Manchester University Press Interweaving Myths in Shakespeare and His Contemporaries

This collected volume proposes new insights into the uses of classical mythology by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, focussing on interweaving processes in early modern appropriations of myth. Opening up methodological perspectives on multi-textuality, its eleven essays show how diverse myths intertwine, how variant versions of individual myths combine to create new meanings, and how myth and history interact in early modern literature. Traces of the Trojan myth in King John invite an arresting comparison between Constance and Andromache. A fresh look at ancient epyllia and their Renaissance reception builds into a lively reappraisal of Marlowe’s Hero and Leander. A single trope – that of blushing – reveals the complexity of textual interweavings in Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece andAntony and Cleopatra. Concentrating on specific plays including The Merchant of Venice, Dido Queen of Carthage and Love’s Mistress, some essays trace interactions between myths, the Bible and contemporary genres; others consider mythological characters (Europa, Penelope, Arachne, Medea, Pygmalion, Dido) to demonstrate how the weaving together of sources and versions challenges gendered representations and celebrates female agency. These refreshing, scholarly yet highly readable discussions engage with source-texts, medieval, Tudor and early modern translations and appropriations, modern performances and film productions. Offering a better understanding of the infinite variety of mythological texturing in early modern literature, this volume will be an invaluable resource for students of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. At the same time, its contributors show how engaging with mythological material is also highly relevant to today’s forms of artistic appropriation and cultural hybridity.