Conspiracies and revolts simmered beneath the surface of Queen Elizabeth's reign. England was riven with tensions created by religious conflict and the prospect of dynastic crisis and regime change. In this rich, incisive account, Peter Lake reveals how in 'Titus Andronicus' and 'Hamlet' Shakespeare worked through a range of Tudor anxieties, including concerns about the nature of justice, resistance, and salvation. In both 'Hamlet' and 'Titus' the princes are faced with successions forged under questionable circumstances and they each have a choice: whether or not to resort to political violence. The unfolding action, Lake argues, is best understood in terms of contemporary debates about the legitimacy of resistance and the relation between religion and politics. Relating the plays to their broader political and polemical contexts, Lake sheds light on the nature of revenge, resistance, and religion in post-Reformation England.
Part I. Titus Andronicus. Succession and confessional politics combined -- Tyranny delineated -- Beyond paganism and politics -- Part II. Hamlet. Hamlet with the confessional and succession politics left in -- The generic matrix: revenge tragedy, history play, murder pamphlet and conversion narrative -- The (providential) purposes of playing -- The politics of conscience -- Contemporary resonances -- Conclusion: Pagan/Catholic/Protestant/Christian.
Bibliography (note)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
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Author
Lake, Peter.
Title
Hamlet's choice [electronic resource] : religion and resistance in Shakespeare's revenge tragedies / Peter Lake.