Shakespeare and the French Borders of English

This study emerges from an interdisciplinary conversation about the theory of translation and the role of foreign language in fiction and society. By analyzing Shakespeare's treatment of France, Saenger interrogates the cognitive borders of England - a border that was more dependent on languages and ideas than it was on governments and shorelines.

“Welcome, ‘myriad-minded’ readers, to the critical borderlands, where Michael Saenger proves an aptly provocative, lively guide. … if you seek new readings of familiar plays and a complex encounter with multiple lines of inquiry, and if you are open to frequent interpretive leaps around a more myriad-minded Shakespeare’ than Coleridge ever imagined, you'll enjoy this book as much as I did.” (A. E. B. Coldiron, Shakespeare Quarterly, Vol. 67 (1), 2016)

“Michael Saenger’s new monograph Shakespeare and the French Borders of English brings together linguistic, political, and performative boundaries to examine Anglo-French relationships and their importance in Shakespeare. … This study is highly recommended for readers interested in aspects of cultural exchange, memory, and language.” (The Year’s Work in English Studies, Vol. 95 (1), 2016)

"A valuable contribution to scholarly discussions of Shakespeare and France that raises important issues that will be of interest to any scholar concerned with situating early modern England - and France - in a multilingual and multicultural context." - Renaissance Quarterly

"A signal achievement - illuminating and engaging at every turn." - Patricia Parker, Margery Bailey Professor of English and Dramatic Literature and Professor of Comparative Literature, Stanford University

Michael Saenger is Associate Professor of English at Southwestern University.