Shakespeare Objects And Phenomenology

Shakespeare, Objects and Phenomenology

This book explores ways in which Shakespeare’s writing strategies shape our embodied perception of objects – both real and imaginary – in four of his plays. Taking the reader on a series of perceptual journeys, it engages in an exciting dialogue between the disciplines of phenomenology, cognitive studies, historicist research and modern acting techniques, in order to probe our sentient and intuitive responses to Shakespeare’s language. What happens when we encounter objects on page and stage; and how we can imagine that impact in performance? What influences might have shaped the language that created them; and what do they reveal about our response to what we see and hear? By placing objects under the phenomenological lens, and scrutinising them as vital conduits between lived experience and language, this book illuminates Shakespeare’s writing as a rich source for investigation into the way we think, feel and communicate as embodied beings.

Shakespeare and Phenomenology

This book considers how Shakespeare’s theatre investigates and reveals “Being-in-the-world”. Through the lens of phenomenology (the study of how the world shows itself to conscious experience) Johnston examines how Shakespeare’s texts and dramaturgy reveal aspects of Being. This volume explores philosophical themes in Shakespeare’s drama, including perceptions of stage space and fictional place, temporality, bodies, authenticity, and memory in early modern English staging. It examines how Shakespeare asks the question of the meaning of Being by playing with the distinction between “what is” and “what is not”. The work offers practical performance tips and exercises to connect with modern audiences. Each chapter aims to inspire creative artists in production and rehearsal through a unique focus and provide a critical approach to performance. Through a phenomenological exploration of dramatic possibilities drawn from the key concepts of philosophers such as Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Edith Stein, Johnston investigates theatre as a practical form of philosophical investigation. Theatre-makers should not only consider the fictional world of the play, but also the historical context of Shakespeare’s world and the contemporary context for connecting with audiences here, today, now.

Shakespeare's Enchanted Objects: Phenomenological Study of the Relationship Between Language and Materiality in the Plays of Shakespeare