Description: Though British history and identity in the early modern period are intensively researched areas, the role of literature in the construction of "Britishness" has not been thoroughly studied. In this volume, leading Renaissance literary critics review a broad range of texts from the period, including plays of Shakespeare, in view of the new British history. This collection opens up a new kind of literary history with immediate relevance to contemporary discussions of "Britishness."
Review Quotes: "The editors have done very well also in shaping the collection of essays to cohere, not only by virtue of the essays' shared interest in using British history to further our understanding of early modern English literature, but also by their having read and learned from one another. It's a rare thing in a collection to find essays that truly are in conversation with one another, and the editors deserve much praise for it." Sixteenth Century Journal