Green Shakespeare: From Ecopolitics to Ecocriticism

by Egan; Gabriel

• ISBN13: 9780415322959
• ISBN10: 0415322952
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-05-25
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Ecocriticism, a theoretical movement examining cultural constructions of Nature in their social and political contexts, is making an increasingly important contribution to our understanding of Shakespeare's plays. Gabriel Egan's Green Shakespeare presents:- an overview of the concept of ecocriticism- detailed ecocritical readings of Henry V, Macbeth, As You Like It, Antony & Cleopatra, King Lear, Coriolanus, Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest- analysis of themes such as nature and human society; food and biological nature; the supernatural and the weather- a bold argument for a contemporary 'EcoShakespeare', taking into account the environmental and political implications of globalization and intellectual property laws.Crossing the boundaries of literary and cultural studies to draw in politics, philosophy and ecology, this volume not only introduces one of the most lively areas of contemporary Shakespeare studies, but also puts forward a convincing case for Shakespeare's continuing relevance to contemporary theory.

Author Biography

Gabriel Egan is a Senior Lecturer in English at Loughborough University.

Table of Contents

List of figures	viii
General editor's preface	ix
Acknowledgements	xi
Introduction: Babbling of green fields	1	(16)
1 Ecopolitics/ecocriticism	17	(34)
2 Nature and human society: Coriolanus, Henry 5, and Macbeth	51	(41)
3 Food and biological nature: As You Like It, Antony and Cleopatra, Pericles, Cymbeline, and The Winter's Tale	92	(47)
4 Supernature and the weather: King Lear and The Tempest	139	(33)
Conclusion: EcoShakespeare	172	(4)
Votes	176	(6)
References	182	(13)
Index	195