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The Dark Lantern
A Historical Study of Sight in Shakespeare, Webster, and Middleton

By Marcus Nordlund
December 1999
Almqvist & Wiksell International
ISBN: 91-7346-371-X
533 pages
$68.50 paper original

OUT OF PRINT

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This is a study of changing conceptions of sight in the works of three poets and dramatists of the English Renaissance: William Shakespeare, John Webster, and Thomas Middleton. Placing these writers in the context of a broader disruption of traditional belief about the eye which took place in contemporary visual theory and reformed religion, the author explores how some of their works negotiate the transitional nature of early modern visuality.

Contents:
Introduction. The dark lantern. The reformed eye. Shakespearean poetry. Shakespearean drama. John Webster. Thomas Middleton. Conclusion. Works cited.

Literature
Gothenburg Studies in English, No. 77