<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>While the hysterical ailments of women in Shakespeare’s works have often been read from psychoanalytical standpoints, early modern medicine may provide new insights into the ‘frozen’, seemingly dead bodies of some of his heroines, such as Desdemona, Thaisa, and Hermione. In the wake of recent critical work (Peterson, Slights, Pettigrew), this paper will shed fresh light on the ‘excess’ of female physiology and on Shakespeare’s creative redeployment of some medical concepts and narratives.</p></abstract>

While the hysterical ailments of women in Shakespeare’s works have often been read from psychoanalytical standpoints, early modern medicine may provide new insights into the ‘frozen’, seemingly dead bodies of some of his heroines, such as Desdemona, Thaisa, and Hermione. In the wake of recent critical work (Peterson, Slights, Pettigrew), this paper will shed fresh light on the ‘excess’ of female physiology and on Shakespeare’s creative redeployment of some medical concepts and narratives.

“A THING LIKE DEATH”: MEDICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF FEMALE BODIES IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS

Universities of Bergamo and Trento, Italy via Salvecchio 19 - 24129 Bergamo. Italy

Gender Studies

While the hysterical ailments of women in Shakespeare’s works have often been read from psychoanalytical standpoints, early modern medicine may provide new...

“A THING LIKE DEATH”: MEDICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF FEMALE BODIES IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS

Published Online: Feb 14, 2014

Page range: 93 - 111

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2013-0006

Keywords
arly modern literature and medicine hysteria, interdisciplinary approach, representation

This content is open access.

“A THING LIKE DEATH”: MEDICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF FEMALE BODIES IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS

Published Online: Feb 14, 2014

Page range: 93 - 111

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/genst-2013-0006

Keywordsarly modern literature and medicine hysteria, interdisciplinary approach, representation

This content is open access.

Keywords
arly modern literature and medicine hysteria, interdisciplinary approach, representation