Publisher's Synopsis
As has been noted in previous studies, England experienced something of a social revolution in the years from the early sixteenth century to the Civil War. In Wit's Pilgrimage, Dr Grantley adds a new dimension to the discussion of this phenomenon by focusing on the emerging role and function of social behaviour as a means of signalling social identity and rank. Noting the ever greater emphasis placed on manners, customs and ordinary behaviour in that time period, he demonstrates the interrelation of two key elements - education and drama - in the reconstruction of social identity. - - By examining the relationship between education and drama, Grantley contributes important perspectives on the ways in which drama functioned in society. He explores education as a prominent motif in the aristocratically patronised drama of the 16th century; the contribution of the academy to the evolution of public modes of drama; education and the playwrights; education and the audience; and the representations of learning and social behaviour on the public stage. - - Throughout, this study explores the increasing social significance of education in 16th- and 17th-century England, and the reflection of that cultural change in the drama of the period.
