Shakespeare and sexuality in the comedy of Morecambe and Wise /
Contextualizing the duo's work within British comedy, Shakespeare criticism, the history of sexuality and their own historical moment, this book offers the first sustained analysis of the twentieth century's most successful double act. Over the course of a forty-four-year career (1940-1984...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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New York :
Palgrave Macmillan,
[2020].
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| Series: | Palgrave studies in comedy.
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Contextualizing the duo's work within British comedy, Shakespeare criticism, the history of sexuality and their own historical moment, this book offers the first sustained analysis of the twentieth century's most successful double act. Over the course of a forty-four-year career (1940-1984), Eric Morecambe & Ernie Wise appropriated snippets of verse, scenes and other elements from seventeen of Shakespeare's plays more than one hundred and fifty times. Fashioning a kinder, more inclusive world, they deployed a vast array of elements connected to Shakespeare, his life and institutions. Rejecting claims that they offer only nostalgic escapism, Hamrick analyzes their work within contemporary contexts, including their engagement with many forms and genres, including Variety, the heritage industry, journalism and more. 'The Boys' deploy Shakespeare to work through issues of class, sexuality and violence. Lesbianism, drag, gay marriage and a queer aesthetics emerge, helping to normalize homosexuality and complicate masculinity in the 'permissive' 1960s. |
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| Physical Description: | xiii, 346 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 305-340) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9783030339579 3030339572 |