Shakespeare and Work

Bibliographic Data

ID12880970
AuthorsMichelle M Dowd (0000-0002-5314-7837, corresponding author)
Year2010
Volume7
Issue3
Pages185-194
Publication date2010-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLiterature Compass (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1741-4113 • E-ISSN: 1741-4113
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1741-4113.2009.00689.x
OpenAlexW2021184654
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited37

This article examines recent critical approaches to Shakespeare and work. Although the word ‘work’ itself could signify a range of practices in Shakespeare’s England, such definitional uncertainty has not been an obstacle to research. On the contrary, recent scholarship has demonstrated that the ambiguous nature of work offers a productive starting point for critical inquiry, as it encourages scholars to ask how Shakespeare’s texts actively construct ‘work’ as a social, historical, and literary activity. Written and performed during a crucial period in the development of a capitalist labor economy in England, Shakespeare’s plays were a vital part of the artisanal workplace that was the London public theater. As such, Shakespeare’s works offer a particularly rich vantage point for investigating the cultural significance of labor in early modern England. This article examines a wide range of critical approaches to Shakespeare’s working world and concludes by suggesting possible avenues for further research

Aesthetics · Art · Construct (python library · Epistemology · Literature · Obstacle · Period (music · Point (geometry · Political science · Scholarship · Social science · Sociology · Work (physics · Computer Science · Historical Art and Culture Studies · Historical Economic and Social Studies · History · Law · Philosophy · Scottish History and National Identity

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub