The Framing Text in Early Modern English Drama: ’Whining’ Prologues and ’Armed’ Epilogues

Schneider (U. of Manchester, England) examines the opening and closing addresses to the audience that bracketed many early modern English plays, dramatic elements that he is surprised to find little scholarship on. He considered matters of definition; prologos to prologue in classical drama; epilogue origins and Medieval framing texts; prologues, epilogues, and the dichotomized audience; prologues, epilogues, and the female spectator; and matters of custom. Over 100 pages of appendix cite prologues and epilogues up to 1660. Annotation 穢2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)