Robinson, Penelope (2024) Shakespeare's Portrayal of the Celtic Nations of Scotland and Wales and the Changing View of Ancient Britain. Masters thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
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Abstract
Shakespeare was writing at a time when the English monarchy changed from being in the hands of the ‘Welsh harridan’ Elizabeth I to the more cosmopolitan Scottish James VI/I, and this was also the time when the ancient British myths were no longer taken as the verbatim source for British history, with a preference for seeing the civilising influence of classical Rome. This then is a watershed period for the relationship between England and its Celtic neighbours, and the writings of Shakespeare can give us an indication of how this change was perceived at the time. I will compare Shakespeare’s earlier work from Elizabeth I’s reign with his later work under James I to determine if there is a change of approach to, or perception of the Celts. In doing so I will look at his portrayal of the Welsh, the Scots, and at the wider view of ‘Britishness’, to see how these Celtic nations are portrayed from an English viewpoint. I will also consider Shakespeare’s stance on the Antiquarian/Galfridian debate as understanding these two different views of British history, and how Shakespeare chose to use these, ultimately gives us a further insight into his depiction of the Celtic nations.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
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| Subjects: | D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain P Language and Literature > PR English literature |
| Divisions: | Theses and Dissertations > Masters Dissertations |
| Depositing User: | Victoria Hankinson |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Jan 2025 11:42 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Oct 2025 14:50 |
| URI: | https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3320 |
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