Stephen Greenblatt

Stephen Greenblatt is an influential American literary scholar and one of the founders of New Historicism, a critical approach that examines literary works in the context of their historical and cultural circumstances. Born in 1943, he is known for his work on Shakespeare and Renaissance literature, exploring how social, political, and economic factors shape texts. Greenblatt's concepts, such as "cultural mobility," emphasize the dynamic exchange of ideas between different cultures and periods. His innovative scholarship has significantly impacted literary criticism, making literature a lens to understand broader historical phenomena. He has also written popular nonfiction, enhancing accessibility to literary studies.