The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 13.1200  Tuesday, 30 April 2002

From:           Joanne Gates <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Monday, 29 Apr 2002 17:12:23 -0500 (CDT)
Subject:        Shakespeare and Jane Eyre

In the new novel by Jasper Fforde entitled _The Eyre Affair_, Thursday
Next is the female, first person narrator, a female sleuth who is
employed as a special operative in the LiteraTecs division of a U.K.
set in a futuristic version of the year of 1985.

The main plot revolves around the hijacking of Thursday's uncle's Prose
Portal machine.  Thursday has to enter the plot of _Jane Eyre_ to return
Jane and correct the vandalism.

List members may be interested in the book's rich allusions to the Works
of William Shakespeare and his place in the culture.  (Yes, there are
militant Marlovians -- who have firebombed the Baconians --but they, as
well as some who make references to a certain Earl, are the bad guys;
each time Thursday is confronted with new evidence of the Shakespeare-
didn't-write- Shakespeare variety, she is able to successfully dispute
or deflect it.)  It is now obligatory that the Complete works by
Shakespeare --along with a number of secular and religious texts-- be
placed in every hotel room.

My page listing of the novel's list of Shakespeare references is
available at:
<http://www.jsu.edu/depart/english/gates/shak/shakeyre.html>. Caution:
some plot details are revealed. The best use of Shakespeare is the
audience-participation _Richard III_ (Shakespeare meets Rocky Horror).

Joanne Gates
Jacksonville State University

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S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
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