Satire in the Elizabethan Era
Author | : William Jones |
Publisher | : Routledge |
Total Pages | : 252 |
Release | : 2017-11-28 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781351181068 |
ISBN-13 | : 1351181068 |
Rating | : 4/5 (68 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: This book argues that the satire of the late Elizabethan period goes far beyond generic rhetorical persuasion, but is instead intentionally engaged in a literary mission of transideological "perceptual translation." This reshaping of cultural orthodoxies is interpreted in this study as both authentic and "activistic" in the sense that satire represents a purpose-driven attempt to build a consensual community devoted to genuine socio-cultural change. The book includes explorations of specific ideologically stabilizing satires produced before the Bishops’ Ban of 1599, as well as the attempt to return nihilistic English satire to a stabilizing theatrical form during the tumultuous end of the reign of Elizabeth I. Dr. Jones infuses carefully chosen, modern-day examples of satire alongside those of the Elizabethan Era, making it a thoughtful, vigorous read.