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How should one begin a study of anthropomorphism and zoomorphism in Shakespeare?

Shakespeare frequently uses animal metaphors and nonhuman imagery.These figures seem rhetorically, ethically, and philosophically loaded.I want a structured way to begin this investigation.

 

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By Kanika Answered 2 months ago

From my experience supervising Shakespeare research, the most effective entry point is close reading rather than theory-first framing. I have seen strong studies emerge by cataloguing animal imagery play by play, then situating it within early modern beliefs about hierarchy and nature. I would recommend engaging animal studies scholarship only after identifying patterns in the texts themselves. This keeps interpretation grounded rather than allegorical by default.

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