Literature, Nationalism, and Memory in Early Modern England and Wales by Philip Schwyzer

Literature, Nationalism, and Memory in Early Modern England and Wales by Philip Schwyzer

The Tudor era has long been associated with the rise of nationalism in England, yet nationalist writing in this period often involved the denigration and outright denial of Englishness. Philip Schwyzer argues that the ancient, insular, and imperial nation imagined in the works of writers such as Shakespeare and Spenser was not England, but Britain. Disclaiming their Anglo-Saxon ancestry, the English sought their origins in a nostalgic vision of British antiquity. Focusing on texts including The Faerie Queene, English and Welsh antiquarian works, The Mirror for Magistrates, Henry V and King Lear, Schwyzer charts the genesis, development and disintegration of British nationalism in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. An important contribution to the expanding scholarship on early modern Britishness, this study gives detailed attention to Welsh texts and traditions, arguing that Welsh sources crucially influenced the development of English literature and identity.

Review of the hardback: 'Philip Schwyzer's is a compelling studyHe has explored a good deal of little-examined material … He employs a wide range of theoretical and historical materials with care and precision … this is a book that is ultimately more than the sum of its parts.' The Times Literary Supplement

Philip Schwyzer is Lecturer in Renaissance Literature and Culture at the University of Exeter.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521843034
ISBN 10	0521843030
Title	Literature, Nationalism, and Memory in Early Modern England and Wales
Author	Philip Schwyzer
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	2004-10-21
Number of pages	208
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.