Tag: Renaissance
Hell’s Black Intelligencers: Shakespeare and Our Current Fears of Surveillance
In July 2018, the United States government formally pressed charges against Maria Valeryevna Butina for operating as an unregistered foreign agent operating in the service of the Russian state, a term that the news media quickly collapsed into the more provocative and instantly recognizable designation of “Russian spy.” Coupled with the revelation that the Russian
“Millions of false eyes”: Responding to Surveillance
Surveillance culture doesn’t crop up overnight. It is the result of social and political processes, which humans creatively adapt to and undermine. Last week, I looked at the ways in which early modern audiences and playwrights reacted to the increasing sense that their government was using spies to monitor their actions in and around the
They Come Not Single Spies: What Surveillance Meant to Shakespeare’s Audiences
After the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572,[1] the English government, particularly Principle Secretary Francis Walsingham (often credited as the father of English espionage), greatly increased the scope of their intelligence networks. This resulted in the foiling of a number of plots against the life of Queen Elizabeth, most notably the Babington Plot, which led
Cloaked in Eyes and Ears: Reading Surveillance Culture Through the Early Modern Stage
In our contemporary social moment, the American public has come to possess a fairly blasé attitude towards the degree to which governments and corporations collect our data and monitor our actions. It has become almost an unfunny joke to acknowledge that, yes, Amazon and Google do monitor our internet habits and listen in upon our
“Enter RUMOUR, painted full of tongues”: Virality and the Dangers of Rhetoric
Over the last few weeks, I’ve explored the relationship between early modern fears of rhetoric and their relevance in our political climate. Thus far, I’ve focused on a specific kind of rhetoric, the anti-media rhetoric of President Trump, drawing parallels between his words and Henry II’s famous statement “will no one rid me of this
“If Thou Consider Rightly of the Matter”: Intent, Interpretation, and the Fear of Rhetoric
Last week, I looked at Julius Caesar as a case-study for understanding early modern fears concerning rhetoric during the late 16th and early 17th century. I hope to have demonstrated the degree to which Shakespeare was wary of the relationship between rhetorical provocation and the violent potential of the crowd. However, representations of rhetorical provocation
Will No One Rid Me of This Turbulent Media?
In 1170, Henry II, King of England, is alleged to have complained to a group of knights within his household, “will no one rid me of this turbulent priest.” Speaking of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett, this statement was alleged to have been interpreted as an order, and a group of knights travelled to
Shipwrecked Courtier: Nostalgia and Courtiership in Twelfth Night and The Book of the Courtier
[7-10 minute read] Above my fortunes, yet my state is well. I am a gentleman. – Viola, Twelfth Night Viola, the shipwrecked woman of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, finds herself separated from her twin brother in a foreign land. Vulnerable, she must find means for supporting herself and dons the disguise of a eunuch named Cesario to
Gainsford’s “Glorious” England
[5-7 minute read] A quick look at popular TV programming might lead a person to think that Americans are obsessed with Britain. We watch sci-fi shows like Dr. Who? to feed our imaginations about the possibilities of alien life and technology, as well as shows like The Great British Bake Off that combine culinary delights with
Spatial Representations
[5-7 minute read] When going on vacation these days, we take our cameras (or phones) with us to commemorate the places we visited, and the adventures that we embarked on. Contemporary phones and photos offer a way to share our experiences with friends and loved ones in a manner that allows them to imagine they