Contents; List of Illustrations; Introduction; PART I: LIFE AND TIMES; 1. Sexuality in Shakespeare's Time; 2. Sex and Poetry in Shakespeare's Time; 3. Shakespeare and Sex; PART II: PLAYS AND POEMS; 4. The Fun of Sex; 5. Sexual Desire; 6. Sex and Love in Romeo and Juliet; 7. Sexual Jealousy; 8. Sex and Experience; 9. Whores and Saints; 10. Just Good Friends?; Conclusion; Notes; Further Reading; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; Q; R; S; T; U; V; W; Z
Summary
How does Shakespeare's treatment of human sexuality relate to the sexual conventions and language of his times? Pre-eminent Shakespearean critic Stanley Wells draws on historical and anecdotal sources to present an illuminating account of sexual behaviour in Shakespeare's time, particularly in Stratford-upon-Avon and London. He demonstrates what we know or can deduce of the sex lives of Shakespeare and members of his family. He also provides a fascinating account of depictions ofsexuality in the poetry of the period and suggests that at the time Shakespeare was writing most of his non-dramatic
