The Arms-Bearing Woman and British Theatre in the Age of Revolution, 1789-1815

This book explores how the British Romantic theater portrays the armed woman as a symbol of revolutionary chaos, challenging and enforcing established notions of sex and gender difference. It highlights the ways in which the stage amazon interacts with Anglo-French, Anglo-Irish, Anglo-German, and Anglo-Spanish debates and how new dramatic genres imported from Europe facilitate possibilities for a refashioned female warrior.

Format: Hardback
Length: 293 pages
Publication date: 21 May 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This captivating book delves into the dynamic representations and receptions of the armed woman on the British stage during a transformative era in which she emerges as a powerful symbol of revolutionary chaos in Britain. It argues that the British Romantic theatre serves as a dynamic platform where the significance of the armed woman is continually reimagined and repurposed to serve diverse ideological purposes. The armed woman is not only used to challenge but also to reinforce established notions of sex and gender difference, serving as an allegorical tool that condemns and champions political and social rebellion both at home and abroad.

The study highlights the intricate and often surprising ways in which the stage amazon interacts with Anglo-French, Anglo-Irish, Anglo-German, and Anglo-Spanish debates at various points across the French revolutionary and Napoleonic campaigns. It also emphasizes the extent to which new dramatic genres imported from Europe, such as the German Sturm und Drang and the French-derived melodrama, facilitate possibilities at the turn of the nineteenth century for a refashioned female warrior whose degree of agency, destructiveness, and heroism surpasses that of her tragic and sentimental predecessors.

Through a comprehensive analysis of plays, theatrical practices, and cultural contexts, this book offers a fresh perspective on the role of the armed woman in British Romantic theatre. It sheds light on the ways in which she is portrayed as a powerful agent of change, challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes. It also explores the complex negotiations between nationalism, imperialism, and gender politics that shape her representation and reception.

In conclusion, this book is a valuable contribution to the study of gender, theatre, and politics in the Romantic era. It provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the ways in which the armed woman emerges as a powerful symbol of revolutionary chaos and the ways in which she is reimagined and repurposed to serve diverse ideological functions. It will be of interest to scholars and students of theatre, history, gender studies, and cultural studies.

Weight: 534g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031154737
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023