Research Catalog

Title

"The world must be peopled" : Shakespeare's comedies of forgiveness / Michael D. Friedman.

Author

Friedman, Michael D., 1960-

Publication

Madison [N.J.] : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press ; London : Associated University Presses, c2002.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

272 p. : ill.; 25 cm.

Summary

"Friedman argues that The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Much Ado About Nothing, All's Well that Ends Well, and Measure for Measure comprise a dramatic subgenre called the comedy of forgiveness. The comic heroes of these plays (Proteus, Claudio, Bertram, and Angelo) pose problems on the stage due to the glaring discrepancy between what they seem to deserve for their offenses against women and the punishments they actually receive. Historically, theater productions have refashioned these plays into romantic comedies by reducing the comic hero's blameworthiness and portraying his reunion with his maltreated mistress as the triumph of true love. However, since the advent of feminism, various productions have emphasized the ways in which the comedies of forgiveness strive to further the process of legitimate procreation at all costs, particularly by pardoning the comic hero without regard for the feelings of the women he has wronged. The book surveys the impact of these recent productions and suggests additional ways in which a feminist approach to performance might produce theatrical versions of these plays more consistent with their generic features."--Jacket.

Subject

• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 > Views on forgiveness
• Forgiveness in literature
• Comedy

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-262) and index.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

ISBN

0838639410 (alk. paper)

LCCN

^^2001054835

OCLC

48248940

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library