1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910480060703321

Autore

Stout Felicity Jane

Titolo

Exploring Russia in the Elizabethan commonwealth : The Muscovy Company and Giles Fletcher, the elder (1546–1611) / / Felicity Jane Stout

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Manchester : , : Manchester University Press, , 2015

Baltimore, Md. : , : Project MUSE, , 2017

©2015

ISBN

1-78499-687-4

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (268 p.)

Collana

Politics, culture and society in early modern Britain

Disciplina

327.41047

Soggetti

Diplomatic relations

History

Electronic books.

Russia

Great Britain

Russia History 1533-1613

Russia Foreign relations Great Britain

Great Britain Foreign relations Russia

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (pages 232-243) and index.

Nota di contenuto

An adventuring commonwealth: English mercantile and diplomatic encounters with Russia, 1553-88 -- A commonwealths-man in Russia: Giles Fletcher's early career and embassies -- Creating a feigned commonwealth: Fletcher's response to Russia -- A corrupted commonwealth: Fletcher's representation of Russia -- A commonwealth counseled: Russia's resonances in late Elizabethan England -- A controversial commonwealth: censorship, poetry and Fletcher's late career -- Conclusion. Thinking with Russia, writing English commonwealth.

Sommario/riassunto

Exploring Russia in the Elizabethan Commonwealth tells the story of English relations with Russia, from the 'strange and wonderfull discoverie' of the land and Elizabeth I's correspondence with Ivan the



Terrible, to the corruption of the Muscovy Company and the Elizabethan regime's censorship of politically sensitive representations of Russia. Focusing on the life and works of Giles Fletcher, the elder, ambassador to Russia in 1588, this work explores two popular themes in Elizabethan history: exploration, travel and trade and late Elizabethan political culture. By analysing the pervasive languages of commonwealth, corruption and tyranny found in both the Muscovy Company accounts and in Fletcher's writings on Russia, this monograph explores how Russia was a useful tool for Elizabethans to think with when they contemplated the nature of government and the changing face of monarchy in the late Elizabethan regime. It will appeal to academics and students of Elizabethan political culture and literary studies, as well as those of early modern travel and trade.