Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature before Heterosexuality

251 Pages·2007·0.949 MB·English

by  Rebecca Ann Bach (auth.)

Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature
before Heterosexuality
Previously Published:
Colonial Transformations: The Cultural Production of the New Atlantic World
1580–1640, Palgrave, 2000.
Shakespeare and Renaissance
Literature before
Heterosexuality
Rebecca Ann Bach
SHAKESPEAREANDRENAISSANCELITERATUREBEFOREHETEROSEXUALITY
© Rebecca Ann Bach,2007.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2007 978-1-4039-7654-3
All rights reserved.No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any
manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published in 2007 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN™
175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010 and
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire,England RG21 6XS
Companies and representatives throughout the world.
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States,United Kingdom
and other countries.Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European
Union and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-53722-8 ISBN 978-0-230-60363-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230603639
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bach,Rebecca Ann.
Shakespeare and Renaissance literature before heterosexuality / by
Rebecca Ann Bach.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:Before heterosexuality—The homosocial King Lear :sex,
men,and women before the valorization of lust and greed—Restoration
Shakespeare 1:adultery and the birth of heterosexuality—Restoration
Shakespeare 2:friends and libertines—“Domestic tragedy”and emerging
heterosexuality—Othello in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
and the colonial origins of heterosexuality.
1.English drama—Early modern and Elizabethan,1500–1600—History
and criticism.2.Heterosexuality in literature.3.English drama—17th
century–History and criticism.4.Heterosexuality—England—History.
5.Shakespeare,William,1564—1616—Criticism and interpretation.
6.Sex in literature.7.Adultery in literature.8.Lust in literature.I.Title.
PR658.H44B33 2007
822’.309353—dc22 2006051371
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Design by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd.,Chennai,India.
First edition:April 2007
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Julia
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Before Heterosexuality 1
1 The Homosocial King Lear: Sex, Men, and
Women before the Valorization of Lust
and Greed 25
2 Restoration Shakespeare 1: Adultery and
the Birth of Heterosexuality 49
3 Restoration Shakespeare 2: Friends and
Libertines 81
4 “Domestic Tragedy” and Emerging
Heterosexuality 107
5 Othelloin the Seventeenth and
Eighteenth Centuries and the Colonial
Origins of Heterosexuality 153
Notes 183
Bibliography 211
Index 237
This page intentionally left blank
Acknowledgments
Iam fortunate to have a long list of institutions, colleagues,
friends, and family to thank for their contributions (witting
and unwitting) to this book. Without the boon of a year-long
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship at the Newberry
Library, I would never have had either the resources or the time to
write it. My year at the Newberry (2000–2001) was a delight from
start to finish. The staff provided materials, guidance, and general col-
legiality in all situations, including an initiatory emergency room visit.
Despite my disturbing the peace that way, the staff embraced me from
the beginning of my year to the end. Thanks so much to Jim
Grossman, Sara Austin, and Hjordis Halvorson, among others. No one
at the Newberry was ever anything but a huge help. I could not have
accepted that grant from the NEH without the kind cooperation and
the sabbatical leave provided by the University of Alabama at
Birmingham. In addition, my Dean at UAB provided a grant for travel
to the Furness Shakespeare library at the University of Pennsylvania as
well as the subvention that enabled me to index the book. I very much
appreciate that support. I did the preliminary research for the book
and additional research and writing at Furness. Furness and the Walter
and Leonore Annenberg Rare Book Library at Penn are glorious
places to work, thanks to the depth and breadth of their collections
and to their superb staff. I owe thanks in particular to John Pollack,
Dan Traister, and Lynne Farrington, who have so amply supported my
work over the years.
Work at these libraries was made wonderful as well by the people
working alongside me. The group of scholars at the Newberry with
me fertilized my scholarship and provided care and support as well as
extracurricular enrichment. For lunches, dinners, conversations,
baseball games, shoe shopping, and general fun, I want to thank April
Alliston, Catherine Brown, Alan Frantzen, David Gants, Deborah
Kanter, Victoria Kirkham, Ellen McClure, Peggy McCracken, and
Carolyn Podruchny. At Furness, I often worked across two desks