Shakespeare and Renaissance Literary Theories: Anglo-Italian Transactions

338 Pages·2011·4.34 MB·English

by  Michele Marrapodi

ShakeSpeare and renaiSSance
Literary theorieS
AngLo-ITALIAn RenAISSAnce STudIeS SeRIeS
Series Editors
General editor: Michele Marrapodi, University of palermo, italy
advisory editors: keir elam, University of Bologna, italy
robert henke, Washington University, USa
this series aims to place early modern english drama within the context of the
European Renaissance and, more specifically, within the context of Italian cultural,
dramatic, and literary traditions, with reference to the impact and influence of both
classical and contemporary culture. Among the various forms of influence, the
series considers early modern italian novellas, theatre, and discourses as direct or
indirect sources, analogues and paralogues for the construction of Shakespeare’s
drama, particularly in the comedies, romances, and other italianate plays. critical
analysis focusing on other cultural transactions, such as travel and courtesy books,
the arts, fencing, dancing, and fashion, will also be encompassed within the scope
of the series. Special attention is paid to the manner in which early modern english
dramatists adapted italian materials to suit their theatrical agendas, creating new
forms, and stretching the renaissance practice of contaminatio to achieve, even
if unconsciously, a process of rewriting, remaking, and refashioning of ‘alien’
cultures. the series welcomes both single-author studies and collections of essays
and invites proposals that take into account the transition of cultures between the
two countries as a bilateral process, paying attention also to the penetration of
early modern english culture into the italian world.
oTHeR TITLeS In THe SeRIeS
Visions of Venice in Shakespeare
edited by Laura tosi and Shaul Bassi
Shakespeare and Venice
Graham holderness
Pollastra and the Origins of twelfth night
parthenio, commedia (1516) with an English Translation
Louise George clubb
Translating Women in Early Modern England
Gender in the Elizabethan Versions of Boiardo, Ariosto and Tasso
Selene Scarsi
Machiavelli in the British Isles
Two Early Modern Translations of the prince
alessandra petrina
Shakespeare and renaissance
Literary theories
anglo-italian transactions
Edited by
MicheLe Marrapodi
University of Palermo, Italy
© the editor and contributors 2011
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise
without the prior permission of the publisher.
the contributors have asserted their right under the copyright, designs and patents act, 1988, to be
identified as the authors of this work.
published by
ashgate publishing Limited ashgate publishing company
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Union road 101 cherry Street
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British Library cataloguing in Publication data
Shakespeare and renaissance literary theories : anglo-italian transactions. – (anglo-italian
renaissance studies)
1. Shakespeare, William, 1564–1616 – criticism and interpretation. 2. Shakespeare, William,
1564–1616 – knowledge – italy. 3. english drama – early modern and elizabethan, 1500–1600
– history and criticism. 4. english drama – 17th century – history and criticism. 5. english
drama – Italian influences. 6. Comparative literature – English and Italian. 7. Comparative
literature – italian and english. 8. renaissance – england.
i. Series
822.3’3–dc22
Library of congress cataloging-in-Publication data
Shakespeare and renaissance literary theories : anglo-italian transactions / [edited by]
Michele Marrapodi.
p. cm. – (anglo-italian renaissance studies)
includes bibliographical references and index.
iSBn 978–1–4094–2149–8 (hardback : alk. paper) – iSBn 978–1–4094–2150–4 (ebook)
1. Shakespeare, William, 1564–1616 – Knowledge – Italy. 2. English drama – Italian influences.
3. english drama – early modern and elizabethan, 1500–1600 – history and criticism – theory,
etc. 4. Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.) – History – 16th century. 5. Influence (Literary, artistic,
etc.) – history – 17th century. 6. comparative literature – english and italian. 7. comparative
literature – italian and english. 8. renaissance – england. 9. italy – in literature.
i. Marrapodi, Michele.
pr3069.i8S495 2010
822.3’3–dc22 2010038093
iSBn 9781409421498 (hbk)
iSBn 9781409421504 (ebk)
printed and bound in Great Britain by
tJ international Ltd, padstow, cornwall.
In memory of
Giorgio Melchiori (1920–2009)
Teacher, Scholar, Friend
‘a was a man, take him for all in all:
i shall not look upon his like again.’
(Hamlet, 1.2.187–8)
This page has been left blank intentionally
contents
List of Figures ix
Notes on Contributors xi
Acknowledgements xv
introduction: Shakespeare against Genres 1
Michele Marrapodi
PART I: ART, RHeToRIc, STyLe
1 Shakespeare and the art of Forgetting 25
Stephen Orgel
2 Shakespearean comedy: postmodern theory and humanist
poetics 37
Robin Headlam Wells
3 Shakespeare: What rhetoric accomplishes 57
John Roe
4 Shakespearean outdoings: Titus Andronicus and italian
renaissance tragedy 75
Mariangela Tempera
5 transalpine Wonders: Shakespeare’s Marvelous aesthetics 89
Adam Max Cohen
PART II: genReS, ModeLS, FoRMS
6 hamlet versus Commedia dell’Arte 105
Frances K. Barasch
7 the end of Shakespeare’s Machiavellian Moment: Julius
Caesar, Shakespeare’s historiography, and dramatic Form 119
Hugh Grady
8 the problem of old age: anticomedy in As You Like It and
ruzante’s L’Anconitana 137
Anthony Ellis
viii Shakespeare and Renaissance Literary Theories
9 ruzante and Shakespeare: a comparative case-Study 153
Robert Henke
10 the ‘Woman as Wonder’ trope: From Commedia Grave to
Shakespeare’s Pericles and the Last plays 175
Michele Marrapodi
PART III: SPecTAcLe, AeSTHeTIcS, RePReSenTATIon
11 Shakespeare’s italian carnival: Venice and Verona revisited 203
François Laroque
12 (re)fracted art and ordered nature: italian renaissance
aesthetics in Shakespeare’s Richard II 221
Susan Payne
13 ’tis pity She’s italian: performing the courtesan on the early
Seventeenth-century english Stage 235
Keir Elam
14 Silence, Seeing, and performativity: Shakespeare and the
Paragone 247
Duncan Salkeld
15 italian Spectacle and the Worlds of James Vi/i 265
Michael Wyatt
PART IV: codA
16 how do We know When Worlds Meet? 281
Louise George Clubb
Bibliography 287
Index 305
List of Figures
i.1 title-page of The Workes of Beniamin Jonson (1616),
engraved by William hole. By courtesy of the rare Book
division, department of rare Books and Special collections,
princeton University Library. 9
1.1 Girolamo Graziani, Il Cromuele (1671), plate to act 1. 28
1.2 Girolamo Graziani, Il Cromuele (1671), plate to act 4. 28
6.1 pantalone spying on harlequin and Francisquina. By courtesy
of the Statens konstmuseer, Stockholm (Frossard: nM G 2202/
1904). 111
10.1 a catalogve, from Mr William Shakespeares Comedies,
Histories & Tragedies (1623). By courtesy of the rare Book
division, department of rare Books and Special collections,
princeton University Library. 176
13.1 thomas coryate’s encounter with the Venetian courtesan
Margarita emiliana, from Coryats Crudities, 1611. By
courtesy of the University of Bologna Library. 245