Disorder and the Drama

Book excerpt: Renaissance Drama, an annual and interdisciplinary publication, is devoted to drama and performance as a central feature of Renaissance culture. The essays in each volume explore traditional canons of drama, the significance of performance (broadly construed) to early modern culture, and the impact of new forms of interpretation on the study of Renaissance plays, theater, and performance. This volume includes essays discussing Renaissance dramatic representations of violence, crime, public strife, and political mayhem, and essays exploring the ways in which chaos is ritualized to contain and/or encourage social, political, and religious disorder.