Food, Drinks, and Politics in Shakespeare'S History Plays

This proposal is for a two-year research project. It aims to explore the significance of food and drinks in the political world presented in Shakespeare’s ten history plays. It focuses not just on scenes featuring the consumption of food and drinks, but also on images of food and drinks used as metaphors with political implications and resonances. Food and drinks, essential for the basic sustenance of life, are also critical constituents of pleasure, which helps to make our weary life bearable. It is a commonplace belief that western drama originated in ancient Greece and was interconnected with festivals in honor of Dionysus, god of grape harvest, wine and fertility. Food and drinks were hence tightly linked to drama. The Elizabethan era was a time when satisfying one’s stomach could be a challenging task for many of those who were not born into aristocratic class. Enclosure, which drove away landless disadvantaged people from what used to be common grounds, was a topical issue then, while the influx of hunger-stricken vagabonds to London was a common phenomenon. Shakespeare, as a playwright in London working to attract audiences to his playhouse, was definitely not unaware of the presence of hungry people in London. It is noteworthy that he included common people’s basic needs for food and drinks in his plays on English history, using food and drinks as poetic images. The research project is divided into two years: For the first year, I shall analyze five history plays—King John, Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part II and Henry V. Falstaff’s insatiable craving for food and drinks is remarkable, yet besides it, there are numerous images of food and drinks such as Constance’s reference to her son as her food. Moreover, the research will probe into Elizabethan socio-political background related to food and drinks to place it alongside textual analysis. For the second year, I shall analyze another five plays—Henry VI Part I, Henry VI Part II, Henry VI Part III, Richard III and Henry VIII. Jack Cade’s obsession with the price of food and the availability of drinks stands out in these plays. What this obsession symbolizes shall be analyzed alongside the Elizabethan topical issue of enclosure and hunger. Until now, the topic of food and drinks in Shakespeare’s ten history plays has not been thoroughly researched. The project intends to study Shakespeare’s fascinating presentations of and references to food and drinks in all of his ten history plays, focusing on the intricate relationship he has created between images of food or drinks and the politics affecting historical development in the history plays. The ultimate goal of the project is to enhance our deeper understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare.

Project ID:PE10707-0065
External Project ID:MOST107-2410-H182-002