Christopher Marlowe and the Failure to Unify

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British
Cover of the book Christopher Marlowe and the Failure to Unify by Andrew Duxfield, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew Duxfield ISBN: 9781317166504
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 3, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Andrew Duxfield
ISBN: 9781317166504
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 3, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In this sustained full length study of Marlowe's plays, Andrew Duxfield argues that Marlovian drama exhibits a marked interest in unity and unification, and that in doing so it engages with a discourse of anxiety over social discord that was prominent in the 1580s and 1590s. In combination with the ambiguity of the plays, he suggests, this focus produces a tension that both heightens dramatic effect and facilitates a cynical response to contemporary evocations of and pleas for unity. This book has three main aims. Firstly, it establishes that Marlowe’s tragedies exhibit a profound interest in the process of reduction and the ideal of unity. Duxfield shows this interest to manifest itself in different ways in each of the plays. Secondly, it identifies this interest in unity and unification as an engagement in a cultural discourse that was particularly prevalent in England during Marlowe’s writing career; during the late 1580s and early 1590s heightened inter-confessional tension, the threat and reality of foreign invasion and public puritan dissent in the form of the Marprelate controversy provoked considerable public anxiety about social discord. Thirdly, the book considers the plays’ focus on unity in relation to their marked ambiguity; throughout all of the plays, unifying ideals and reductive processes are consistently subject to renegotiation with, or undercut entirely by, the complexity and ambiguity of the dramas in which they feature. Duxfield’s focus on unity as a theme throughout the plays provides a new lens through which to examine the place of Marlowe’s work in its cultural moment.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In this sustained full length study of Marlowe's plays, Andrew Duxfield argues that Marlovian drama exhibits a marked interest in unity and unification, and that in doing so it engages with a discourse of anxiety over social discord that was prominent in the 1580s and 1590s. In combination with the ambiguity of the plays, he suggests, this focus produces a tension that both heightens dramatic effect and facilitates a cynical response to contemporary evocations of and pleas for unity. This book has three main aims. Firstly, it establishes that Marlowe’s tragedies exhibit a profound interest in the process of reduction and the ideal of unity. Duxfield shows this interest to manifest itself in different ways in each of the plays. Secondly, it identifies this interest in unity and unification as an engagement in a cultural discourse that was particularly prevalent in England during Marlowe’s writing career; during the late 1580s and early 1590s heightened inter-confessional tension, the threat and reality of foreign invasion and public puritan dissent in the form of the Marprelate controversy provoked considerable public anxiety about social discord. Thirdly, the book considers the plays’ focus on unity in relation to their marked ambiguity; throughout all of the plays, unifying ideals and reductive processes are consistently subject to renegotiation with, or undercut entirely by, the complexity and ambiguity of the dramas in which they feature. Duxfield’s focus on unity as a theme throughout the plays provides a new lens through which to examine the place of Marlowe’s work in its cultural moment.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Lorca’s Legacy by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book New Dir. In Education Psycholo by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Exploring the Boundaries of International Criminal Justice by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Write Out of the Classroom by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Heroin Century by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Causes and Consequences of Word Structure by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book America and the World: The Double Bind by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book The Survey of Palestine Under the British Mandate, 1920-1948 by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book The Quality Business by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Monetary Policy and Central Banking in the Middle East and North Africa by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Foreign Multinationals and the British Economy by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book The Role of the University in the Preparation of Teachers by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book The British Economy since 1914 by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Power and Politics in Old Regime France, 1720-1745 by Andrew Duxfield
Cover of the book Security in Northern Europe by Andrew Duxfield
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy