Hamlet’s Hereditary Queen

Performing Shakespeare's Silent Female Power

Kerrie Roberts (University of Sydney, Australia)

$263

Hardback

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English

Routledge
30 December 2022

The Arts: General & Reference; Performance art; Literature: history & criticism; Feminism & feminist theory; Sex & sexuality, sex manuals

Series: Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies

This book explores a fresh and insightful interpretation of Hamlet’s Gertrude as a prominent and powerful figure in the play. It shows how traditional readings of this character, both performance-based and scholarly, have been guided and constrained by misogynistic perspectives on female power.

Bringing together the author’s wealth of insight from a theatre practitioner’s perspective and combining it with a scholarly perspective, the book argues that Gertrude need not be limited to sex and motherhood. She could instead be played as Denmark’s blood royal Queen, her role in the play then being about female political power. Gertrude’s royal status could play out on stage through a variety of possible performance choices for stage design, stage business, acting processes, and the actor’s presence – both speaking and silent.

Hamlet's Hereditary Queen takes into consideration Shakespeare’s source myths, historical studies of the position of queens and the issues concerning them in early modern England, Hamlet’s performance history, and the text itself. It questions traditional readings of Hamlet, and offers detailed analyses of relevant scenes to demonstrate how Gertrude’s Hamlet might play out on stage in the twenty-first century.

This is an engaging and insightful interpretation for students and scholars of theatre and performance studies and Shakespeare studies, as well as theatre practitioners.

By: Kerrie Roberts (University of Sydney Australia)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 430g
ISBN: 9781032193137
ISBN 10: 1032193131
Series: Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies
Pages: 210
Publication Date: 30 December 2022
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Kerrie Roberts has a background in teaching and in theatre. Hamlet’s Hereditary Queen began in 2007 with performance practice and was later developed through postgraduate study with the help of the University of Sydney’s Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. Her website is kroberts.au.