Shakespeare / Sense: Contemporary Readings in Sensory Culture. Simon Smith, ed. Arden Shakespeare Intersections. London: Bloomsbury Arden Shakespeare, 2020. xvi + 384 pp. £117.

Abstract

reading of Julia’s wit in Anne Wharton’s unpublished play Love’s Martyr, Or Witt Above Crowns. By concluding in this way, James opens readings of Ovidian liberty and speech up to future prospects for change. Such an approach leaves audiences satisfied and, paradoxically, longing for more of James’s astute insights. Overall, Ovid and the Liberty of Speech in Shakespeare’s England is highly recommended. Aside from its foundational introduction, subsequent chapters can be read together or in isolation due to the text’s clear structure and convenient notes. Moreover, James’s writing style is approachable and jargon-free. Her robust analysis, in theory, could be impenetrable to those unfamiliar with Ovid or early modern literary studies. However, James carefully and humbly guides her readers through nuanced ideas; this stylistic choice makes the monograph refreshingly accessible to a variety of audiences, ranging from seasoned literary scholars to upper-level undergraduates.