Shakespeare and Renaissance Literary Theories ─ Anglo-Italian Transactions

"The contention of this book on early modern literary theories, influences, and practices is also, in part, to highlight Shakespeare's exploitation of mixed drama in the context of the period's widespread resistance to any aspects of generic virtuosity imported from abroad and from Italy in particular." Editor Marrapodi (English language and literature, and history of English drama, U. of Palermo, Italy) makes this statement in her introductory essay to illustrate some avenues of exploration that open when "...the presence of Italian theories [is placed] against and alongside the background of English dramatic traditions...." Fifteen contributions and a coda are arranged in sections on art, rhetoric, style; genres, models, forms; and spectacle, aesthetics, representation. The coda's title asks the question: "How Do We Know When Worlds Meet?" Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Michele Marrapodi is Full Professor of English Language and Literature, and History of English Drama, in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Palermo, Italy.