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9 months ago in Animal Economy By Manoj

Animals in Literature: Starting Your Research from Shakespeare Onward

 I want to research how animals and animal-like qualities (anthropomorphism/zoomorphism) are used in English literature, starting with Shakespeare. Where should I begin beyond the obvious modern critics?

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By Ramesh Answered 1 year ago

To get to Shakespeare, you need to go behind him. Start with the classical source he knew best: Ovid's Metamorphoses. Then, look at Keith Thomas's classic history, Man and the Natural World, for context. For Shakespeare specifically, dive into plays like A Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear and search The Shakespeare Quarterly for analysis. Don't forget the medieval bestiary tradition—those symbolic animal books shaped how the Renaissance thought about creatures. This gives you the deep historical lineage.

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