Unhistorical Shakespeare: Queer Theory in Shakespearean Literature and Film

ISBN-13: 9780230606708 / Angielski / Twarda / 2008 / 208 str.

Madhavi Menon

Opis

Unhistorical Shakespeare argues that the way in which we study history has significant bearing on what desire we study, and how we study it. Menon argues that our embrace of difference as the template for relating past and present produces a hetero temporality in which chronology determines identity. In turn, such an understanding of history fixes sexual identity as the domain of the present and relegates nebulous desire to a thing of the past. In contrast to this temporal-sexual reification, Unhistorical Shakespeare outlines the idea of homohistory, which questions the fundamental historicist assumptions of teleology, facticity, citation, origins, and authenticity to lay bare their investments in compulsory hetero temporality.

Recenzje

"The book is really effective in its application of the'homohistorical' way of reading to Shakespeare's (and others') texts. The argument is theorized with sophistication, and the analysis of the texts is refreshing, offering a new perspective on current approaches to Shakespeare. Menon's study would be of great use to any scholar looking to discuss sexuality in Shakespeare's works." - Sixteenth Century Journal

"A series of original interventions in the field of sexuality studies and Shakespeare studies, Unhistorical Shakespeare critiques historicism's respect for chronology, teleology, and difference in relation to desire, which, Menon argues, does not, in its perversity, submit to classification, nor respect temporal and other normativizations. This is a book that performs its critique by playfully disrespecting chronology, literary influence, genre, register, and tone. It dares to argue that texts about homosexuality may be functioning in the service of straightening out history and vice versa." - Carla Freccero, Professor of Literature, Feminist Studies, and History of Consciousness and Director, Center for Cultural Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz

"Unhistorical Shakespeare is a sustained performance at a very high caliber of thought, and it will make a strong intervention in current historicizing work by early modern literary critics." Jonathan Goldberg, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor, Emory

University

Spis treści

The Argument: Unhistoricism, or Homo -History Teleology: Spurning Consequence in Venus and Adonis Facticity: Cymbeline and the 'Whore of Historicism' Citation: Bollywood quotes Much Ado Origins: Titus Andronicus and the Source of Desire Authenticity: In Search of Shakespeare ( in Love ) The Anecdote: Arabian Nights

O autorze

MADHAVI MENON is Assistant Professor of Literature, American University, Washington, USA.