Magical Transformations on the Early Modern English Stage

Magical Transformations on the Early Modern English Stage was authored by Lisa Hopkins, a professor of English literature known for her extensive research into Renaissance drama and the cultural history of the period. The book was published in 2014 by Ashgate, a house specializing in academic humanities titles, before becoming part of the Routledge catalogue under the Taylor & Francis Group. It emerged as a scholarly investigation into the recurring motifs of metamorphosis and magic in Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre, contextualizing these dramatic tropes within the shifting religious and intellectual landscapes of seventeenth-century England.

In terms of its intellectual design, the work explores how playwrights used the concept of transformation to navigate the anxieties of the Early Modern era, including the transition from traditional folk beliefs to more formalized scientific inquiry. Hopkins analyzes a range of canonical and lesser-known plays, arguing that magic served as a versatile metaphor for the playwright's own creative authority. The book is widely received in academic circles as a nuanced contribution to performance studies, noted for its ability to bridge the gap between historical occult practices and the technical artifice of the stage.