Shakespeare's Borrowed Feathers: How Early Modern Playwrights Shaped the World's Greatest Writer - Hardcover

by Darren Freebury-Jones (Author)

A fascinating book exploring the early modern authors who helped to shape Shakespeare's beloved plays.

Shakespeare's plays have influenced generations of writers, but who were the early modern playwrights who influenced him? Using the latest techniques in textual analysis Shakespeare's borrowed feathers offers a fresh look at William Shakespeare and reveals the influence of a community of playwrights that shaped his work. This compelling book argues that we need to see early modern drama as a communal enterprise, with playwrights borrowing from and adapting one another's work.

From John Lyly's wit to the collaborative genius of John Fletcher, to Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's borrowed feathers offers fresh insights into Shakespeare's artistic development and shows us new ways of looking at the masterpieces that have enchanted audiences for centuries.

Back Jacket

A fascinating book exploring the early modern authors who helped to shape Shakespeare's beloved plays.

Shakespeare's plays have influenced generations of writers, but who were the early modern playwrights who influenced him? Shakespeare's borrowed feathers offers a fresh look at William Shakespeare and the community of playwrights that shaped his work. This compelling book argues that we need to see early modern drama as a communal enterprise, with playwrights borrowing from and adapting one another's work.

From John Lyly's wit to the collaborative genius of John Fletcher, to Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's borrowed feathers offers fresh insights into Shakespeare's artistic development and shows us new ways of looking at the masterpieces that have enchanted audiences for centuries.

Author Biography

Darren Freebury-Jones is a Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. He is the author of Shakespeare's Tutor: The Influence of Thomas Kyd (2022) and has contributed to the Independent, the Guardian, the Times, the Telegraph and BBC Radio.