Non-verbal meaning in Caroline private theatre : William Cavendish's and James Shirley's 'The Varietie'(c.1641).

Abstract

How did early modern actors convey meaning on stage without speaking? A few plays of the Caroline period developed an extraordinary taste for non-verbal communication by costume, movements, stage design and the like. Drawing upon 'The Varietie'(c.1641), a comedy written by William Cavendish and James Shirley, this essay explores the impact of seventeenth-century fashion, dancing practice, and the conventions of court masques on Caroline private theatre.