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‘Thou art a Roman, be not barbarous’: Civilisation & Barbarism in Titus Andronicus and Othello
The Oxford English Dictionary defines barbarism as ‘rudeness or unpolished condition of language’ as well as the ‘absence of culture’, further defining it as the opposite of civilisation.1 Both definitions of the word have been in use as early as the late sixteenth century. While Europeans during the Age of… Continue reading
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Foreigners and Foreignness in Love’s Labour’s Lost and The Dutch Church Libel (1593)
In the chapter on foreigners in Keywords of Identity, Race and Human Mobility in Early Modern England, Nandini Das and others explain that in early modern England, the identity category of ‘foreigner’ was thought of in three ways: those with a place of origin outside of England, those spiritually estranged… Continue reading
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Review: Vanya by Simon Stephens (2023)
I went to see a National Theatre Live screening of Simon Stephens’ Vanya a few days ago because Stephens’ production of the Chekhov classic was marketed as a “one-man adaptation which explores the complexities of human emotion”, which, as a description, was good enough for me. (What is drama if… Continue reading
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Hierarchy in Renaissance Drama: Epicoene and The Changeling
Ben Jonson’s Epicoene is a decidedly socially conservative play written and set in Renaissance London. As well as criticising lifelong singleness by ridiculing the life of his protagonist Morose, a misanthrope who attempts to marry only for the purpose of disinheriting his nephew, Jonson also advocates for male headship in… Continue reading