Entertaining Uncertainty in the Early Modern Theater: Stage Spectacle and Audience Response

Lauren Robertson's study reveals that Shakespeare's theater responded to the crises of knowledge in early modern England by rendering them spectacular, allowing spectators to suspend disbelief and enjoy the uncertainty of the playgoing experience.

Format: Hardback
Length: 290 pages
Publication date: 09 February 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Lauren Robertson's groundbreaking study delves into the profound response of Shakespeare and his contemporaries to the crises of knowledge that plagued early modern England. Through their theatrical creations, they sought to render these crises spectacular, unveiling the radical and exhilarating instability of the early modern theater's representational practices. By exploring the uncertainty that permeated the playgoing experience during this period, Robertson reveals the intricate interplay between doubt and spectators' imaginative participation. It is not only the onstage characters, such as Hamlet, who grapple with doubt, but also the spectators themselves, who become active participants in the performance through their imaginative engagement.

In the midst of a culture undergoing immense epistemological upheaval, the commercial theater offered a unique platform for spectators to immerse themselves in a world of uncertainty. It licensed them to suspend their beliefs and engage with opposing possibilities, transforming doubt itself into an exuberantly enjoyable and spectacular show. The playhouse became a site where uncertainty was not only embraced but celebrated, as it provided pleasures that made the very trial of unknowing possible.

Robertson's work demonstrates that the theater of Shakespeare and his contemporaries not only responded to the challenges of their time but also played a vital role in shaping the cultural landscape. By embracing uncertainty and offering spectators a platform to explore and enjoy it, they contributed to the development of a more nuanced and complex understanding of the human condition. This study not only sheds light on the artistic achievements of the period but also has broader implications for our understanding of the role of theater in shaping society and the human imagination.

Weight: 536g
Dimension: 236 x 160 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009225151