Early Shakespeare, 1588–1594

Early Shakespeare, 1588–1594 draws together leading scholars of text, performance, and theatre history to offer a rigorous re-appraisal of Shakespeare's early career. The contributors offer rich new critical insights into the theatrical and poetic context in which Shakespeare first wrote and his emergence as an author of note, while challenging traditional readings of his beginnings in the burgeoning theatre industry. Shakespeare's earliest works are treated on their own merit and in their own time without looking forward to Shakespeare's later achievements; contributors situate Shakespeare, in his twenties, in a very specific time, place, and cultural moment. The volume features essays about Shakespeare's early style, characterisation, and dramaturgy, together with analysis of his early co-authors, rivals, and influences (including Lyly, Spenser and Marlowe). This collection provides essential entry points to, and original readings of, the poet-dramatist's earliest extant writings and shines new light on his first activities as a professional author.

• Sets out the main new findings and current debates about the early Shakespeare canon, a period widely overlooked or misunderstood in twentieth and early twenty-first century criticism
• Responds to recent critical work which fundamentally revises our understanding of Shakespeare's early career, including pushing the date of Shakespeare's earliest extant writings into the 1580s and the identification of new plays and new co-authors in the early canon
• Situates Shakespeare's early working life in the context of several of his peers, including John Lyly, Edmund Spenser, Christopher Marlowe and others