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Shakespeare and Work
Author(s) -
Dowd Michelle M.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
literature compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.158
H-Index - 4
ISSN - 1741-4113
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-4113.2009.00689.x
Subject(s) - scholarship , construct (python library) , obstacle , work (physics) , sociology , period (music) , point (geometry) , aesthetics , history , social science , literature , epistemology , political science , art , law , philosophy , computer science , mechanical engineering , geometry , mathematics , archaeology , programming language , engineering
This article examines recent critical approaches to Shakespeare and work. Although the word ‘work’ itself could signify a range of practices in Shakespeare’s England, such definitional uncertainty has not been an obstacle to research. On the contrary, recent scholarship has demonstrated that the ambiguous nature of work offers a productive starting point for critical inquiry, as it encourages scholars to ask how Shakespeare’s texts actively construct ‘work’ as a social, historical, and literary activity. Written and performed during a crucial period in the development of a capitalist labor economy in England, Shakespeare’s plays were a vital part of the artisanal workplace that was the London public theater. As such, Shakespeare’s works offer a particularly rich vantage point for investigating the cultural significance of labor in early modern England. This article examines a wide range of critical approaches to Shakespeare’s working world and concludes by suggesting possible avenues for further research.