Offering a complete reading of English Literature throughout 1558-1689, this book demonstrates the continuity of Roman Catholicism in English Literature from the accession of Elizabeth I to the deposing of James II. Rist shows that poetry and plays promoted Roman Catholic ideas in a Biblicist age which established the Church of England through the Book of Common Prayer. From the very idea of literary works to chapters on the Eucharist, Purgatory, Christian worship and the Virgin Mary, Rist joins together major and minor authors of the era to present English Literature afresh. Important literary figures include William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, Queen Henrietta Maria, John Donne, John Dryden, Robert Herrick, Margaret Cavendish and Aphra Behn.
By:
Thomas Rist
Imprint: Manchester University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 16mm
Weight: 548g
ISBN: 9781526183309
ISBN 10: 1526183307
Pages: 264
Publication Date: 18 June 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Introduction: Works of Literature in the Age of the Prayer Book 1. Works, epitaphs, poetry 2. The Eucharist: Sacrificial works on stage 3. Purgatory and the stage 4. Catholic worship and devotional poetry 5. Mary of Recusants and reform 6. What’s in a name?: The Virgin Mary on stage Concluding thoughts: Works of literature again Bibliography -- .
Thomas Rist is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Aberdeen.
