One such literary artifact on display, was Sir Phillip Sidney's original Arcadia manuscript. Although I have never had the pleasure of reading Sidney's most expansive work, my previous exposure to his poetry, the manifesto entitled "The Defense of Poesy," and the general accolades identifying Sidney as one of the most influential figures of the eighteenth century, were quite sufficient in encouraging me to further research the historical relevance and effect of the novel Arcadia. Comprised of pastoral and romantic literary elements, Sydney's Arcadia, was composed and dedicated to his younger sister Mary Herbert, the Countess of Pembroke. As a literary work, Sidney's novel is not unlike other pastoral romances written at the time; however, the radically idealistic portrayal of pastoral life characterizing Arcadia reveal the existence of Sidney's subliminal cultural and political commentary concerning the values and leadership of London in the late sixteenth to early seventeenth centuries. This commentary provides an invaluable insight into motivations and ideologies valued during the Renaissance and Enlightenment.
One value scholars identify in Arcadia, is the relationship between virtue and its significant influence on the mannerisms of those who inhabited London during the Renaissance. Blair Worden asserts that virtue was associated with common morality in addition to religious piety and the possession of divinely bestowed powers and authority. Those who applied virtue through moral deeds and divine circumstances, were associated with the educated elite whose charge was to embrace and share their virtuosity to improve the life of others and "change the world." Within the context of the Enlightenment and the ideology of humanism it inspired, Sidney's Arcadia, constitutes a rather traditional perception of human nature which did not entirely agree with the philosophies advanced during the Renaissance and Enlightenment;however, the assumed dichotomy between Sidney's work and the expectations regarding literature of the time is perhaps even more ergonomic when contrasting the extreme idealism of Arcadia in relation to the reality of Renaissance culture. The comparison begets a unique perspective into the Renaissance and the multiplicity of interactions and expectations associated with the time.Worden
From a political perspective, the numerous documents reccounting Sir Philip Sydney's participation within the Elizabethan court allow for easier access and understandings of the political motifs reciprocated in the plot of Arcadia. Edwin Greenlaw was perhaps the first to address the political implications of Arcadia in 1913 when he published his article "Sidney's Arcadia as an Example of Elizabethan Allegory." The article, albeit rather one dimensional in its scope and explanation, parallels the stagnate rule of Arcadia's king to the period of inactivity of Queen Elizabeth c. 1580. Sidney's close proximity and interactions within the Elizabethan court suggest that he acknowledged Elizabeth as the rightful queen, and documented letters and other missives indicate a close relationship in which the queen greatly valued Sidney as a political adviser. One letter in particular, sent from Sidney to Elizabeth in 1579, constitutes a warning against Elizabeth's proposed marriage to Anjou. Sidney warned that such a union would fundamentally destabilize Elizabeth's political and religious autonomy. Contrary to the guise of pleasantry Sidney adopted in his letter, tensions formed between the Queen and himself. Consequently, this tension and subsequent dormancy of Elizabeth's reign, provided the inspiration behind the political motifs of Arcadia.Worden
When considering publication practices and lack of copy right laws in the Renaissance, Arcadia was essentially liberated from the threat of revisions and the changes that often occurred throughout the publication process. In accordance to the customary practices concerning novels, Arcadia was published in three separate volumes which naturally increased its susceptibility to publication errors and revisions. Several early revisions depict a narrative that noticeably differs from Sidney's original text; but, as a result of Sidney's dedication of Arcadia to his younger sister, many of the revisions were published through the familial aristocracy to which Sidney and Mary belonged. In 1593, Mary published her own revision of Arcadia which collaborated the three separate "books" into a cohesive whole. Although Sidney's original text did not entirely escape the dangers of the publication process, the revisions associated with Sidney and his immediate family can be construed as being a more valid reflection of the original work especially, when one considers the scholarly debates concerning the authenticity of other prominent authors and any subsequent revisions published.
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