Staging Favorites: Theatrical Representations of Political Favoritism in the Early Modern Courts of Spain, France, and England

Description

Staging Favorites explores theatrical representations of royal favorites in Spanish, French, and English dramatic production during the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. During this time, the courts of Spain, France, and England were dominated by all-powerful ministers who enjoyed royal favor. The politics of royal favoritism gave rise to a significant group of plays which constitutes the subject of this book. While scholars have studied this group partially and separately in national context, Staging Favorites approaches these dramas about favorites from a wider European point of view, and performs comparative analyses of a number of plays - including La paciencia en la fortuna; Le Favori, ou la Coquette; and Sejanus His Fall - and adds new detail and differentiation to the early modern perception and representation of the royal favorite. This book will appeal to scholars and students interested in early modern literature, history of theater, and cultural history. Cover Half Title Series Page Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Introduction 1 Dramas on Favorites: History and Theory 2 Favorites in Spanish Drama 3 Favorites in French Drama 4 Favorites in English Drama Conclusion Index