Staging Women and the Soul-Body Dynamic in Early Modern England - 9781138248472

Name: Staging Women and the Soul-Body Dynamic in Early Modern England - 9781138248472
Brand: Taylor & Francis

Taylor & Francis

Though the gender-coded soul-body dynamic lies at the root of many negative and disempowering depictions of women, Johnson argues that it also functions as an effective tool for redefining gender expectations. Through its thorough and nuanced readings, this study redefines one of the period\u2019s most pervasive analogies for conceptualizing women and their relations to men as more complex and shifting than criticism has previously assumed. > Though the gender-coded soul-body dynamic lies at the root of many negative and disempowering depictions of women, Sarah Johnson here argues that it also functions as an effective tool for redefining gender expectations. Building on past criticism that has concentrated on the debilitating cultural association of women with the body, she investigates dramatic uses of the soul-body dynamic that challenge the patriarchal subordination of women.\nFocusing on two tragedies, two comedies, and a small selection of masques, from approximately 1592-16.