Shakespeare and the Power of the Face ed. by James A. Knapp (review)

In Shakespeare and the Power of the Face, James A. Knapp brings together a broad range of scholars who, through their exploration of the face, facial expressions, and facial reactions in the context of Shakespeare’s plays, uncover new modes of early modern thinking. The book is divided into three parts: ‘Powerful Faces’ examines the face as a site of power in the plays; ‘Signifying Faces’ considers the face as a text which conveys meaning; and ‘Staged Faces’ addresses instances which urge complex attention to facial features and expression. In his Introduction, Knapp considers the gap between subjective descriptions of Shakespeare’s varied, and often unsubstantiated portraits, and what might be gleaned from the physical appearances of such works and faces in the theatre. The contradictions – such as assuming character traits solely on ‘reading’ a portrait – underpin both the early modern preoccupation with faces and the essays in this volume.

Part I begins with Sibylle Baumbach outlining three reasons for the early modern fascination with faces: the response to interest in the physiognomic reading and understanding of the face; the duplicities that are uncovered during a reading of the face; and a growing awareness of using rhetoric surrounding the face as a tool for self-fashioning. Her essay provides a compelling entry into early modern views on physiognomy. Farah Karim-Cooper opens her essay with the observation that ‘the face was viewed as a legible map of the inner workings of the mind and heart. It contained and conveyed meaning’ (p. 30). She argues that the female face became a site for both meditations on the nature of beauty and an active force in the production of desire. Loreen L. Giese reports diverse behaviour patterns in marital cruelty situations including physical assault and marital neglect, noting that many deponents in legal cases list when food and clothing was withheld from the wife. Facial expressions were also cited in a small number of cases as evidence of marital cruelty. Examining legal records allows Giese to reconsider Petruchio’s ‘training strategy’ of Katherine in terms of his superior position but also from his facial expressions.

From the power of the face to decoding meanings of the face, Part II begins with Sean Lawrence’s proposal that Othello’s characters respond to two distinct powers. Firstly, the face elicits interpretation as a sign or symbol preoccupying characters for most of the play and secondly, the face has the power to forbid murder. He concludes that faces, like other signs in the play, are unstable and defy reliable reading. In his discussion of King Lear, David B. Goldstein suggests that concern with faces is inextricably linked with aspects of hospitality and ethical meaning. The characters are unable to ‘read’ the faces which leads to lacunae of ethical responsibility. Vanessa Correda argues in Lust’s Dominion that the Spaniards construct blackness as a bodily feature. She suggests two competing models for considering race using facial complexion: the widely accepted mutable and fluid understanding of race alongside the emerging proto-racial and proto-biological understanding of race as conceived by the Spanish. In this light, Lust’s Dominion can be considered a transitional text.

In Part III, Catherine Loomis draws attention to the importance of actors’ faces. ‘By using indirect stage directions to ensure that certain facial expressions were used in performance’, Loomis argues, ‘Shakespeare had an opportunity to control those false faces at least for a few hours’ (p. 117) and thus enrich the emotional context for the audience. Continuing the theme of staged faces, Penelope Woods notes the significance of Elizabeth I’s reaction and interaction with pageant performers, with the pageant itself being read in terms of Elizabeth’s attentiveness. Woods argues that the face becomes indicative of the contemporary significance of visible audience response in the period where players and playgoers negotiated each other’s facial expressions. Yolana Wassersug considers how the audience sees...