Time's Purpled Masquers - Stars and the Afterlife in Renaissance English Literature (Hardcover, New)

Alastair Fowler's fascinating study describes forgotten Renaissance beliefs about stellification (an afterlife in the stars through transformation into stellar or angelic substance after death), and explores the extraordinary prominence of astronomical imagery in Renaissance literature. The new astronomy of Copernicus and Brahe, far from working against religious beliefs, encouraged hopes of access to the uncorrupted spheres. Seventeenth-century Christians of various persuasions believed in a stellar afterlife. Fowler's many-faceted book traces these ideas in literature, masque, architecture, and the pursuit of fame. Time's Purpled Masquers first characterizes the Renaissance as a period of reform and of theological focus on nature, rather than of desacralization. It goes on to show how astronomical discoveries led to new hopes of access to the uncorrupted translunary spheres. Alastair Fowler then examines evidence for a widespread belief in stellification. Further chapters relate this belief to the long-standing association of posthumous fame with the stars, and survey traces of the hope of stellification in various cultural forms.

General

Imprint:	Clarendon Press
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	June 1996
First published:	July 1996
Authors:	Alastair Fowler (Regius Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric and English Literature, University of Edinburgh; and Professor of English)
Dimensions:	224 x 143 x 18mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	180
Edition:	New
ISBN-13:	978-0-19-818340-2
Categories:	Books > Science & Mathematics > Astronomy, space & time > General Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Literary studies > 16th to 18th centuries
LSN:	0-19-818340-2
Barcode:	9780198183402

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!