The English Miscellany

“Infinity made imaginable.” A review of The Encyclopedia of the Gothic (2016), edited by William Hughes, David Punter and Andrew Smith. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1-119-06460-2. (880 pages).      The general editors (William Hughes, David Punter and Andrew Smith) begin their Introduction to The Encyclopedia of the Gothic by employing the now well-known story of the Chinese encyclopedia, popularized by Jorge Luis Borges and by Michel Foucault in The Order of Things (1970). Although they choose to employ the definite article in their chosen title, their enlightened emphasis on ‘provisionality’ hints at the struggle with the ‘epistemologically firm structure of an encyclopedia’ (p. xxxiv). Indeed, the evidence of diversity and the proliferation of resources [FN1] on gothic appears to challenge the possibility of constructing an encyclopedia in fixed media. Fortunately, the online version will provide an opportunity to interact with the suggestions of ...

Drury Lane Theatre Researchers will find this nineteenth century reference work useful: John Genest, Some Account of the English Stage: From the Restoration in 1660 to 1830. Published in 1832. 10 volumes Individual volumes can be quite difficult to track down. Here are the links to the free Google-scanned copies. Volume 1 Volume 2   Volume 3   Volume 4 Volume 5 Volume 6 Volume 7 Volume 8 Volume 9 Volume 10 Map - Covent Garden A sample of the index/contents is shown below. ABBREVIATIONS IN INDEX. T. R. for Theatre Royal. L. I. F. for Lincoln's Inn Fields. D. G for Dorset Garden. Hay. for Haymarket. G. F. for Goodman's Fields. D. L. C for Drury Lane Company. C. G. C. for Covent Garden Company. EXAMPLES from the INDEX TO THE ENGLISH STAGE. This index appears at the beginning of Volume 1. N B. FOR THE FIRST APP. OF ANY PERFORMER OF CONSEQUENCE, SEE HIS. OR HER. CHARACTERS. ...

The publication of a new edition of Bradley’s Shakespearean Tragedy (1904) presents a timely opportunity to explore a classic expression of the theory and practice of tragic drama. This is also an opportunity for new readers to encounter a distinctive appreciation of Shakespeare’s work in the context of more recent literary and cultural theories. In the process, the obstacles to a clear understanding of what Bradley thought are explored, and we seek to explain why many critics were often hostile to his writings on Shakespeare. We then proceed to an interrogation of Bradley’s philosophy of tragedy in the context the wider project of the development of English Studies as an educational discipline since the end of the nineteenth century. This frame of analysis will also be informed by recent post-colonial theories which will be positioned within the context of literary study understood as a distinctive project of enlightened humane education. [...] One of the predicamen...

In the exam you are typically provided with a short extract from one of Shakespeare plays. This blog provides a checklist of the key points that you will need to write about. This exercise is an opportunity to show off your understanding and your critical vocabulary, and to demonstrate your awareness of how literary and rhetorical techniques contribute to effective dramatic writing. Finding your bearings Keywords: conflict, drama, character, theme Who are the main protagonists, and who are the subsidiary speakers? Which characters prompt or lead the discussion? Who dominates? Think about the context for the action, the sense of conflict or rapport and dramatic situation how the extract helps to develop a character/psychology/motivation/emotion ... or to advance a theme. Think about what has happened before , and what will happen after the selected scene/extract Is there an emotional high point or specific dramatic moments that have more emphasis t...