The Poetics of Piracy: Emulating Spain in English Literature (Haney Foundation Series)

With its dominance as a European power and the explosion of its prose and dramatic writing, Spain provided an irresistible literary source for English writers of the early modern period. But the deep and escalating political rivalry between the two nations led English writers to negotiate, disavow, or attempt to resolve their fascination with Spain and their debt to Spanish sources. Amid thorny issues of translation and appropriation, imperial competition, the rise of commercial authorship, and anxieties about authenticity, Barbara Fuchs traces how Spanish material was transmitted into English writing, entangling English literature in questions of national and religious identity, and how piracy came to be a central textual metaphor, with appropriations from Spain triumphantly reimagined as heroic looting. From the time of the attempted invasion by the Spanish Armada of the 1580s, through the rise of anti-Spanish rhetoric of the 1620s, The Poetics of Piracy charts this connection through works by Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, and Thomas Middleton. Fuchs examines how their writing, particularly for the stage, recasts a reliance on Spanish material by constructing narratives of militaristic, forcible use. She considers how Jacobean dramatists complicated the texts of their Spanish contemporaries by putting them to anti-Spanish purposes, and she traces the place of Cervantes's Don Quixote in Beaumont's The Knight of the Burning Pestle and Shakespeare's late, lost play Cardenio . English literature was deeply transnational, even in the period most closely associated with the birth of a national literature. Recovering the profound influence of Spain on Renaissance English letters, The Poetics of Piracy paints a sophisticated picture of how nations can serve, at once, as rivals and resources.

With its dominance as a European power and the explosion of its prose and dramatic writing, Spain provided an irresistible literary source for English writers of the early modern period. But the deep and escalating political rivalry between the two nations led English writers to negotiate, disavow, or attempt to resolve their fascination with Spain and their debt to Spanish sources. Amid thorny issues of translation and appropriation, imperial competition, the rise of commercial authorship, and anxieties about authenticity, Barbara Fuchs traces how Spanish material was transmitted into English writing, entangling English literature in questions of national and religious identity, and how piracy came to be a central textual metaphor, with appropriations from Spain triumphantly reimagined as heroic looting.

From the time of the attempted invasion by the Spanish Armada of the 1580s, through the rise of anti-Spanish rhetoric of the 1620s, The Poetics of Piracy charts this connection through works by Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, and Thomas Middleton. Fuchs examines how their writing, particularly for the stage, recasts a reliance on Spanish material by constructing narratives of militaristic, forcible use. She considers how Jacobean dramatists complicated the texts of their Spanish contemporaries by putting them to anti-Spanish purposes, and she traces the place of Cervantes's Don Quixote in Beaumont's The Knight of the Burning Pestle and Shakespeare's late, lost play Cardenio. English literature was deeply transnational, even in the period most closely associated with the birth of a national literature.

Recovering the profound influence of Spain on Renaissance English letters, The Poetics of Piracy paints a sophisticated picture of how nations can serve, at once, as rivals and resources.

Set in the heat and dust of Andalusia in seventeenth-century Spain, Cardenio is the story of a friendship betrayed, with all the elements of a thriller: disguise, dishonour and deceit. A woman is seduced, a bride is forced to the altar, and a man runs mad among the mountains of the Sierra Morena. The history of the play is every bit as thrilling, and this text is the result of a masterful act of literary archaeology by the Royal Shakespeare Company's Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran, to re-imagine a previously lost play by Shakespeare. Based on an episode in Cervantes'Don Quixote, the play known as Cardenio by Shakespeare and John Fletcher was performed at court in 1612. A copy of their collaboration has never been found; however, it is claimed that Double Falshood by Lewis Theobald is an eighteenth-century adaptation of it. Since Theobald's play misses out some crucial scenes in the plot, Doran has turned to the Cervantes original to supply the missing episodes, using the original English translation by Thomas Shelton (1612) that Fletcher and Shakespeare must themselves have read. Cardenio re-opened the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company's fiftieth birthday season in 2011.'an extraordinary and theatrically powerful piece... the play works beautifully'- Guardian With its dominance as a European power and the explosion of its prose and dramatic writing, Spain provided an irresistible literary source for English writers of the early modern period. But the deep and escalating political rivalry between the two nations led English writers to negotiate, disavow, or attempt to resolve their fascination with Spain and their debt to Spanish sources. Amid thorny issues of translation and appropriation, imperial competition, the rise of commercial authorship, and anxieties about authenticity, Barbara Fuchs traces how Spanish material was transmitted into English writing, entangling English literature in questions of national and religious identity, and how piracy came to be a central textual metaphor, with appropriations from Spain triumphantly reimagined as heroic looting. Recovering the profound influence of Spain on Renaissance English letters, __The Poetics of Piracy__ paints a sophisticated picture of how nations can serve, at once, as rivals and resources. Set In The Heat And Dust Of Andalusia In Seventeenth-century Spain, Cardenio Is The Story Of A Friendship Betrayed, With All The Elements Of A Thriller: Disguise, Dishonour And Deceit. A Woman Is Seduced, A Bride Is Forced To The Altar, And A Man Runs Mad Among The Mountains Of The Sierra Morena. Based On An Episode In Cervantes' Don Quixote, The Play Known As Cardenio By Shakespeare And John Fletcher Was Performed At Court In 1612. A Copy Of Their Collaboration Has Never Been Found; However, It Is Claimed That Double Falshood By Lewis Theobald Is An Eighteenth-century Adaptation Of It. Since Theobald's Play Misses Out Some Crucial Scenes In The Plot, Doran Has Turned To The Cervantes Original To Supply The Missing Episodes, Using The Original English Translation By Thomas Shelton (1612) That Fletcher And Shakespeare Must Themselves Have Read.--publisher. [adapted By Gregory Doran]. Recovering The Profound Influence Of Spain On Renaissance English Letters, The Poetics Of Piracy Paints A Sophisticated Picture Of How Nations Can Serve, At Once, As Rivals And Resources--jacket, Page [3]. Introduction -- Forcible Translation -- Knights And Merchants -- Plotting Spaniards, Spanish Plots -- Cardenio Lost And Found -- Cardenios For Our Time. Barbara Fuchs. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Amid thorny issues of translation and appropriation, imperial rivalry, the rise of commercial authorship, and anxieties about authenticity, Barbara Fuchs traces how early modern English writers borrowed Spanish literary models, triumphantly reimagining the transnational appropriation as heroic looting. Amid thorny issues of translation and appropriation, imperial rivalry, the rise of commercial authorship, and anxieties about authenticity, the author traces how early modern English writers borrowed Spanish literary models, triumphantly reimagining the transnational appropriation as heroic looting Cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Table of Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Forcible Translation Chapter 2: Knights and Merchants Chapter 3: Plotting Spaniards, Spanish Plots Chapter 4: Cardenio Lost and Found Chapter 5: Cardenios for Our Time Notes Bibliography Index Acknowledgments William Shakespeare's "lost play" re-imagined. Set in the heat and dust of Andalusia in seventeenth-century Spain, Cardenio is the story of a friendship betrayed, with all the elements of a thriller: disguise, dishonor, and deceit.