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 language | English |
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Title of host publication | Shakespeare for Everyone |
Subtitle of host publication | The Emotional Worlds of Shakespeare’s Works |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Chapter | 6 |
Pages | 131-142 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Edition | 1 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781040306079 |
ISBN (Print) | 9780367407438 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2025 |