Though I have to say, that was more time than I ever want to spend with Beaumont and Fletcher ever again. Unfortunately, I have the feeling I'm not going to get my wish.
On the other hand, I very clearly hit several very important and interesting things today. For instance, I have a rather fascinating argument about the title of The Maid's Tragedy and a reading of the play as a whole that I've never seen before (which you'll have to forgive me if I don't share - academia being rather competitive as it is, I'm not feeling very open about this stuff just yet). I also got into something of a groove this week regarding this chapter, and it's just been pouring out (with a few little fits and starts, of course, but I've written about 20 pages worth of stuff in three days, as well as a good deal of revising).
I'm still feeling up in the air about including Julius Caesar in the dissertation. On the one hand, it would go very well with The Maid's Tragedy... on the other hand, this chapter alone is 57 pages and I've got three more, an introductory chapter, and an epilogue to go, and I know the chapter on Macbeth and Richard III is going to be a long bugger.
Next up: Hope the prospectus gets approved. Then I can give them this monstrosity. That's going to be fun. If we dick around for a while yet... Start chapter 1, which is on Edward II. I'm actually looking forward to that play, which tells me something about the comparative quality of Marlowe versus Beaumont and Fletcher. And it's not good for Francis and John. It really makes me kind of sad that Kit had to go and get himself knifed before he could write anything else. I often wonder if Marlowe had lived, would we have Marlowe festivals instead of Shakespeare...
At any rate, I'm SO happy this is done. Especially since I can tell my brain is so over-saturated by iambic pentameter that it keeps trying to force my normal speech into Jacobean dramatic patterns. Not good.
Fair reader, fare thee well, for I am done.
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