The Victorian cult of Shakespeare : bardology in the nineteenth century / Charles LaPorte.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

LaPorte, Charles, 1972- author.

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Fund.

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Series:

Cambridge studies in nineteenth-century literature and culture ; 125.

Cambridge studies in nineteenth-century literature and culture ; 125

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Criticism and interpretation--History--19th century.

Shakespeare, William.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.

Religion and literature--England--History--19th century.

Religion and literature.

England.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 213 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Summary:

"In the Victorian era, William Shakespeare's work was often celebrated as a sacred text: a sort of secular English Bible. Even today, Shakespeare remains a uniquely important literary figure. Yet Victorian criticism took on religious dimensions that now seem outlandish in retrospect. Ministers wrote sermons based upon Shakespearean texts and delivered them from pulpits in Christian churches. Some scholars crafted devotional volumes to compare his texts directly with the Bible's. Still others created Shakespearean societies in the faith that his inspiration was not like that of other playwrights. Charles LaPorte uses such examples from the Victorian cult of Shakespeare to illustrate the complex relationship between religion, literature and secularization. His work helps to illuminate a curious but crucial chapter in the history of modern literary studies in the West, as well as its connections with Biblical scholarship and textual criticism"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Shakespearean Sermons and Other Pious Texts

2. The Harmonies and Beauties of Devotional Shakespeare Volumes

3. The Sonnets and the Messiah

4. The Authority of the (Missing) Author

5. Shakespearean Clerisies and Perfect Texts.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

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

Other Format:

Online version: LaPorte, Charles, 1972- Victorian cult of Shakespeare

ISBN:

9781108496155

1108496156

OCLC:

1157349288