhere 82 Notes 93 References and Further Reading 94 Part II Text and Language 97 Chapter 4 Feminist Editing and the Body of the Text 99 Gender and Textual Crux 101 Gender and Annotation (1): Misogyny 104 Gender and Annotation (2): Bawdy 108 Gender, the Introduction, and the Dramatis Personae 111 Feminist Editing 114 The Editor as Teacher/The Future of Editing 116 References and Further Reading 118 Chapter 5 “Made to write ‘whore’ upon?”: Male and Female Use of the Word “Whore” in Shakespeare’s Canon 120 Notes 140 References and Further Reading 141 Chapter 6 “A word, sweet Lucrece”: Confession, Feminism, and The Rape of Lucrece 143 The Conduct of Confession 147 Lucrece’s Confession 150 Lucrece’s Voice 155 Notes 156 References and Further Reading 157 Part III Social Economies 159 Chapter 7 Gender, Class, and the Ideology of Comic Form: Much Ado about Nothing and Twelfth Night 161 The “Absolute Queene,” Companionate Wives, and the Social Order 162 The Ideology of Domestic Tragedy: Arden of Faversham and A Warning for Fair Women 165 The Ideology of Shakespearean Comedy: Much Ado about Nothing and Twelfth Night 170 References and Further Reading 182 Chapter 8 Gendered “Gifts” in Shakespeare’s Belmont: The Economies of Exchange in Early Modern England 184 I Economies of the Gift 184 II Masculine Forms of Desire 188 III Multiplying Gifts 192 IV Bonds of Flesh and Blood 195 V Conclusion: Belmont and Venice 198 Note 199 References and Further Reading 199 Part IV Race and Colonialism 201 Chapter 9 The Great Indian Vanishing Trick: – Colonialism, Property, and the Family in A Midsummer Night’s Dream 203 I 203 II 213 III 221 Notes 224 References and Further Reading 225 Chapter 10 Black Ram, White Ewe: Shakespeare, Race, and Women 228 References and Further Reading 246 Chapter 11 Sycorax in Algiers: Cultural Politics and Gynecology in Early Modern England 248 I 250 II 252 III 259 References and Further Reading 264 Chapter 12 Black and White, and Dread All Over: The Shakespeare Theatre’s “Photonegative” Othello and the Body of Desdemona 266 I 267 II 273 III 280 IV 282 Notes 283 References and Further Reading 286 Part V Performing Sexuality 289 Chapter 13 Women and Boys Playing Shakespeare 291 Notes 301 References and Further Reading 301 Chapter 14 Mutant Scenes and “Minor” Conflicts in Richard II 303 I The Condition of “Minority” 303 II Women and the Deterritorialization of Dominant Discourses in Richard II 305 Notes 313 References and Further Reading 314 Chapter 15 Lovesickness, Gender, and Subjectivity: Twelfth Night and As You Like It 316 Subjectivity, Gender, and Eroticism 317 Lovesickness 319 Sexualities 323 Lovesickness in Shakespeare’s Comedies 325 Notes 336 References and Further Reading 337 Chapter 16 ... in the Lesbian Void: Woman–Woman Eroticism in Shakespeare’s Plays 340 Notes 356 References and Further Reading 359 Chapter 17 Duncan’s Corpse 361 I 361 II 364 III 369 IV 374 Notes 376 References and Further Reading 379 Part VI Religion 381 Chapter 18 Others and Lovers in The Merchant of Venice 383 Note 398 References and Further Reading 398 Chapter 19 Between Idolatry and Astrology: Modes of Temporal Repetition in Romeo and Juliet 400 Notes 411 References and Further Reading 413 Part VII Character, Genre, History 415 Chapter 20 Putting on the Destined Livery: Isabella, Cressida, and our Virgin/Whore Obsession 417 Notes 430 References and Further Reading 430 Chapter 21 The Virginity Dialogue in All’s Well That Ends Well: Feminism, Editing, and Adaptation 433 Cuts and Alterations 435 Offending/Defending Helen 437 Disjoints and Editorial Cruces 440 Character and Consistency 444 Notes 446 References and Further Reading 447 Chapter 22 Competitive Mourning and Female Agency in Richard III 450 Notes 460 References and Further Reading 461 Chapter 23 Bearing Death in The Winter’s Tale 462 I Death’s “Beare Tale” 464 II Bearing Forth 469 III Conclusion: Death without Rebirth? 472 Notes 473 References and Further Reading 475 Chapter 24 Monarchs Who Cry: The Gendered Politics of Weeping in the English History Play 479 References and Further Reading 488 Chapter 25 Shakespeare’s Women and the Crisis of Beauty 489 I 491 II 494 III 497 IV 499 References and Further Reading 501 Part VIII Appropriating Women, Appropriating Shakespeare 503 Chapter 26 Women and Land: Henry VIII 505 References and Further Reading 514 Chapter 27 Desdemona: Toni Morrison’s Response to Othello 516 Appropriation/Re-Vision 517 Collaboration 519 Performance Product 520 Dialogues with Others? 525 Notes 527 References and Further Reading 528 Chapter 28 Woman-Crafted Shakespeares: Appropriation, Intermediality, and Womanist Aesthetics 529 Terms of Art 530 “Silken Fetters”: Womanist Remakings of Shakespeare, from Phillis Wheatley to Toni Morrison 533 Woman-Crafted Shakespeare: Rankine’s Citizen 537 Notes 539 References and Further Reading 539 Chapter 29 A Thousand Voices: Performing Ariel 542 A Boy Ariel: The Adolescent Voice 543 A Female Ariel 545 Ariel in the Marketplace 548 Notes 558 References and Further Reading 558 Index 561 EULA 584 The question is not whether Shakespeare studies needs feminism, but whether feminism needs Shakespeare. This is the explicitly political approach taken by all-women team of contributors to this companion. It explores issues vital to feminist inquiry, including race, sexuality, the body, queer politics, social economies, religion, and capitalism. Contributions: Introduction / Dympna Callaghan; Part I: The history of feminist Shakespeare criticism: 1. The ladies' Shakespeare / Juliet Fleming; 2. Margaret Cavendish, Shakespeare critic / Katherine M. Romack; 3. Misogyny is everywhere / Phyllis Rackin; Part II Text and Language: 4. Feminist editing and the body of the text / Laurie E. Maguire; 5. "Made to write 'whore' upon?": male and female use of the word "whore" in Shakespeare's canon / Kay Stanton; 6. "A word, sweet Lucrece": confession, feminism, and the rape of Lucrece / Margo Hendricks; Part III Social Economies: 7. Gender, class, and the ideology of comic form: much ado about nothing and Twelfth Night / Mihoko Suzuki; 8. Gendered "gifts" in Shakespeare's Belmont: the economies of exchange in Early Modern England / Jyotsna G. Singh; Part IV Race and Colonialism: 9. The great Indian vanishing trick - colonialism, property, and the family in a Midsummer Night's Dream / Ania Loomba; 10. Black Ram, white Ewe: Shakespeare, race, and women / Joyce Green MacDonald; 11. Sycorax in Algiers: cultural politics and gynecology in Early Modern England / Rachana Sachdev; 12. Black and White, and Dread All Over: The Shakespeare Theatre's "Photonegative" Othello and the Body of Desdemona / Denise Albanese; Part V Performing Sexuality: 13. Women and boys playing Shakespeare / Juliet Dusinberre; 14. Mutant scenes and "minor" conflicts in Richard II / Molly Smith; 15. Lovesickness, gender, and subjectivity: Twelfth Night and As You Like It / Carol Thomas Neely; 16. ... in the Lesbian Void: Woman-Woman Eroticism in Shakespeare's Plays / Theodora A. Jankowski; 17. Duncan's Corpse / Susan Zimmerman; Part VI Religion: 18. Others and Lovers in The Merchant of Venice / M. Lindsay Kaplan; 19. Between Idolatry and Astrology: Modes of Temporal Repetition in Romeo and Juliet / Philippa Berry; Part VII Character, Genre, History: 20. Putting on the Destined Livery: Isabella, Cressida, and our Virgin/Whore Obsession / Anna Kamaralli; 21. The Virginity Dialogue in All's Well That Ends Well: Feminism, Editing, and Adaptation / Rory Loughnane; 22. Competitive Mourning and Female Agency in Richard III / Mario DiGangi; 23. Bearing Death in The Winter's Tale / Amy K. Burnette; 24. Monarchs Who Cry: The Gendered Politics of Weeping in the English History Play / Jean E. Howard; 25. Shakespeare's Women and the Crisis of Beauty / Farah Karim-Cooper; Part VIII Appropriating Women, Appropriating Shakespeare: 26. Women and Land: Henry VIII / Lisa Hopkins; 27. Desdemona: Toni Morrison's Response to Othello / Ayanna Thompson; 28. Woman-Crafted Shakespeares: Appropriation, Intermediality, and Womanist Aesthetics / Sujata Iyengar; 29. A Thousand Voices: Performing Ariel / Amanda Eubanks Winkler "The question is not whether Shakespeare studies needs feminism, but whether feminism needs Shakespeare. The all-women team of contributors to A Feminist Companion to Shakespeare argues that not only is Shakespeare important for women, his works are specifically important for feminism.". "The collected essays address issues vital to feminist inquiry such as race, sexuality, the body, queer politics, and the advent of capitalism, but also appropriate ground that has hitherto been regarded as terrain hostile to feminism, such as textual editing and theater history."--BOOK JACKET.