Textual Editing, Shakespeare’s Metre and the Reader on the Clapham Omnibus

Just as in recent years many editors have paid insufficient (or inconsistent, or even contradictory) attention to the authority of the metre in editing early modem play-texts, so more recent editions have begun to discard even the rather basic assistance that has traditionally been supplied to the metrically unsophisticated reader: the Arden 3 editions, for example, no longer indicate the syllabic status of preterite suffixes in the text (perhaps fearing that the occasional grave accent might frighten the horses), and Jonathon Bates’ recent RSC edition rejects the helpful practice, normal since Edmond Malone and George Steevens, of indicating the structure of shared lines by indentation, on the cogent grounds that the First Folio didn’t do it. Ironically, this retreat from the authority of the metre has coincided with large advances, based in part upon linguistics, in our understanding of how metre works. But if metre is not some arid formality but rather a signifying system, this kind of negligence is doing that reader a disservice. This paper will explore some of the ways in which editors might discreetly assist the reader in grasping metrical and prosodic variation (where such variation seems relevant or important), and in exploring (without oppressing the reader with unnecessary detail) the kinds of editorial choices offered by two equally but variously substantive witnesses, such as Q2 and FI Hamlet: one role of the editor here is to draw attention to meaningful variation while filtering out mere noise

Rhythm and Meaning in Shakespeare

How did Shakespere intend that his plays be read? Rhythm and Meaning in Shakespeare explores the rhythmical organisation of Shakespeare’s verse and how it creates and reinforces meaning both in the theatre and in the mind of the reader. Because metrical form in the pentameter is not passively present in the text but rather something that the performer must co-operatively re-create in speaking it, pentameter is what John Barton calls “stage-direction in shorthand”, a supple instrument through which Shakespeare communicates valuable cues for performance. This book is thus an essential guide for actors wishing to perform in his plays, as well as a valuable resource for anyone wishing to enhance their understanding of and engagement with Shakespeare’s verse. Has supplementary audio files

An Anthology of London in Literature, 1558-1914

The General Introduction addresses the unique role of London in English national consciousness and in English literature, given their tendency to represent London as somehow larger than life, as escaping the merely naturalistic and entering the realm of the symbolic or fantastic, with parallels in the great mythopoeic cities of Western culture—Rome, Jerusalem, Athens, Babylon, Troy. It looks at the idea of the City in Classical and Christian culture, as well as London’s development, in the nineteenth-century, into that unprecedented phenomenon, a megalopolis (the Great Wen) that had begun not just to astonish visitors with its size and complexity but to seem alien to its own inhabitants

Religious pluralism: an analysis of its practice and effect in four historical examples

Despite the fact that religious freedom is considered a basic human right, provided for in the South African constitution, the practise of religious freedom is often denied in certain countries and discouraged in others. The goal of this thesis is to examine four historical examples in which religious freedom was practised or denied, and the effect this decision had on the countries or people concerned. The first example of Alexander's empire is a positive example of religious liberty. His practise of religious pluralism offered peace to the Greeks and Jews of Alexandria, and it prompted creative and intellectual pursuits that would have been impossible without religious freedom. The second example is of Paul the Apostle's approach to positive religious engagement, as recorded in Acts 17 of the New Testament. Paul models constructive religious debate as he engages with the Athenian philosophers. The third example is of Constantine's pursuit of unity through religious prescription. In his bid for one empire under one God, he created both a divided empire and a divided church. The final example is of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, who through the persecution of Jews and Muslims, caused the economic collapse of Spain and the division of the church within Spain. This thesis provides historical evidence that religious pluralism benefits humanity and it is my hope that it will encourage religious and political leaders to uphold religious pluralism for the good of society and for the good of religion

Living African elephants belong to two species: Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach, 1797) and Loxodonta cyclotis (Matschie, 1900)

Living bush and forest African elephants, hitherto regarded as a single species, are evolutionarily and ecologically distinct forms. They deserve to be ranked as full species: the bush African elephant, Loxodonta africana (Blumenbach, 1797), and the forest African elephant Loxodonta cyclotis (Matschie, 1900). L. cyclotis is phylogenetically more primitive than L. africana. The implications of this designation may help in conserving these keystone species