Best known for his landmark version of the Protestant Bible, James VI (1566-1625) of Scotland, who succeeded Elizabeth I to the English throne, was truly a monarch of the word. From religious prose and verse, to political treatises and social works, to love poems and witty doggerel, James used writing and the print media to inspire his subjects, govern them, keep his enemies at bay, and even examine his own authority. Until now, the full span of James's work has received little critical attention by political and literary historians. In Royal Subjects, sixteen leading scholars explore the richness of his oeuvre from a variety of perspectives, and in so doing seek to establish monarchic writing as an important genre in its own right.

As religious reformers, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I had produced devotional works, but James VI and I saw writing as central to his rule overall, even though he knew it could invite criticism. He wrote, for example, a treatise on kingship, a controversial argument against tobacco, and an epic poem encouraging ecumenism among Christians. In many cases, his use of genre revealed a sensitivity to cultural power, while his decisions whether or not to print reflected an emergent understanding of writing as a commodity.

By examining such topics, these essays delve into central issues of critical debate, including questions of authorship and authority, representation and power, receptions and appropriations of text, and politics of genres and material forms. Through its unprecedented look at monarchic writing, Royal Subjects not only enriches our understanding of the reign of James VI and I, but also offers fruitful suggestions for approaches to otherRenaissance texts and other periods.

Shakespeare's Law is a critical overview of law and legal issues within the life, career, and works of William Shakespeare as well as those that arise from the endless array of activities that happen today in the name of Shakespeare. Mark Fortier argues that Shakespeare's attitudes to law are complex and not always sanguine, that there exists a deep and perhaps ultimate move beyond law very different from what a lawyer or legal scholar might recognize. Fortier looks in detail at the legal issues most prominent across Shakespeare's work: status, inheritance, fraud, property, contract, tort (especially slander), evidence, crime, political authority, trials, and the relative value of law and justice. He also includes two detailed case studies, of The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure, as well as a chapter looking at law in works by Shakespeare's contemporaries. The book concludes with a chapter on the law as it relates to Shakespeare today. The book shows that the legal issues in Shakespeare are often relevant to issues we face now, and the exploration of law in Shakespeare is as germane today, though in sometimes new ways, as in the past.

Drawing on politics, religion, law, literature, and philosophy, this interdisciplinary study is a sequel to Mark Fortier's bookThe Culture of Equity in Early Modern England (Ashgate, 2006). The earlier volume traced the meanings and usage of equity in broad cultural terms (including but not limited to law) to position equity as a keyword of valuation, persuasion, and understanding; the present volume carries that work through the Restoration and eighteenth century in Britain and America. Fortier argues that equity continued to be a keyword, used and contested in many of the major social and political events of the period. Further, he argues that equity needs to be seen in this period largely outside the Aristotelian parameters that have generally been assumed in scholarship on equity.

Elizabeth and James, Sidney, Spenser, and Shakespeare, Bacon and Ellesmere, Perkins and Laud, Milton and Hobbes-this begins a list of early modern luminaries who write on 'equity'. In this study Mark Fortier addresses the concept of equity from early in the sixteenth century until 1660, drawing on the work of lawyers, jurists, politicians, kings and parliamentarians, theologians and divines, poets, dramatists, colonists and imperialists, radicals, royalists, and those who argue on gender issues. He examines how writers in all these groups make use of the word equity and its attendant notions. Equity, he argues, is a powerful concept in the period; he analyses how notions of equity play a prominent part in discourses that have or seek to have influence on major social conflicts and issues in early modern England. Fortier here maps the actual and extensive presence of equity in the intellectual life of early modern England. In so doing, he reveals how equity itself acts as an umbrella term for a wide array of ideas, which defeats any attempt to limit narrowly the meaning of the term. He argues instead that there is in early modern England a distinct and striking culture of equity characterized and strengthened by the diversity of its genealogy and its applications. This culture manifests itself, inter alia, in the following major ways: as a basic component, grounded in the old and new testaments, of a model for Christian society; as the justification for a justice system over and above the common law; as an imperative for royal prerogative; as a free ranging subject for poetry and drama; as a nascent grounding for broadly cast social justice; as a rallying cry for revolution and individual rights and freedoms. Working from an empirical account of the many meanings of equity over time, the author moves from a historical understanding of equity to a theorization of equity in its multiplicity. A profoundly literary study, this book also touches on matters of legal an

The fields of literature and law intersect in frequent, and often surprising ways. This clear and concise book offers an introduction to the area, covering the history, key thinkers and ideas as well as detailed and fascinating studies into areas such as evidence and truth, inheritance, sex, vigilantism and justice. Each chapter examines a number of familiar authors and texts including Shakespeare, Brecht, Austen, Dickens, Ishiguro, Beecher-Stowe, Atwood, Miller. The book also opens up the broader study of law as it relates to culture in such areas as film, television, and digital media and how they affect such issues as a right to privacy, copyright and creative reworking, and censorship. Mark Fortier offers a concise, systemic introduction to the law and legal system for the lay person, covering basic notions of justice and law (fundamental justice, natural law, positive law) and the legal system (common law vs civil law, case law, statute, constitutional law, private law [tort, contract, property], criminal law, equity, basic rules of evidence, stare decisis, the adversarial system) as well as a very handy glossary of legal terms. This is a fascinating guide to a very topical and increasingly relevant area of literary studies.

Shakespeare's plays have been adapted or rewritten in various, often surprising, ways since the 17th century. This anthology brings together 13 theatrical adaptations of Shakespeare's work from around the world and across the centuries. The plays include: "The Woman Prized or the Tamer Tamed" by John Fletcher; "Troilus and Cressida or Truth Found Too Late: a Tragedy" by John Dryden; "The History of King Lear" by Nahum Tate; "King Stephen: a Fragment of a Tragedy"; "The Public (El Publico)" by Federico Garcia Lorca; "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" by Bertolt Brecht; "uMabatha" by Welcome Msomi; "Measure for Measure" by Charles Marowitz; "Hamletmachine" by Heiner Muller; "Lear's Daughter" by The Women's Theatre Group and Elaine Feinstein; "Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief" by Paula Vogel; "This Island's Mine" by Philip Osment; and "Harlem Duet" by Djanet Sears. Each play is introduced by a concise introduction with suggestions for further reading and a list of related adaptations for study.;The collection is prefaced by a general introduction, which offers an examination of issues related to theatrical adaptation and the rewriting of Shakespeare.

This groundbreaking anthology brings together twelve theatrical adaptations of Shakespeare's work from around the world and across the centuries. The plays include:
* The Woman Prized or the Tamer Tamed John Fletcher
* The History of King Lear Nahum Tate
* King Stephen: a Fragment of a Tragedy John Keats
* The Public (El Público) Federico Garcia Lorca
* The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Bertolt Brecht
* uMabatha Welcome Msomi
* Measure for Measure Charles Marowitz
* Hamletmachine Heiner Müller
* Lear's Daughters The Women's Theatre Group & Elaine Feinstein
* Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief Paula Vogel
* This Island's Mine Philip Osment
* Harlem Duet Djanet Sears


Related link: www.literature.routledge.com/shakespeare/ adaptations.html

Elizabeth and James, Sidney, Spenser, and Shakespeare, Bacon and Ellesmere, Perkins and Laud, Milton and Hobbes - thus begins a list of early modern luminaries who wrote on 'equity'. In this study, Mark Fortier addresses the concept of equity from early in the sixteenth century until 1660, drawing on the work of lawyers, jurists, politicians, kings and parliamentarians, theologians and divines, poets, dramatists, colonists and imperialists, radicals, royalists, and those who argue on gender issues. He examines how writers in all these groups make use of the word equity and its attendant notions. Equity, he argues, is a powerful concept in the period; he analyses how notions of equity play a prominent part in discourses that have or seek to have influence on major social conflicts and issues in early modern England. Fortier here maps the actual and extensive presence of equity in the intellectual life of early modern England. In doing so, he reveals how equity itself acts as an umbrella term for a wide array of ideas, which defeats any attempt to limit narrowly the meaning of the term. striking culture of equity characterised and strengthened by the diversity of its genealogy and its applications. This culture manifests itself; inter alia, in the following major ways: as a basic component, grounded in the old and new testaments, of a model for Christian society; as the justification for a justice system over and above the common law; as an imperative for royal prerogative; as a free ranging subject for poetry and drama; as a nascent grounding for broadly cast social justice; as a rallying cry for revolution and individual rights and freedoms. Working from an empirical account of the many meanings of equity over time, the author moves from a historical understanding of equity to a theorization of equity in its multiplicity. A profoundly literary study, this book also touches on matters of legal and intellectual history, legal and cultural theory, moral and political philosophy, and theology.

Theory/Theatre is a unique and highly engaging introduction to literary theory as it relates to theatre and performance. It is a brilliantly clear and readable examination of current theoretical approaches, from semiotics and poststructuralism, through cultural materialism, postcolonial studies and feminist theory. In this, the third and fully revised edition of this now classic text, Mark Fortier particularly expands and updates the sections on: queer theory postmarxist theory technology and virtuality post-colonialism and race Also including completely new writing on cognitive science, fast becoming a cornerstone of theatre and performance theory, this revised edition is an indispensable addition to every theatre student's collection.

The fields of literature and law intersect in frequent, and often surprising ways. This clear and concise book offers an introduction to the area, covering the history, key thinkers and ideas as well as detailed and fascinating studies into areas such as evidence and truth, inheritance, sex, vigilantism and justice. Each chapter examines a number of familiar authors and texts including Shakespeare, Brecht, Austen, Dickens, Ishiguro, Beecher-Stowe, Atwood, Miller. The book also opens up the broader study of law as it relates to culture in such areas as film, television, and digital media and how they affect such issues as a right to privacy, copyright and creative reworking, and censorship. Mark Fortier offers a concise, systemic introduction to the law and legal system for the lay person, covering basic notions of justice and law (fundamental justice, natural law, positive law) and the legal system (common law vs civil law, case law, statute, constitutional law, private law [tort, contract, property], criminal law, equity, basic rules of evidence, stare decisis, the adversarial system) as well as a very handy glossary of legal terms. This is a fascinating guide to a very topical and increasingly relevant area of literary studies.

Theory/Theatre is a unique and highly engaging introduction to literary theory as it relates to theatre and performance. It is a brilliantly clear and readable examination of current theoretical approaches, from semiotics and poststructuralism, through cultural materialism, postcolonial studies and feminist theory. In this, the third and fully revised edition of this now classic text, Mark Fortier particularly expands and updates the sections on: queer theory postmarxist theory technology and virtuality post-colonialism and race Also including completely new writing on cognitive science, fast becoming a cornerstone of theatre and performance theory, this revised edition is an indispensable addition to every theatre student's collection.

Viva is the story of four generations of a Portuguese family set against the backdrop of political and social turmoil. In 1890 Edmundo Cacador migrates to Brazil in search of a better world. Years later, his descendants will settle in the Azores, Angola, Lisbon, and Canada. The family endures through love, loss, family upheaval, political repression, religious contention, revolution, and dreams and finds itself at the end of the tumults of the 20th century facing the dawn of the 21st.