Staging Britain's Past: Pre-Roman Britain in Early Modern Drama

Staging Britain's Past explores how the mythic history of the founding of Britain by the Trojan exile Brute and his descendants was performed through texts such as Norton and Sackville's Gorboduc, Shakespeare's King Lear, and civic pageants, court masques, and royal entries. It argues that performed history had a powerful effect on shaping early modern conceptions of the past, ancestry, and national destiny, and how the erosion of the Brutan histories marked a transformation in English self-understanding and identity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 296 pages
Publication date: 20 October 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Staging Britain's Past is a groundbreaking exploration into the early modern performance of Britain's pre-Roman history. This comprehensive study delves into the mythic narrative surrounding the founding of Britain by the Trojan exile Brute and the subsequent reign of his descendants. Texts like Norton and Sackville's Gorboduc, Shakespeare's King Lear and Cymbeline, as well as civic pageants, court masques, and royal entries such as Elizabeth I's 1578 entry to Norwich, played pivotal roles in shaping the perception of Britain's past.

In his book, Gilchrist compellingly argues for the profound influence of performed history on early modern conceptions of the past, ancestry, and national destiny. He demonstrates how the erosion of the Brutan histories marked a significant transformation in English self-understanding and identity. When Shakespeare's King Lear was published in 1608, it was marketed as a "True Chronicle History." The play depicted Lear as the ruler of Britain centuries before the arrival of the Romans, tracing his lineage back to the mighty Trojan Brute who had conquered Britain and vanquished its barbaric giants. However, it was soon discovered that this narrative was nothing more than a playful medieval invention.

This study presents a comprehensive account of the extraordinary theatrical tradition that emerged from these Brutan histories. It gathers all known evidence of the plays, pageants, and masques that portrayed Britain's ancient rulers, shedding light on the reasons behind this tradition's eventual disappearance. Staging Britain's Past explores how the loss of England's Trojan origins is reflected in the powerful invocation of history in Gorboduc, the elegiac erosion of all notions of historical truth in Cymbeline, and the complex interplay between myth, history, and performance in the early modern period.

Through its meticulous research and insightful analysis, Staging Britain's Past offers a fresh perspective on the complex tapestry of Britain's pre-Roman past. It demonstrates the enduring power of theater to shape our understanding of history and the role that performance plays in constructing our collective identity. This book is a valuable contribution to the field of historical studies and will be of interest to scholars, theater enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in the rich cultural heritage of early modern Britain.

Weight: 312g
Dimension: 128 x 198 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350232822