ABSTRACT
Michel Foucault has given a number of definitions for the term discourse, all of which are, perhaps, vague, but nonetheless suggestive for the sort of critical work currently being currently practiced in the field of Romanticism. Discourse criticism, as currently practiced, acknowledges the deeply ideological nature of literary productions, recognizing in them a way that culture speaks and silences at the same time. This chapter focuses on Romanticism needs to justify itself fairly strenuously, and this collection is no exception. It also focuses on a series of dramas that were popular during the heyday of the period; Purinton is able to examine such theater as implicated in the evolving discourse of criminality, crime, punishment, and retribution. The stage drama of British Romanticism reflects not only a fascination with criminal punishment, but also a strong support of new penal codes in England that sought reformation rather than retribution.
