Blake s Drama
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Blake s Drama Theatre, Performance, and Identity in the Illuminated Books Diane Piccitto Independent Scholar, London, England
Diane Piccitto 2014 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-37800-2 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6 10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2014 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave and Macmillan are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-47810-1 ISBN 978-1-137-37801-9 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9781137378019 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. Typeset by MPS Limited, Chennai, India.
Contents List of Illustrations Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations vi vii viii Introduction 1 1 The Theatre of the Illuminated Books 11 2 Spectatorial Entrances: Where Brechtian Alienation Meets Medieval Presence 53 3 Staging Urizen: The Melodrama of Identity Formation 101 4 The Performativity of Inspiration: Action and Identity in Milton 143 Conclusion 198 Notes 208 Bibliography 227 Index 241 v
List of Illustrations All illustrations are by William Blake and are in the Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, Library of Congress, courtesy of The William Blake Archive. Unless stated otherwise, the numeration of plates is based on David V. Erdman s, while that of objects belongs to the Blake Archive. Cover Illustration: William Blake, The Book of Urizen, copy G, plate 6, object 7, c.1818. Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection, Library of Congress. Copyright 2013 William Blake Archive. Used with permission. 1 America a Prophecy, copy E, title page, plate ii, object 2, 1793 33 2 America a Prophecy, copy E, plate 10, object 12, 1793 38 3 America a Prophecy, copy E, plate 8, object 10, 1793 40 4 Milton a Poem, copy D, plate 29 [Bentley], object 32, 1818 76 5 Milton a Poem, copy D, title page, plate i [1], object 1, 1818 77 6 The Book of Urizen, copy G, plate 7, object 9, c.1818 83 7 Visions of the Daughters of Albion, copy J, frontispiece, plate i, object 1, 1793 88 8 The Book of Urizen, copy G, plate 17, object 17, c.1818 115 9 The Book of Urizen, copy G, plate 6, object 7, c.1818 116 10 Milton a Poem, copy D, plate 33 [Bentley], object 37, 1818 187 vi
Acknowledgements I would like to pay tribute to those Blakean stars that have inspired me while writing Blake s Drama. I warmly thank Angela Esterhammer for her continued guidance, insight, and friendship, as well as her invaluable involvement throughout the course of this study. My sincere gratitude to Steve Clark and Tristanne Connolly for their careful reading of the manuscript, incisive suggestions, and confidence in the project. For their countless acts of friendship and critical acumen, my thanks goes to Jen Andreasen, Annika Bautz, Antoinina Bevan Zlatar, Michelle Dreiding, Frances Ilmberger, John Kozub, Alexander Markin, Martin Mühlheim, Adrian Rainbow, Christa Schönfelder, Enit Karafili Steiner, Sarina Tschachtli, Julie-Ann Vincent, and Doug Vincent; special thanks to Doug who has read my work with unfailing discernment. I am indebted to Angela Borchert, Steven Bruhm, Joel Faflak, and Mark Lussier for commenting on an early version of the manuscript; and thanks to Mark for his generosity of spirit from which I have benefited on many memorable occasions. I extend my appreciation to Christoph Bode, Jeffrey N. Cox, Tom Crochunis, Sibylle Erle, Deidre Shauna Lynch, Allen Reddick, and David Worrall for their timely advice and receptiveness to my work. To my students at the University of Zurich, thank you for the illuminating explorations of Blake that we shared. My early mentors Lorrie Clark and Dorothy Sjöholm have had an enduring influence on me. Margaret Jane Kidnie and Theatre Western played a significant role in my immersion in the world of theatrical performance. I would like to thank Ben Doyle, Commissioning Editor at Palgrave Macmillan, and his team for their professionalism and for seeing Blake s Drama through to fruition. Thank you also to The William Blake Archive and Joe Fletcher for his efficient assistance with the illustrations. For all their encouragement over the years, I thank my in-laws, Cathy and Terry. Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my Uncle Vince, my sister Val and her partner Chris, and my parents, Carmela and Emmanuel, for their unconditional love and support no matter the distance, and to my wife, Jolaine, for her love and keen eye and for always being there in my corner. vii
List of Abbreviations All citations from Blake s works are from David V. Erdman s revised edition of The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake and are designated with the letter E followed by the page number. Textual references to the Illuminated Books are also noted by plate and line number. Designs are referred to by plate number, which follow Erdman s enumeration unless otherwise noted; object numbers refer to those of The William Blake Archive. All references to the Bible are from the King James Version. Emphasis in quotations is original unless otherwise stated. A ARaO BA BIQ BR BT BU DC J L M MHH OED Songs VDA VLJ America All Religions are One The William Blake Archive Blake: An Illustrated Quarterly Blake Records (Ed. G. E. Bentley, Jr.) The Book of Thel The [First] Book of Urizen Descriptive Catalogue Jerusalem Laocoön Milton The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Oxford English Dictionary Songs of Innocence and of Experience Visions of the Daughters of Albion A Vision of the Last Judgment viii