Satire in the Elizabethan Era: An Activistic Art

By William Jones

Book Overview

This book argues that the satire of the late Elizabethan period goes far beyond generic rhetorical persuasion, but is instead intentionally engaged in a literary mission of transideological "perceptual translation." This reshaping of cultural orthodoxies is interpreted in this study as both authentic and "activistic" in the sense that satire represents a purpose-driven attempt to build a consensual community devoted to genuine socio-cultural change. The book includes explorations of specific ideologically stabilizing satires produced before the Bishops' Ban of 1599, as well as the attempt to return nihilistic English satire to a stabilizing theatrical form during the tumultuous end of the reign of Elizabeth I. Dr. Jones infuses carefully chosen, modern-day examples of satire alongside those of the Elizabethan Era, making it a thoughtful, vigorous read.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1138710229
• ISBN13: 9781138710221
• Release Date: December 2017
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 178 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"