Emotions Then: Understanding Emotions in Shakespeare’s Time

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference paperChapterpeer-review

Abstract

Examining emotions in the early modern period leads to a greater understanding of the past, and how it relates to us in the present. This chapter explores early modern understandings of emotions in Shakespeare's plays in the following ways. The section on Hamlet focuses on speeches that illustrate the role of reason in moderating excessive passions. We then consider love in A Midsummer Night's Dream and its parody of the courtly love tradition, coupled with a more serious consideration of the sense of sight as a powerful influence on the emotions that “blinds” certain characters. In Henry V, we focus on Henry's manipulation of love within the courtly love tradition, and in Othello we explore what happens when an individual fails to moderate their emotional response. Lastly, we reflect on jealousy in The Winter's Tale, and how it works within early modern thinking about the emotions and the body.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationShakespeare for Everyone
Subtitle of host publicationThe Emotional Worlds of Shakespeare’s Works
PublisherTaylor & Francis
Chapter6
Pages131-142
Number of pages12
Edition1
ISBN (Electronic)9781040306079
ISBN (Print)9780367407438
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2025

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