Literature and Intellectual Disability in Early Modern England - Folly, Law and Medicine, 1500-1640

This book discusses how early modern legal and medical definitions of intellectual disability influenced the characterisation of fool characters in early modern English literature. .

List of contents

1. Introduction: Fools, from Popular Culture to Disability Studies

Section 1: Law
2. The Legal Discourse of 'Idiocy' on the Stage and Page
3. 'A fool and his money are soon parted': the Fool and Property
4. 'An you knew my properties somebody would ha' me': the Fool as a Ward
Section 2: Medicine and Physiognomy
5. Nature, Wits and Skulls: the Fool's Head
6. Intellectual, Sensory and Physical Disability: the Fool's Body and Face
7. Rationalising Fools' Disability: Causes and Risk Factors
8. Epilogue: Intellectual Disability, Embodiment and Humour in Early Modern Literature

About the author

Alice Equestri is a researcher and lecturer in early modern English literature at the University of Padua. Between 2017 and 2019, she was a Marie Sklodowska-Curie researcher at the University of Sussex. She is the author of 'Armine... Thou Art a Foole and Knave': The Fools of Shakespeare's Romances (2016) and has published on folly in early modern culture, on Shakespeare's last plays, and on Renaissance translation.

Summary

This book discusses how early modern legal and medical definitions of intellectual disability influenced the characterisation of fool characters in early modern English literature. .

Product details

• Authors: Alice Equestri
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 31.05.2023
• EAN: 9781032054667
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3205466-7
• No. of pages: 254
• Series: Routledge Studies in Renaissance Literature and Culture
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Modern era up to 1918; Europe, SOCIAL SCIENCE / People with Disabilities, LITERARY CRITICISM / European / General, LITERARY CRITICISM / Renaissance, HISTORY / Europe / Ireland, Ireland, British & Irish history, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Literary studies: general, Disability: social aspects, Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700, European history: Renaissance, HISTORY / Europe / Renaissance, Literary studies: c 1400 to c 1600