This thesis examines representations of “strangeness” in The Tempest and their historical roots in medieval travel writing and early colonial exploration. By analyzing how Shakespeare constructs fear and fascination toward unfamiliar places and peoples, the research argues that strangeness is not inherent, but psychologically and culturally produced.

This research examines dismemberment in early modern drama to explore how cultural systems shape human responses to violence. By analysing plays such as Titus Andronicus, the project argues that fear and disgust are historically conditioned rather than purely instinctive, revealing how societies teach audiences to interpret violent imagery across different historical periods

This research explores the hidden lives of Mills & Boon’s mid-20th-century women authors using 70,000 archival letters. Despite selling millions of books, they faced stigma, wrote under pseudonyms, and often apologised for their work. The project reveals their cultural impact and repositions them as historically significant contributors to post-war society.