Image Ethics In Shakespeare And Spenser

Image Ethics in Shakespeare and Spenser Previous Publications Illustrating the Past in Early Modern England: The Representation of History in Printed Books (2003). Image Ethics in Shakespeare and Spenser James A. Knapp Palgrave macmillan image ethics in shakespeare and spenser Copyright © James A. Knapp, 2011. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2011 All rights reserved. First published in 2011 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN® in the United States – a division of St. Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Where this book is distributed in the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, this is by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-29097-0 ISBN 978-0-230-11713-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-0-230-11713-6 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Knapp, James A., 1968– Image ethics in Shakespeare and Spenser / James A. Knapp. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. 1. English literature—Early modern, 1500–1700—History and criticism. 2. Visual perception in literature. 3. Ethics in literature. 4. Image (Philosophy) 5. Shakespeare, William, 1564–1616—Criticism and interpretation. 6. Spenser, Edmund, 1552?–1599—Criticism and interpretation. 7. Ethics—England—History—16th century. 8. Ethics—England—History—17th century. 9. Aesthetics, British—16th century. 10. Aesthetics, British—17th century. I. Title. PR428.E85K63 2011 820.9’353—dc22 2010024787 A catalogue record of the book is available from the British Library. Design by MPS Limited, A Macmillan Company First edition: February 2011 For my parents Contents List of Figures ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: Image Ethics 1 Harnessing the Visual: From Illustration to Ekphrasis 2 From Visible to Invisible: Spenser’s “Aprill” and Messianic Ethics 3 Looking for Ethics in Spenser’s Faerie Queene 4 “To Look, but with Another’s Eyes”: Translating Vision in A Midsummer Night’s Dream 5 The Ethics of Temporality in Measure for Measure 6 “Ocular Proof ” and the Dangers of the Perceptual Faith 7 “Disliken the Truth of Your Own Seeming”: Visual and Ethical Truth in The Winter’s Tale 1 31 47 67 99 121 143 161 Notes 183 Bibliography 215 Index 227 List of Figures 1.1 The death of King John, woodcut illustration, John Foxe, Acts and Monuments. London, 1563 1.2 Reforms of the church under Edward VI, woodcut illustration, John Foxe, Acts and Monuments. London, 1570 2.1 An emperor’s monument destroyed by a tempest, woodcut illustration, Jan van der Noot, A Theater for Voluptuous Worldlings. London, 1569 3.1 St. George slaying the dragon, woodcut illustration, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene. London, 1590 36 39 51 74 Acknowledgments This book has benefited from the many conversations I have had with colleagues and friends over the years during which it took shape. The initial idea for the project emerged from a spirited conversation with Jeffrey Pence that culminated in our organizing two sessions for the Third International Crossroads in Cultural Studies Conference held at the University of Birmingham in 2000. I would like to express my gratitude to Jeff and the participants in those sessions who listened and thoughtfully responded to an early version of what would become Chapter 6. Since then, a continuous stream of discussion and debate has pushed my thinking in new directions. I am grateful to Wen