The Regal Phantasm (Routledge Revivals) : Shakespeare and the Politics of Spectacle

First published in 1989, this title explores the relationship between theater and power in the English Renaissance. Shakespeare’s __Henry V, Richard II,__ and __Macbeth__ are examined alongside a range of cultural materials, including philosophical and historical accounts of sovereignty, royal portraiture and representations of treason and punishment. Renaissance theater was far more than a vehicle for the expression of a political content: it played a constitutive role in forming the distinctive theory of sovereignty and the distinctive political subjectivity of the era. By reading Shakespeare’s plays in conjunction with other, ideologically charged forms of representation, the book continues new-historicist efforts to uncover the complex relations between literary texts and cultural contexts. Providing an interesting and detailed analysis, this reissue will be of value to students of Shakespeare and the English Renaissance, and those concerned with exploring the intersection between cultural analysis, post-structuralism, and psychoanalytic interpretation. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Original Title Page 6 Original Copyright Page 7 Table of Contents 8 List of Illustrations 10 Acknowledgements 12 Introduction 14 1 Mock Sovereignty: Henry V 26 2 Theatricality and Power 56 3 The Betrayal of the Gaze: Richard II 95 4 The Spectacle of Punishment 119 5 Macbeth and the Politics of Rapture 155 Notes 186 Index 206 Shakespeare and the Politics of Spectacle Drawing together three Shakespearean plays, "The Regal Phantasm" explores the relationship between theatre and power in the English Renaissance. Pye explores theatre's role in forming a distinct theory of sovereignty and political subjectivity. This book should be of interest to students and lecturers in Shakespeare and English Renaissance drama. Christopher Pye. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 173-191) And Index.