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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
English
First Advisor
Simone Chess
Abstract
When the term inheritance is mentioned, often it is thought of as only the passing on or receiving of tangible goods such as money, titles, or land. Early modern England in particular looked to define inheritance through laws built around a system of primogeniture. These laws were meant to create a straightforward understanding of how one’s legacy would be passed down to heirs, yet in practice it can be seen how open to interpretation such laws and ideas around inheritance were. This project moves beyond seeing inheritance as simply a legal topic and looks at the ways in which inheritance is instead a process by which individuals create their sense of self and their relation to their culture and community. This dissertation seeks to show the more abstract ways in which inheritance was understood in early modern culture through Shakespeare’s plays. The chapters in this dissertation look at Shakespeare’s utilization of the different play genres of history, comedy, and tragedy to present inheritance as it was understood both personally and communally. This project hopes to show how vital the topic of inheritance was in early modern conceptions of self and their relation to the culture in which they lived.
Recommended Citation
Chapman-Morales, Robert, "Beyond A Will: Shakespeare And The Reconception Of Inheritance" (2024). Wayne State University Dissertations. 4090.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/4090