Shakespeare, Tragedy and Menopause

The Anxious Womb

Victoria L. McMahon (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

XVII, 303 Seiten

2023 | 1st ed. 2023
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-031-27203-5 (ISBN)

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Shakespeare was not only aware of the socio-cultural fears and anxieties generated by the older woman's body but with the characterization of his tragic ageing females, Shakespeare becomes the first literary giant to explore the physiological and psychosocial condition that we have come to know as 'menopause'. Although 'menopause' was not defined as a medical, physiological or sociocultural event for the early moderns, this book argues that such a medical and cultural transition can, in fact, be identified by sub-textual clues distinguished by various embodied anxieties. It explores several ageing women of the Shakespearean tragedies as they transition through this liminal menopausal period. Theoretically underscored by humoral theory, the analysis is metonymically centered upon the womb as the seat of menopausal anxiety. These menopausal undercurrents, not only permeate the dramatic action of each play, but also emanate outward to reflect the medical, physiological, cultural, social,and religious concerns generated by the ageing woman of the early modern period at large.

Born and raised in Warwickshire, Dr. V. L. McMahon holds advanced degrees in Education, English, and Theatre. As an arts educator for over thirty years, McMahon has written, taught, and implemented Drama and English curricula in Canada’s public school system. Having lectured in the Faculties of Theatre and English at the University of Winnipeg, Canada, McMahon is also an actor, director, playwright, and dramaturge and holds a PhD from the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, UK.

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Menopausal Gertrude and the Petrified Womb.- Chapter 3: Menopausal Tamora and the Vegetable Womb.- Chapter 4: Menopausal Volumnia and the Animal Womb.- Chapter 5: Menopausal Lady Macbeth and the Envious Womb.- Chapter 6: Menopausal Cleopatra and the Cyborg Womb.- Chapter 7: Conclusion.

Erscheinungsdatum	27.09.2023
Reihe/Serie	Palgrave Shakespeare Studies
Zusatzinfo	XVII, 303 p. 16 illus., 11 illus. in color.
Verlagsort	Cham
Sprache	englisch
Maße	148 x 210 mm
Gewicht	539 g
Themenwelt	Kunst / Musik / Theater ► Theater / Ballett
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft ► Anglistik / Amerikanistik
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Sprach- / Literaturwissenschaft ► Literaturwissenschaft
	Sozialwissenschaften
Schlagworte	Ageing • Cleopatra • Feminist criticism • Gertrude • Lady Macbeth • Literature, Gender and Sexuality • Medical Humanities • menopause • Mythology • Shakespeare • Women's history
ISBN-10	3-031-27203-X / 303127203X
ISBN-13	978-3-031-27203-5 / 9783031272035
Zustand	Neuware