Shakespeare's London 1613 offers for the first time a comprehensive 'biography' of this crucial year in English history. The book examines political and cultural life in London, including the Jacobean court and the city, which together witnessed an exceptional outpouring of cultural experiences and transformative political events. The royal family had to confront the sudden death of Prince Henry, heir apparent to the throne, which provoked unparalleled grief. Meanwhile, an unprecedented number of plays performed at court helped move the country away from sadness to the happy occasion of Princess Elizabeth's marriage to a German prince. Shakespeare's productions dominated London's cultural landscape, while other playwrights, writers and printers produced an extraordinary number of books. Readers interested in literature, cultural history, and the royal family will find in this book a rich and accessible account of this monumental year.
Shakespeare's London 1613 offers for the first time a 'biography' of this pivotal year. London, including the Jacobean court and the city, witnessed an exceptional outpouring of cultural experiences and transformative political events.
In 1613, Shakespeare for the first time purchased property in London, the Blackfriars Gatehouse, situating him amidst the city's vibrant culture. The Duke of Lennox, King James's cousin and confidant, occupied the Holbein Gatehouse in the palace, embodying court culture. The narrative arc of 1613 oscillates metaphorically between these two gatehouses, linking court and city. Shakespeare's plays dominated London's cultural landscape, although his acting company faced the Globe Theatre's destruction in June. Other playwrights, writers and printers in the city produced an extraordinary number of books.
The political and personal dynamic of the royal family changed forever with the sudden death of the eighteen-year-old Prince Henry, heir apparent to the throne, and the marriage of the only royal daughter, Princess Elizabeth, to a German prince, which disrupted the anticipated line of succession to the British throne. This book examines the death of Henry and the unparalleled outpouring of grief for him. There was an unprecedented number of plays presented at court from Christmas 1612 to February 1613, in an effort to provide an antidote to the suffering leading up to Elizabeth's wedding. The year closed with an aristocratic wedding at court, which generated spectacle and drama, offsetting the divorce and murder that had preceded it.
Readers interested in literature and drama, political and cultural history, and the royal family will find here an accessible and thorough book that illuminates the richness of 1613.
