Goddesses, mages, and wise women : the female pastoral guide in sixteenth and seventeenth-century English drama / Sharon Rose Yang.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Yang, Sharon R.

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Pastoral drama, English--History and criticism.

Pastoral drama, English.

English drama--Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600--History and criticism.

English drama.

English drama--17th century--History and criticism.

Women in literature.

Physical Description:

279 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Selinsgrove, PA : Susquehanna University Press, [2011]

Summary:

From the introduction: "The Renaissance female pastoral guide, in the form of goddess, mage, and/or wise woman, uses magic, witty game playing, advice, and penance or tests of virtue to guide the other characters to a better understanding of themselves and their relationship to society. She possesses a bond with the sacred harmony of nature that enables her to recognize the corruptions of society...." Yang (English, Worcester State College) explores these themes through close study of works including Endymion, A Midsmmer Night's Dream, Love's Victory, and All's Well That Ends Well, among others. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Contents:

The early guide as "the light in the sky"

Mages and sages versus the witch

Queens and goddesses: Endymion, Midsummer night's dream, and Love's victory

The pastoral guide: the mage and female scholar

The faithful shepherdess: handmaiden of the great god Pan

Subversive wise woman: the doctor she of All's well that ends well

"Curing by counsel": Rosalind of As you like it

"And afterwards".

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781575911564

1575911566

OCLC:

668403573