Literature, satire, and the early Stuart state
By: Andrew McRae.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2004
Place of publication: Cambridge, U.K; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 259
Subjects: Satire, English -- History and criticism.; English prose literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- History and criticism.; Politics and literature -- Great Britain -- History -- 17th century.; Literature and state -- Great Britain -- History -- 17th century.; Great Britain -- History -- Early Stuarts, 1603-1649 -- Historiography.
Description: Andrew McRae examines the relation between literature and politics at a pivotal moment in English history. Looking at documents beyond literature, McRae argues that the most influential and incisive political satire in this period may be found in manuscript libels, scurrilous pamphlets, and a range of other material written and circulated under the threat of censorship. These are the unauthorized texts of early Stuart England. From his analysis of these texts, McRae argues that satire as the pre-eminent literary mode of discrimination and stigmatization, helped people make sense of the confusing political conditions of the early Stuart era. It did so partly through personal attacks, and partly also through sophisticated interventions into ongoing political and ideological debates. Crucially, satire provided resources through which contemporary writers could define new models of political identity and construct new discourses of dissent. This book will be of interest to political and literary historians alike.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 225-244) and index.