Project Description
I have begun work on a series of interconnected essays on the topic of “Shakespeare and the Politics of Premodernity.” Rather than situating Shakespearean texts in relation to their modernity, my research inquires into the legacies of classical and medieval political theories that share the distinction of being conventionally seen as obsolescent residues of the past. The institutions and practices consigned to the dustbin of the “premodern,” I argue, are precisely those that do not conform to the models of sovereignty and a global world-system that enabled the emergence of the modern nation-state in the early modern period. Essays discuss topics such as premodern democracy, in reference to the figure of Roman tribunes; premodern constitutionalism, and the interconnections between histories of the Magna Carta and Robin Hood narratives; premodern violence, and the genealogy of the gun in relation to the emergence of firearms technology and its effect on subjectivity and race; and a premodern politics of care, with attention to the affective registers of non-familial relations of fosterage, pedagogical and professional mentorship, and pastoral counsel.
Tasks and Responsibilites
The student will assist me in conduct primary research relating to this project. I just recently published another book monograph, and so I am in the very initial stages of research at this point. It is therefore extremely helpful to have this research assistance, particularly during the pandemic when it is additionally time-consuming to gather research materials. I plan to meet weekly with the student to plan the research tasks for the week. Part of the student’s role is in gathering materials for me. But we will also talk about the process of conducting research, and the student will be able to see first-hand the process for conducting historically-based, interdisciplinary research. I will also be able to show the student first-hand the process through which I begin to compile notes on the materials and plan out the argument for individual essays. Part of the schedule this semester will be conducting research relating to the project as a whole. But I will also begin work on one chapter in particular, a study of the emergence of firearms technology in the early modern period, so that we will be able to discuss the logistics of writing and drafting a critical essay.
Desired Qualifications
None listed.