Cognition and Girlhood in Shakespeare's World

This groundbreaking study brings cutting-edge cognitive theory to Shakespeare's young female characters, revealing the sophisticated mental work performed by adolescent girls across his plays. Bicks demonstrates how girls like Juliet, Ophelia, and Miranda engage in complex cognitive processes that challenge traditional views of female development in early modern literature. The book bridges Renaissance studies and contemporary neuroscience to show how Shakespeare captured the dynamism of the adolescent female mind long before modern psychology existed.

What makes this work particularly compelling is how Bicks illuminates the active, strategic thinking these characters employ within the constraints of their social worlds. Readers interested in Shakespeare, feminist literary criticism, and the intersection of humanities and cognitive science will find fresh perspectives on familiar characters. This isn't just another interpretation of Shakespeare's women—it's a paradigm shift that reveals the intellectual agency of girlhood in ways that resonate with contemporary understandings of adolescent development.