Before Orientalism
London's Theatre of the East, 1576–1626

Before Orientalism examines exotic visions of 'the East' as staged in the playhouses of Shakespeare's London.

Richmond Barbour (Author)

9780521650472, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 16 October 2003

254 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.54 kg

Review of the hardback: 'Before Orientalism contributes to a growing body of scholarship that helps us re-think early English encounters with the East, and by doing so, better understand the early colonial period.' Journal of Colonialism and Coloniam History

Studies of orientalism have chiefly concentrated on the eighteenth century and beyond, while Renaissance work on colonial discourse and travel writing has concentrated on the New World. Before Orientalism examines early Anglo-Indian cultural relations through trade (with the establishment of the East India Company), tourism and diplomacy and illuminates important differences between the reports of travellers and the representations of the London press and stage. Richmond Barbour examines exotic visions of the East as staged in the playhouses, at court, and on the streets of Shakespeare's London. He follows the efforts of the newly established East India Company, and the troubled, deeply theatrical careers of England's first tourist and first ambassador in India, Thomas Coryate and Sir Thomas Roe. The wide range of illustrations depict early modern London's theatricalization of the world and exotic representations of the East and reveal European influences on Moghul art and the latter on English representations.

Prelude: the cultural logistics of England's Eastern initiative
Part I. Staging 'the East' in England: 1. 'The glorious empire of the Turks, the present terrour of the world'
2. Exotic persuasions in the playhouse: Tamburlaine the Great
Antony and Cleopatra
3. Imperial poetics in royal and civic spectacle
Interlude: imaging home and travel
Part II. Inaugural Scenes in the Eastern Theatre: 4. Thomas Coryate and the invention of tourism
5. Sir Thomas Roe and the embassy to India, 1615–19
Afterword.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800 [DSBD], Theatre studies [AN]