Celebrating the 400th anniversary of John Marston's debut as a professional playwright, this collection of critical essays on his work discovers, in the decentered, hilarious, but unsettling work of this idiosyncratic Renaissance dramatist, an uncannily postmodern voice. The qualities that estranged Marston from previous critical eras are precisely those that are now instantly accessible and this volume's essays, by leading scholars in the early modern field, explore the full extent of Marston's ambiguity toward politics, gender and the very medium he wrote for and in.
Contents
Notes on contributors; Acknowledgements; Note on the text; Introduction T. F. Wharton; 1. John Marston at the 'mart of woe': the Antonio plays Rick Bowers; 2. John Marston: a theatrical perspective W. Reavley Gair; 3. Varieties of fantasy in What You Will Matthew Steggle; 4. Safety in fiction: Marston's recreational poetics Patrick Buckridge; 5. Insatiate punning in Marston's courtesan plays Richard Scarr; 6. Touching the self: masturbatory Marston William W. E. Slights; 7. 'Two parts in one': Marston and masculinity Sukanya B. Senapati; 8. The Malcontent: hunting the letter Kiernan Ryan; 9. The Dutch Courtesan and the profits of translation David Pascoe; 10. Sexual politics in Marston's The Malcontent T. F. Wharton; 11. Marston: censure, censorship and free speech Janet Clare; 12. Ill-mannered Marston Michael Scott; Index.
Reviews
"Clearly written throughout, the volume will be a useful addition to any library supporting the study of early modern drama." Choice
"This collection is a very welcome addition to the growing shelf of books on Marston. It contains work by both new and seasoned scholars and covers many significant issues." Albion
"...much needed contribution to the critical fortunes of Marston..." Sixteenth Century Journal
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