CFP: Shakespeare and Sensuality (UK) (3/1/05; BSA, 9/1/05-9/4/05)

"And now I give my sensual race the rein": Shakespeare and Sensuality

Despite all the "body talk" in literary studies at present, the critical =
discussion remains curiously disinterested in the topic of sensuality. =
While considerable work has been done on the relationship between the =
body and power, the body is rarely seen in terms of pleasure. Although =
the Renaissance's view of sensuality may seem to support these critical =
tendencies, the exclusion of feelings in the critical debate around the =
body (and, in turn, the exclusion of the body in the critical debate =
around the emotions) testifies to a distinctly one-sided take on the =
Renaissance image of world and self. We think that to shape a more =
integrated image of the early modern period and, indeed, the work of =
Shakespeare, it is time to begin a joint exploration of body and =
emotions - in short, of sensuality.

The leading questions which this seminar wishes to address are: was =
there a typical early modern sensuality and if so, what are its modes of =
expression in Shakespeare's works? Our hypothesis is that sensuality =
emerges in performance: in the representation of the material through =
imagery, language and action. Sensuality is present not only in thematic =
references, but also, simultaneously, in speech and movement. Narrative =
voices in the poems as well as characters in the plays express combined =
mental, physical, and emotional perceptions. Musical entertainment, =
dress, food, hunting or fighting, among others, are sensual experiences =
that can evoke both pleasure and terror. To do justice to the complex =
nature of Shakespeare's sensuality, contributions should explore the =
topic from the joint perspectives that we have described.

Contact: brusberg-kiermeier_at_t-online.de or wood_at_uni-mainz.de

---
Prof. Dr. Anja M=FCller-Wood
Englisches Seminar
Abt. f=FCr Anglistik und Anglophone Kulturen
Johannes Gutenberg-Universit=E4t Mainz
D-55099 Mainz
Germany
+49-(0)6131-3923404
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