Biblical Covenant in Shakespeare

Mary Jo Kietzman is Associate Professor of English at the University of Michigan-Flint, USA.  She is the author of The Self-Fashioning of an Early-Modern Englishwoman: Mary Carleton’s Many Lives (2004).  She has published numerous articles on a wide range of English Renaissance authors and subjects, including Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, and “The Rape of Lucrece.”

• 1. Introduction.- 2. Abraham’s Ordeal and Historical Change:  From Sacrifice to Ethics.- 3.The Merchant of Venice:  Shylock and Covenantal Interplay.- 4. Hamlet, Judge of Denmark, in a “Time. . .Out of Joint”.- 5.Falstaff, Prophet of Covenant in The Henriad.- 6.Tragic Monarchy:  Saul and Macbeth.- 7. Epilogue: Shakespeare and Milton Grapple with Kings.

“Kietzman’s work is an important contribution to Shakespearean scholarship. The interrelationship of theology, politics, and literature in early modern England is highly complex and cannot be overestimated. Yet she persuasively brings these tortuous streams together in Shakespeare’s works in a robust, interdisciplinary fashion. This work is not only integral in Shakespearean interpretation, but it is also highly recommended for those interested in the intricate connections between theology, politics, and dramatic literature in the early modern period.” (Brian L. Hanson, Renaissance Quarterly, Vol. 72 (4), 2019)“There are moments of insight in this book that deserve consideration, especially concerning the importance of covenant theology to early modern religious, political, and literary culture.Fundamentally, the book calls needed attention to an undervalued element of Reformation culture.” (Thomas Fulton, Modern Philology, Vol. 117 (1), May, 2019)