'Mijn traanen zijn in d'oogen!': Emoties en de theaterpraktijk rondom Serwouters' Hester (1659) in de zeventiende eeuw

Abstract

In this article, the author discusses how a richer analysis of seventeenth-century theatre can be made through a cross-fertilisation of historical literary studies and theatre studies. To do so, the author uses concepts from the History of Emotion, such as emotional practices and emotional communities. He applies these concepts to the case study of Hester (1659) by theatre director Johannes Serwouters. By applying cultural-historical data to the historical performance, it thus becomes clear how Jewish theatre-goers were probably the drivers of dramaturgical innovations, such as the inclusion of one or more tableaux vivants. Moreover, it is discussed how the character Esther played a role in the cultural memory of theatre-goers through parallels with Magdalena Moons and the Dutch Virgin, which parallels were shaped in the text and during performance.