Reading Shakespeare Historically

Lisa Jardine is Dean of Arts and Professor of English at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, and Honorary Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. Her many publications include Still Harping on Daughters: Women and Drama in the Age of Shakespeare and Erasmus, Man of Letters. She is a regular presenter for BBC Radio.

'Reading Shakespeare Historically strikes blow after blow for scholarship and reason, and it is sensitive both to the nuances of historical time and the intrinsic qualities of the text. Whether swapping (flak?) jackets with a male colleague to give their twin papers on Shakespearean transvestism, or reassuring hearty Princeton jocks who find Henry V too "girly", Professor Jardine sallies forth with conviction and verve.' - The Independent on Sunday'The book ... has a cumulative effect and is more than the sum of its parts. Jardine articulates and develops a sophisticated methodology which allows her to "read Shakespeare historically" whilst simultaneously debating modern trends in literary criticism.' - Early Modern Literary Studies' ... Jardine writes with vigour and clarity ...' - Speech and Drama

• Introduction; Chapter 1 ‘Why Should He Call Her Whore?’; Chapter 2 ‘No Offence I’ Th’ World’; Chapter 3 Cultural Confusion and Shakespeare’s Learned Heroines; Chapter 4 Twins and Travesties; Chapter 5 Reading and the Technology of Textual Affect; Chapter 6 Alien Intelligence; Chapter 7 Companionate Marriage Versus Male Friendship; Chapter 8 Unpicking the Tapestry; Chapter 9 Conclusion;