Metropolitan tragedy : genre, justice, and the city in early modern England / Marissa Greenberg.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Breaking new ground in the study of tragedy, early modern theatre, and literary London, Metropolitan Tragedy demonstrates that early modern tragedy emerged from the juncture of radical changes in London's urban fabric and the city's judicial procedures.

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CHOICE Review

Greenberg (Univ. of New Mexico) has provided a much-needed work of criticism on the development of the idea of London as a metropolis and London's representation on the stage. Though one can find many critical works on early modern English city comedies and their portrayal of London as a city and emerging metropolis, the tragedies have been largely overlooked. Greenberg provides a corrective to this. The book begins with a well-argued introduction in which the author provides the reader with a pleasant discussion of the evolution of the concept of London as a metropolis. The author follows this with readings of tragedies such as Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, Philip Massinger's The Roman Actor, and Milton's Samson Agonistes. These readings offer a fresh perspective on how the concept of London as a specific city--not just a generic set piece--can be seen to grow and solidify from the Elizabethan period through the Restoration. Metropolitan Tragedy is a valuable piece of scholarship. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. --Jesse David Sharpe, University of Houston