Shakespeare’s Forgotten Allegory

Vice, Virtue, and Spoilt Children

Author: Julian Real Series: Routledge Studies in Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Forgotten Allegory posits that we have today forgotten a cultural icon that helped to bring about the Renaissance.

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Summary

Shakespeare’s Forgotten Allegory posits that we have today forgotten a cultural icon that helped to bring about the Renaissance.

Description

Shakespeare’s Forgotten Allegory posits three startling points: that we have today forgotten a cultural icon that helped to bring about the Renaissance; that this character, used to distil classical wisdom regarding how to raise children to become moral adults, consistently appeared in plays performed between 1350 and 1650; and that the character was often utilised by the likes of Shakespeare and Ben Jonson, and therefore adds a long-forgotten allegorical narrative to their works.

This evidence-based reappraisal of some of the most iconic works in Western literature suggests that a core element of their content has been ‘lost’ for centuries.

This text will appeal to anyone with an interest in late medieval and early modern drama, especially the works of Shakespeare; to those interested in the history of teaching and child-rearing; to anyone curious about the practical application of philosophy in society; to anyone that would like to know more about the crucial and defining period today known as the Renaissance, and how and why society was redesigned by those with influence; and to all those who would like to know more about how history, which though sometimes misplaced, continues to influenced our modern world.

Critic Reviews

"Shakespeare’s Forgotten Allegory reveals the importance and the evolution of the spoilt brat through 300 years of Renaissance drama. It identifies the moral paradigms that playwrights linked to the figure, and applies this insight to familiar characters with impressive results. His analysis of Sir Andrew Aguecheek is outstanding."

--Ursula Potter, Sydney University

"The prodigal son is a familiar paradigm, but I had never heard of the underlying idea of the cockered child before reading Julian Real’s original and careful book. He brings into creative focus a key cultural notion in Shakespeare’s world that we have forgotten."

--Emma Smith, University of Oxford

About the Author

Julian Real studied English at the University of Otago, earning an MA and Ph.D with theses on early modern drama, following careers in the Armed Forces, Ambulance Service, and Police in Britain and New Zealand. His special interest is in allegorical content and ideas around maturation, gender, and morality, and he has had two papers on these subjects published in peer-reviewed journals. Most recently, he has rejoined the activa vita, working with refugees, prison inmates, and at-risk youth. He and his wife live on a small yacht which they plan to sail around the South Pacific.