Shakespeare in the Victorian Periodicals

This scholarly work uncovers how Victorian periodicals shaped Shakespeare's cultural presence, revealing how marginalized groups claimed the Bard as their own through popular media. Based on extensive archival research, the book demonstrates that Shakespeare wasn't merely the property of elite culture but became a dynamic tool for diverse communities. Prince's investigation shows how periodical literature transformed Shakespeare from establishment icon into contested cultural territory. The research illuminates how Victorian readers encountered Shakespeare not through formal education but through the magazines and journals they read daily.

What distinguishes this study is its focus on how Shakespeare was weaponized for cultural politics—sometimes as an instrument of enculturation, other times as a voice for resistance. Readers interested in Victorian print culture, Shakespeare reception history, and media studies will find compelling evidence of how popular publications democratized literary authority. Prince effectively demonstrates that periodicals didn't just reflect Victorian Shakespeare worship but actively constructed competing versions of his cultural meaning. The result is a nuanced portrait of how Shakespeare became embedded in the everyday reading experiences and identity formations of nineteenth-century Britain.