Utopia (Bedford Series in History and Culture)

The first volume to offer students the original English translation of Utopia with an explanation of its historical and intellectual context, this volume will help students better understand the reception of one of the most influential books in the Western tradition. The volume provides the 1551 Robynson translation, allowing students to experience the text as it was first encountered by sixteenth-century English readers — with the benefit of modernized spelling and extensive annotations, making the text readable for today's students. A detailed introduction discusses the literary and philosophical underpinnings of More's thought while situating the author and his work within the political, economic, and religious contexts of sixteenth-century England. Also included are visual materials from sixteenth-century editions, including woodcuts and the Utopian alphabet.