Taunton (English, Brunel U.) looks at all sides of the ambiguity about the elders in the period, tracing our own preconceived notions to those of writers, artists and the common folk of the
early modern and late Renaissance period. She contrasts the attitudes about the young (beautiful but shallow) to those of the aged and spends particular care explaining cases of men and women
of age behaving badly in texts including the fascinating The Old Law. Amongst those she explores are Bacon, Newton and Shakespeare, all worthy indeed, but she has also found riches in
relatively obscure writers as well. The attitudes here are quite a contrast to today's tennis-playing grannies, a situation in which she finds hope of the further decline of prejudice.
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