British Identities and English Renaissance Literature

Download or read book British Identities and English Renaissance Literature written by David J. Baker and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2002-05-16 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though British history and identity in the early modern period are intensively researched areas, the role of literature in the construction of 'Britishness' is under-examined. English history of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries often overlooks the contribution of Ireland, Scotland and Wales to the formation of the British state. Historians describe 'Britain' as a multiple kingdom, with a long history of conflict. In this 2002 volume, a team of leading Renaissance literary critics read a broad range of texts from the period, including plays of Shakespeare, in light of British history. Prominent historians respond to the issues raised by the volume. This collection opened up a different kind of literary history and has pressing relevance for discussions of 'Britishness'.