I shall argue that rape, sexual threat and sexual violence in the early Jacobean drama fascinate the playwrights not only because they are the psychologically and socially interesting phenomena which break boundaries such as those between male and female, life and death, rape and marriage, the private and the public, but because the dynamic of sexual violence and its repetitive enaction on stage provide a complex analogy to theatrical performance and language, together with response in a culture that tends to conceive of theatrical experience in erotic terms, and of certain sexual impulses as highly theatrical in character. Both rape and theatrical discourse violate the "natural" socio-political, and gender hierarchy. Theatrical enactment, I shall argue, is a particularly appropriate way of depicting rape as a violent and emotional event, and conversely, rape attracts dramatists because it provides a way of reflecting upon some of the more troubling aspects of the relationship between the beholder and the beheld. The following dramatic works will be examined: Thomas Middleton's The Revengers Tragedy, The Maiden's Tragedy, Thomas Heywood's The Rape of Lucrece, John Fletcher's The Tragedy of Bonduca, The Tragedy of Valentinian, and The Queen of Corinth.

Henry Irvings Hamlet was one of the most controversial Shakespearean performances of the nineteenth century arousing eulogy and execration in almost equal measure. It is hard to penetrate the mass of biassed writing on this. theatrical phenomenon, and the contradictions in the actor's own approach to Shakespeare (Irving the master showman and mesmerist masquerading, convincingly, as an intellectual, and gaining the reputation of a Shakespearean scholar) confuse the issue still further. However Irving's Hamlet can be approached, and even assessed, in the context of the theatrical tradition of which it forms a part; the stags history of this tragedy showing more distinct "traditions" than that of any other play. A study of Hamlet acting texts' throughout the nineteenth century reveals such similarities, that it is not surprising the slightest deviation aroused heated reaction. The prompt copies of Irving, his predecessors and immediate successors show that the staging too fell into a recognisable pattern. Basic trends in settings-and costumes can be traced throughout the period, and continued well into this century. There can therefore be no arbitrary line drawn at the beginning or end of the Victorian era as many nineteenth century Hamlet traditions had their roots in the Georgian theatre, and some linger on today. But a study of nineteenth century performances makes it clear that there was such a thing as a "Victorian Hamlet", its traits being especially noticeable in traditions of character interpretation. The Prince of Denmark's image underwent marked changes during the period, some of which accorded with contemporary critical trends, others being the contribution of individual actors. In studying the stage tradition of Hamlet other points emerge. Notably the popular conception of Victorian Shakespeare "productions" as lavishly overdecorated extravaganzas requires substantial qualification where this play is concerned. Even the, admittedly ferocious, slashing of Shakespeare's text is more profitably approached through an understanding of the history behind the Victorian version of Hamlet. Irvingts performance was inimitable, and in categorising his acting style as 'Romantic', we are perhaps only describing its wayward individuality. Yet he was a figure of such pre-eminence in the Victorian theatre that his influence was inescapable. It can equally be traced in the reaction against his methods, and it is interesting to note that the 'breakaway'- movement to establish fuller texts and simpler staging of Hamlet was developing simultaneously with Irving's greatest triumphs. The Victorian Hamlet tradition was recognised as such by contemporary audiences, and never ceased to arouse animated discussion being attacked and defended with afervour which has departed from present day criticism. Moulded by a series of memorable actors, this stage tradition is worth recording if onlyAthat it provided thousands of playgoers with an immediate and exciting approach to Shakespeare's masterpiece. Henry Irving's performance was its highlight, and, in some respects, its culmination.

This thesis explores the links between female agency and representations of the body in the seventeenth century, with specific reference to the plays of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle (c. 1623-1673), and Aphra Behn (1640-1689). Although one was an aristocrat who wrote unperformed plays from the latter years of the Interregnum onwards and the other can be considered an impoverished adventuress who became one of the first female professional playwrights after the Restoration, both of these dramatists engage with some of the deep underlying anxieties of the age. Taking as my starting point the idea that the female body is a moveable token in society, used to express fears of social and political instability, I argue that Cavendish and Behn show themselves highly cognizant of pre-existing constructs of femininity, such as the chaste, silent, obedient woman, the learned lady, the Amazon and the seductive whore. However, both dramatists also utilize these constructs to re-present the female body as a source of strength and agency. Using a methodology informed by recent critical approaches to the Renaissance, the body and feminism, I look at five specific areas. Two of these - representations of the female body and aspects of bodily harm in the plays of Cavendish and Behn - alert us to ways in which women were disempowered during this period. The final three chapters consider the ways in which the female body is refigured by the two writers in a more empowering way, particularly in relation to the key areas of sexuality, staging and gender. An analysis of their plays thus illuminates for us a number of crucial and related issues: bodily harm in relation to male appropriations of the female body; negotiations of female desire in terms of redefining chastity and marriage; the use of display and performance as a way of re-presenting the body; notions of sexuality and gender, including lesbianism, cross-dressing and androgyny, and how these relate centrally to the role of the woman writer.

In recent years Ireland, North and South, has undergone a period of rapid transition. Social and economic advancements in the South and political developments in the North have brought benefits, but have also created for some a sense of confusion and disorientation. Many have become caught between the residual problems of the past and the impact of the new. In the ongoing process of redefining boundaries and attempting to build a more inclusive society, it is important to be aware of the dislocation which exists among groups and individuals in the current cultural climate. My experience of these changing times has been, broadly speaking, as a female Catholic from a middle-class, nationalist background. It is from this perspective that I have explored a variety of political, religious and gender issues, related to the overriding theme of the internal exile in contemporary Irish theatre. Specific chapters address particular concerns. Chapter one provides a historical and cultural context which seeks to place the theme within the macrocosm of a society undergoing change, in addition to outlining the way in which it is represented in and affected by contemporary Irish drama. Chapter two is entitled 'States of mind and the lyricism of theatrical conventions'. It explores a selection of post-sixties plays and identifies a number of different styles of theatre which are being practised in Ireland at the present time. Chapter three discusses the politics of spirituality in relation to Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa. Chapter four focuses on three plays by Marina Carr and considers the role of women. Chapter five looks at politics and gender in two plays about Oscar Wilde; Saint Oscar by Terry Eagleton and The Secret Fall of Constance Wilde by Thomas Kilroy. Chapter six involves a consideration of the political situation in Northern Ireland in respect of the peace process and post-cease-fire plays by a number of playwrights such as Gary Mitchell, Declan Gorman and Michael Harding.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The study consists of three parts. Part 1 defines the development of translation in Iran over almost fifteen centuries -from the reign of King Anowshiravan (53 1-79), who commissioned the first translation ever made from Sanskrit into Middle Persian (Pahlavi) to the year 2000. This part traces Iran's eventful history from the Arab invasion and the establishment of the Caliphate (642), through the Moghul takeover and the fall of the Caliphate (1258), to the founding of Dar al-fonoon (1852) and the rise of translation to significance, onto W.W. II and the state-wide replacement of French by English as the most important foreign language, resulting in a reinvigoration of translational activities, and finally to the Islamic Revolution (1979) and the end of the twentieth century. Part 2 looks into Shakespeare'sr eception in Iran. Given Shakespeare's profound influence in literary and theatrical activities across the world, the attention he has received in Iran is not commensurate with his high global standing. This part endeavours to find out the circumstances of this comparative neglect The linguistic, prosodic and cultural problems that typically an Iranian translator of Shakespeare may encounter are immense. The French and English in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, never enjoyed anything other than the status of foreign languages, learnt or taught as auxiliaries. Therefore, bilingualism in whose lap scholarly proficiency can be born and bred, has never existed in modern Iran. Individual bilingual scholars who may have attained their proficiency through a painstaking pursuit of knowledge at home or abroad, have either been too few or too involved in other activities to make a strong impact on translation. Thus it might be that shortcomings in some of the translations of Shakespeare may be responsible for his reserved reception in Iran. The inclusion in Part 2 of a few glimpses of Shakespeare's global significance are felt to provide a useful contrast. Part 3 is the main course of the study. It examines Farzad and Behazin's translations both made for the page, as well as Rahimi's adaptation for the stage. Rahimi's Hamlet has been subjected to an appropriation aimed at making it culturally innocuous. It has one act and twenty-one scenes, with a lot of deletions and occasional additions. Each scene has been properly examined and the appropriations made for cultural considerations have been specified. The research concludes with brief remarks on the major findings of the study.

No description available.