Princes, Soldiers and Rogues: The Politic Malcontent of Renaissance Drama (American University Studies)

Product Description The malcontent figure was a commonplace character type on the Elizabethan and Jacobean stage. However, scholars have consistently confused this dramatic stereotype with the seemingly ubiquitous melancholiac. This study seeks to extricate the malcontent from the ever-burgeoning mass of details associated with Elizabethan melancholia and identifies political discontent as the definitive characteristic of the type. In addition, this book examines the historical circumstances that generated the malcontent and strives to illuminate the reciprocal relationship between drama and society. Review «Richly scholarly and handsomely written, this study is lively enough to grip the general reader.» (Elton E. Smith, University of South Florida) «James Keller's book is, as far as I am aware, the only study to distinguish clearly between two stock characters of the Renaissance drama, the Melancholiac and the Malcontent, as well as the only study attempting to categorize the plethora of Malcontents who strut and fret across the Elizabethan and Jacobean stages.» (Sara Deats, University of South Florida) About the Author The Author: James Keller attended the University of South Florida where he received an M.A. and a Ph.D. He is currently an assistant professor of English Renaissance literature at Mississippi University for Women.