Jonson, Shakespeare and Early Modern Virgil

This book examines how the writings of one of Western culture's foundational authors, Virgil, are represented and used in early modern England, particularly in the work of Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare. It shows how Jonson uses the authority of Virgil to reproduce and underwrite social hierarchies, while in The Tempest, Shakespeare interrogates and subverts this use of Virgil. It is a case study in cultural/social hegemony and resistance, which bears directly on the reproduction...
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This book examines how the writings of one of Western culture's foundational authors, Virgil, are represented and used in early modern England, particularly in the work of Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare. It shows how Jonson uses the authority of Virgil to reproduce and underwrite social hierarchies, while in The Tempest, Shakespeare interrogates and subverts this use of Virgil. It is a case study in cultural/social hegemony and resistance, which bears directly on the reproduction and use of Shakespeare today.