Fencing, Form and Cognition on the Early Modern Stage

Argues that playwrights looked to fencing theory and performance for physical cues and formal structure.

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Fencing, Form and Cognition on the Early Modern Stage reveals an underexplored archive of Italian, English and German fencing texts, which were designed explicitly to teach tempo and judgement. This intervention in Shakespeare and Jonson scholarship provides critical new insights into the plots, pacing and characterisation of drama and attends to the ethical and pedagogical work displayed and accomplished by fencing and dramatic devices. It yields a robust theory of active waiting and brings the imbrications of appropriate timing and ethical decision-making to the fore.