Politics of the Stuart Court Masque

This 1998 book takes an alternative look at the courtly masque in early seventeenth-century England. For a generation, the masque has been a favourite topic of New Historicism, because it has been seen as part of the process by which artistic works interact with politics, both shaping and reflecting the political life of a nation. These exciting essays move importantly beyond a monolithic view of culture and power in the production of masques, to one in which rival factions at the courts of James I and of Charles I represent their clash of viewpoints through dancing and spectacle. All aspects of the masque are considered, from written text and political context to music, stage picture and dance. The essays, written by distinguished scholars from around the world, present an interdisciplinary approach, with experts on dance, music, visual spectacle and politics all addressing the masque from the point of view of their speciality.

"This lively and important collection of essays repositions the criticism of masques to better account for competing court allegiances which the Stuart court masque negotiated....this important volume must be praised for bringing to our attention a new way to conceive of the masque's relation to court politics, an increased appreciation for the position of women in the masque's creative process, and, indeed, a more nuanced understanding of Stuart absolutist ideology." Susanne F. Paterson, Albion, "Every library should possess this collection, and every scholar interested in early modern court and civic life should read it, as Bacon counsels, "wholly, and with Diligence and Attention."" Sixteenth Century Journal, "The Politics of the Stuart Court Masque is, finally, an exceptionally good collection of essays that offers substantial, detailed and informative reconsiderations of an important cultural form." Essays in Theatre