In this fascinating study, Heather James explores the palimpsestic ways in which Ovid shapes and informs the works of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Using compelling close reading while consistently remaining grounded in historical context, James synthesizes Ovid's influence on literary license—particularly as it impacts early modern English politics, sexuality, and gender.
The introduction, “Taking Liberties,” forgoes a nod to previous scholarship and instead quickly establishes the Ovidian effect on Renaissance poetry via the obligation to engage in free speech when other forms of expression may be silenced. This freedom of speech, James contends, fosters social and political possibilities in early modern England. The introduction additionally provides useful background on Ovid's exile, and it clearly defines classical terminology in relation to Ovid and literature of the English Renaissance.
The first two chapters reflect on sensuality and eroticism. The first chapter, cleverly invoking “Flower Power” in its title, unpacks the sensuality embedded in Edmund Spenser's floral imagery. Chapter 2, “Loving Ovid,” reflects on Christopher Marlowe's engagement with Ovid's erotic elegies. James finds the “sensual touch of Ovid” (79) permeating Edward III as a way not only to shape characters’ sexualities but also to comment on the English body politic. The last part of the chapter explores Ovid's Metamorphoses as it manifests in Doctor Faustus, and the conclusion interestingly suggests that, for Marlowe, Ovid embodied defiance and imagination.
Given the book's title, James rightfully devotes two chapters to Shakespeare. Chapter 3, “Shakespeare's Juliet,” fleshes out Ovid's impact on Juliet's language in Romeo and Juliet. James highlights the “erotic power” of Juliet's speech (105) as “nothing short of an Ovidian revolution” (104). She goes on to argue that Juliet's eloquence challenges patriarchal authority, particularly through analysis of the tragedy's print history and revisions. Using side-by-side comparisons of the 1597 and 1599 quartos, James emphasizes Juliet's extended speeches in the latter version. Chapter 4, “In Pursuit of Change,” considers the verbal manifestation of gender roles in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Here, James returns to Ovid's Metamorphoses to shed light on Hermia's and Helena's silence by the comedy's conclusion. In addition, James contends that the play's metatheatrical humor stems from “Ovidian wit” (178).
With emphasis on Ben Jonson's fondness for classical texts, “The Trial of Ovid” (the book's lengthiest section) dives into archival research. Exploring Jonson's personal notes on Ovid, James advocates for Jonson's “belief in the moral virtue of Rome's boldest love poet” (196). The fifth chapter presses on to address a number of Jonson's works, including the Epistle to Volpone. Yet The Poetaster, or the Arraignment garners the most attention, given that a fictionalized Ovid is the comedy's central character. In particular, James is concerned with Ovid's trial, sentencing, and banishment in the play as it relates to the character's libel. This chapter also touches on Julia's rhetoric in response to patriarchal forces.
The epilogue drives home Ovid's significance for early modern English women—both real and fictionalized—from a variety of social backgrounds. It additionally suggests that men's engagement with Ovid filters into seventeenth-century political spheres. The nontraditional conclusion functions as a look ahead to Ovid's impact on Restoration-era literature. James first explores Ovid's influence on John Milton's Paradise Lost through keen analysis of Eve's body, hair, and speech. Instead of holistically summarizing the book's argument, the epilogue ends with a persuasive reading of Julia's wit in Anne Wharton's unpublished play Love's Martyr, Or Witt Above Crowns. By concluding in this way, James opens readings of Ovidian liberty and speech up to future prospects for change. Such an approach leaves audiences satisfied and, paradoxically, longing for more of James's astute insights.
Overall, Ovid and the Liberty of Speech in Shakespeare's England is highly recommended. Aside from its foundational introduction, subsequent chapters can be read together or in isolation due to the text's clear structure and convenient notes. Moreover, James's writing style is approachable and jargon-free. Her robust analysis, in theory, could be impenetrable to those unfamiliar with Ovid or early modern literary studies. However, James carefully and humbly guides her readers through nuanced ideas; this stylistic choice makes the monograph refreshingly accessible to a variety of audiences, ranging from seasoned literary scholars to upper-level undergraduates.
