Reading the River in Shakespeare's Britain

Shakespeare's Britain saw rivers as vital for travel, resources, myths, memories, religious ideas, pageants, legends, plays, poems, and stories, shaping lives and identities and reminding us of the climate crisis.

Format: Hardback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 31 August 2024
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Shakespeare's Britain was a land where rivers played a vital role in travel, natural resources, myths, memories, religious ideas, and the shaping of lives and identities. These essays explore the cultural and literary geography of rivers in the early modern period, highlighting how they influenced the lives of those who lived near them. By examining changes in the way rivers ebb and flow, the book reminds us of the urgency of the climate crisis. Rivers were not only a means of transportation but also a source of employment and a place where myths and memories accumulated. Pageants were performed on them, legends grew up about their names, and plays and poems were written about personified river gods and goddesses. Stories of historic battles fought on their banks were also told. These essays explore the cultural and literary geography of rivers in the early modern period and the ways in which they shaped the lives and identities of those who lived near them. By charting changes (both manmade and natural) to the way in which rivers ebb and flow, the book also reminds us of the urgency of the climate crisis.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399534482