Shakespeare and the Future of Theory

Shakespeare and the Future of Theory convenes internationally renowned Shakespeare scholars, and scholars of the Early Modern period, and presents, discusses, and evaluates the most recent research and information concerning the future of theory in relation to Shakespeare?s corpus. Original in its aim and scope, the book argues for the critical importance of thinking Shakespeare now, and provides extensive reflections and profound insights into the dialogues between Shakespeare and Theory. Contributions explore Shakespeare through the lens of design theory, queer theory, psychoanalysis, Derrida and Foucault, amongst others, and offer an innovative interdisciplinary analysis of Shakespeare?s work. This book was originally published as two special issues of English Studies.

1. Thinking through Shakespeare: An Introduction to Shakespeare and Theory2. Shakespeare by Design: A Flight of Concepts3. Of Cause4. "After the Takeover": Shakespeare, Lacan, Žižek and the Interpassive Subject5. Wordplay in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the Accusation of Derrida’s "Logical Phallusies"6. Storm at Sea: The Tempest, Cultural Materialism and the Early Modern Political Aesthetic7. Listening to the Body …: Transitioning to Shakespeare and Theory8. Performing Disability and Theorizing Deformity9. Ship of Fools: Foucault and the Shakespeareans10. "Untimely Ripp’d": On Natality, Sovereignty and Unbearable Life11. Syllogisms and Tears in Timon of Athens12. Opening the Sacred Body or the Profaned Host in The Merchant of Venice

François-Xavier Gleyzon teaches at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, USA. He is the author of Shakespeare’s Spiral (2010), and David Lynch in Theory (2011) along with a number of peer-reviewed articles on English Renaissance Literature and Visual Arts. His recent publications include two edited volumes on Shakespeare and Theory I & II (2013) and Reading Milton Through Islam (2015).

Johann Gregory is a Postdoctoral Lecturing Fellow at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. He is the author of several articles on Shakespeare in relation to theatre and theory, and has also published work on John Taylor, the Water-Poet (1578-1653).