Colour in (E)motion: Emotion, affect and colour in the drama of William Shakespeare

This thesis investigates the emotional valency of colour imagery and terms in early modern English usage and considers how they were employed in a selection of Shakespeare's plays to engage audiences and readers emotionally. Relying on knowledge of cultural, medical, and social discourses involving colour, bodily affect and emotion current in the early modern period, my work investigates the significant relationship of colour to emotion. My research examines the nexus between the study of emotions and the use of colour in early modern drama in order to add to our understanding of the expressive and affective possibilities of colour.