A discussion of inter-racial sexual relations in Anglo-American literature from the English Renaissance to today.

Contains essays and studies by critics and cultural historians from both hemispheres as well as substantial reviews of books and essays dealing with medieval and early modern English drama. This work addressed topics ranging from local drama in the Shrewsbury borough records to the Cornish Mermaid in the Ordinalia.

Is William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra a sequel to the earlier Julius Caesar? If this question raises issues of authorship and reception, it also interrogates the construction of dramatic sequels: how does a playtext ultimately become the follow-up of another text? This book explores how dramatic works written before and after Shakespeare's time have encouraged us to view Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra as strongly interconnected plays, encouraging their sequelization in the theater and paving the way toward the filmic conflations of the twentieth century. Uniquely blending theories of literary and filmic intertextuality with issues of race and gender, and written by an experienced author trained both in early modern and film studies, this book can easily find its place in any syllabus in Shakespeare or in media studies, as well as in a wide range of cultural and literary courses.

When decorated Moorish general Othello appoints Cassio as his chief lieutenant, Iago gets jealous and plots revenge, alleging that Othello's wife, a much younger white woman, is having an affair with Cassio. In many ways, Shakespeare's Othello remains a potent expression of race and racism three-hundred years after its publication. This volume offers compelling interpretations of the actions and the characters that have made this play so controversial. Essays discuss the question of Othello's color, the contradictory notions of black and white in the play, sexuality and racial difference, and whether Desdemona's marriage to Othello incites racism. Contributors include Ania Loomba, Peter Ackroyd, and Doris Adler.

Explores the challenges of maintaining bonds, living up to ideals, and fulfilling desire in Shakespeare’s plays In Thinking About Shakespeare, Kay Stockholder reveals the rich inner lives of some of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic characters and the ways in which their emotions and actions shape and are shaped by the social and political world around them. In addressing all genres in the Shakespeare canon, the authors explore the possibility of people being constant to each other in many different kinds of relationships: those of lovers, kings and subjects, friends, and business partners. While some bonds are irrevocably broken, many are reaffirmed. In all cases, the authors offer insight into what drives Shakespeare’s characters to do what they do, what draws them together or pulls them apart, and the extent to which bonds can ever be eternal. Ultimately, the most durable bond may be between the playwright and the audience, whereby the playwright pleases and the audience approves. The book takes an in-depth look at a dozen of The Bard’s best-loved works, including: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Romeo and Juliet; The Merchant of Venice; Richard II; Henry IV, Part I; Hamlet; Troilus and Cressida; Othello; Macbeth; King Lear; Antony and Cleopatra; and The Tempest. It also provides an epilogue titled: Prospero and Shakespeare. Written in a style accessible for all levels Discusses 12 plays, making it a comprehensive study of Shakespeare’s work Covers every genre of The Bard’s work, giving readers a full sense of Shakespeare’s art/thought over the course of his oeuvre Provides a solid overall sense of each play and the major characters/plot lines in them Providing new and sometimes unconventional and provocative ways to think about characters that have had a long critical heritage, Thinking About Shakespeare is an enlightening read that is perfect for scholars, and ideal for any level of student studying one of history’s greatest storytellers.

An examination of the interrelationship between gender, race, narrative, and nationalism in black politics specifically within American politics as a whole. The author not only highlights the critical role of race and gender, she goes further to show how they operate to define political discourse and to determine public policy.

This book studies the creative works of Ayad Akhtar in the context of a post-9/11 American culture rife with the racialization of Muslims. It explores controversies emerging from the reception of Akhtar’s works and focuses on their aesthetic dimensions to study their role in advocating for racial and gender equity.