Shakespeare and the History of Taste: Difference between revisions

(Created page with "'''Shakespeare and the History of Taste''' ''June 18 through July 27, 1990'' Directed by Joseph G. Price, Professor of English at the Pennsylvania State University Ben Jons...")
 
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Shakespeare and the History of Taste'''  
'''Shakespeare and the History of Taste'''  
''June 18 through July 27, 1990''
''June 18 through July 27, 1990''
Directed by Joseph G. Price, Professor of English at the Pennsylvania State University  
Directed by [[Joseph G. Price]], Professor of English at the Pennsylvania State University  


Ben Jonson praised Shakespeare's universality as "not of an age but for all time." Yet, paradoxically, each age has expressed its own particularity by its special accommodation to and appropriation of Shakespeare. If, as Shaw claimed, the Shakespearean canon is "a mirror to nature;' the nature of things is reflected in very different prisms from age to age.
Ben Jonson praised Shakespeare's universality as "not of an age but for all time." Yet, paradoxically, each age has expressed its own particularity by its special accommodation to and appropriation of Shakespeare. If, as Shaw claimed, the Shakespearean canon is "a mirror to nature;' the nature of things is reflected in very different prisms from age to age.
Line 10: Line 12:


'''SHAKESPEARE IN HIS OWN AGE'''
'''SHAKESPEARE IN HIS OWN AGE'''
The institute will begin by examining the extent to which Shakespeare conformed to the traditions of Renaissance drama and to popular taste and the extent to which he was an experimenter against the fashions and prejudices of the time.
The institute will begin by examining the extent to which Shakespeare conformed to the traditions of Renaissance drama and to popular taste and the extent to which he was an experimenter against the fashions and prejudices of the time.


'''SHAKESPEARE FOR EACH AGE'''  
'''SHAKESPEARE FOR EACH AGE'''  
Participants will go on to examine how Shakespeare was viewed in the moral climate of the Restoration, under the neo-classical rules of the eighteenth century, through the romantic vision of the nineteenth century, into the twentieth century with his adoption as "our contemporary," and as imported into other cultures. Particular attention will be paid to what pleased, what offended in each period.
Participants will go on to examine how Shakespeare was viewed in the moral climate of the Restoration, under the neo-classical rules of the eighteenth century, through the romantic vision of the nineteenth century, into the twentieth century with his adoption as "our contemporary," and as imported into other cultures. Particular attention will be paid to what pleased, what offended in each period.


'''SHAKESPEARE AS LEGEND AND MYTH'''  
'''SHAKESPEARE AS LEGEND AND MYTH'''  
Group members will explore the steps by which Shakespeare's influence led from legend, to a full-blown mythology peopled by the characters he created, to the quasideification of"bardolatry" to a twentieth-century debunking of the myth that has not prevented the permeation of Shakespeare into every aspect of culture, from advertising to philosophy.
Group members will explore the steps by which Shakespeare's influence led from legend, to a full-blown mythology peopled by the characters he created, to the quasideification of"bardolatry" to a twentieth-century debunking of the myth that has not prevented the permeation of Shakespeare into every aspect of culture, from advertising to philosophy.


'''SHAKESPEARE AND THE THEATRE'''  
'''SHAKESPEARE AND THE THEATRE'''  
An especially rich source oflnvestigation will be the records of performances over four centuries. Participants will attempt to recover the very different Hamlets, Shylocks, and Othellos of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries and of the astonishingly various cultures that have adopted Shakespeare.
An especially rich source oflnvestigation will be the records of performances over four centuries. Participants will attempt to recover the very different Hamlets, Shylocks, and Othellos of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries and of the astonishingly various cultures that have adopted Shakespeare.


'''PARTICIPATING FACULTY'''
'''PARTICIPATING FACULTY'''
JONATHAN BATE
TERENCE HAWKES
JEANNE T. NEWLIN
STEPHEN ORGEL


'''OTHER PARTICIPATING FACULTY MEMBERS''' will
[[Jonathan Bate|JONATHAN BATE]]
include staff members from the Folger Shakespeare
 
library, the Folger Consort, and the Shakespeare Theatre
[[Terence Hawkes|TERENCE HAWKES]]
at the Folger. In addition, a major Shakespearean actor
 
[[Jeanne T. Newlin|JEANNE T. NEWLIN]]
 
[[Stephen Orgel|STEPHEN ORGEL]]
 
'''OTHER PARTICIPATING FACULTY MEMBERS''' will include staff members from the Folger Shakespeare library, the Folger Consort, and the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger. In addition, a major Shakespearean actor
from London and Stratford-upon-Avon will demonstrate
from London and Stratford-upon-Avon will demonstrate
acting styles and preferences through the evolution of
acting styles and preferences through the evolution of Shakespearean performance.
Shakespearean performance.

Revision as of 10:13, 13 June 2017

Shakespeare and the History of Taste

June 18 through July 27, 1990

Directed by Joseph G. Price, Professor of English at the Pennsylvania State University

Ben Jonson praised Shakespeare's universality as "not of an age but for all time." Yet, paradoxically, each age has expressed its own particularity by its special accommodation to and appropriation of Shakespeare. If, as Shaw claimed, the Shakespearean canon is "a mirror to nature;' the nature of things is reflected in very different prisms from age to age.

This N.E.H.-funded summer institute will approach "Shakespeare and the History of Taste" from two directions: first, the perception of Shakespeare in each age as illustrated in its editions, criticisms. theatrical performances, and visual representations; and second, his influence in each age upon literature, art, music, popular culture, and, frequently, politics.

Institute participants will explore the rich holdings of primary and secondary materials in the Folger Shakespeare library: texts and translations, critical and historical studies, paintings and musical scores, theatrical records and memorabilia, unpublished memoirs and scrapbooks, newspaper clippings and popular miscellanies.

SHAKESPEARE IN HIS OWN AGE

The institute will begin by examining the extent to which Shakespeare conformed to the traditions of Renaissance drama and to popular taste and the extent to which he was an experimenter against the fashions and prejudices of the time.

SHAKESPEARE FOR EACH AGE

Participants will go on to examine how Shakespeare was viewed in the moral climate of the Restoration, under the neo-classical rules of the eighteenth century, through the romantic vision of the nineteenth century, into the twentieth century with his adoption as "our contemporary," and as imported into other cultures. Particular attention will be paid to what pleased, what offended in each period.

SHAKESPEARE AS LEGEND AND MYTH

Group members will explore the steps by which Shakespeare's influence led from legend, to a full-blown mythology peopled by the characters he created, to the quasideification of"bardolatry" to a twentieth-century debunking of the myth that has not prevented the permeation of Shakespeare into every aspect of culture, from advertising to philosophy.

SHAKESPEARE AND THE THEATRE

An especially rich source oflnvestigation will be the records of performances over four centuries. Participants will attempt to recover the very different Hamlets, Shylocks, and Othellos of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries and of the astonishingly various cultures that have adopted Shakespeare.

PARTICIPATING FACULTY

JONATHAN BATE

TERENCE HAWKES

JEANNE T. NEWLIN

STEPHEN ORGEL

OTHER PARTICIPATING FACULTY MEMBERS will include staff members from the Folger Shakespeare library, the Folger Consort, and the Shakespeare Theatre at the Folger. In addition, a major Shakespearean actor from London and Stratford-upon-Avon will demonstrate acting styles and preferences through the evolution of Shakespearean performance.