A critical approach to the study of music in Shakespeare: Boethius, cultural materialism and the songs of The Tempest

In the thesis, I analyse the use of music in Shakespeare through a post-Marxist methodology that draws on early-modern music theory. I argue for the political significance of songs in Shakespeare, and apply this to an analysis of The Tempest. I examine two performance case studies to determine how deeply these musical-political influences are evident in theatrical performances of the play. In the final chapter, I draw on modernist music theory to propose radical approaches to the staging of Shakespeare.