Ovidian myth and sexual deviance in early modern English literature / Sarah Carter.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Carter, Sarah, 1978-

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Fund.

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D--Influence.

Ovid.

Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D.

English literature--Early modern, 1500-1700--History and criticism.

English literature.

English literature--Roman influences.

Mythology, Classical, in literature.

Paraphilias in literature.

Sex role in literature.

Physical Description:

viii, 212 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke [Hampshire] ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.

Summary:

" ... explores early modern culture's reception of Ovid through the manipulation of Ovidian myth by creative writers such as Shakespeare, Middleton, Heywood, Marlowe, Lyly and Marston. Sarah Carter analyses the strong cultural presence of particular myths and mythic characters involving potentially ideologically deviant sexual behaviour, including sexual violence, homosexuality, hermaphroditism and incest, in the myths of Philomela, Lucrece, Ganymede, Hermaphroditus, Pygmalion, Myrrha and Adonis. Cross-genre and cross-author analysis is combined with sexuality and gender theory to claim that classical mythology facilitates full engagement for early modern thinkers with both depictions of sexual behaviour and discourse on deviant sexualities. It is also argued that this negotiation of sexual deviance is potentially radical in allowing depictions and discussions of non-conformist sexual behaviour in popular culture, and that this subversive potential is ultimately deflated through representation which is ideologically conservative"--Publisher's description, p. [4] of cover.

Contents:

Introduction

Rape, revenge, and verse : Philomela

'Chastity's first martyr' : Lucrece

'That female wanton boy' : Ganymede, Iphis, and myths of same sex desire

'Not perfect boy nor perfect wench' : Hermaphroditus

Objects of desire : Pygmalion, Myrrha, Adonis

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 198-206) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Horace Howard Furness Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

9780230244238

0230244238

OCLC:

698330423