Samantha Dressel

Dr. Samantha Dressel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, Chapman University. She teaches literature and writing courses such as Lit I: Antiquity to 1400, Writing About Diverse Cultures, and FFC: Sweet, Sweet Vengeance.

• Education:
  • Bachelor of Arts, Colgate University
  • Master of Arts, University of Rochester
  • Ph.D., University of Rochester

Her research focuses on English Renaissance revenge tragedy, particularly the visual and verbal communication of trauma in gory texts. She is currently working on her first monograph, Vocabularies of Violence, analyzing violence as a rhetorical device and its gendered implications. Additionally, she teaches post-colonial science fiction and revenge-themed works.

Dr. Dressel’s recent publications include co-editing the book Boundaries of Violence in Early Modern England (Routledge, 2023–2024) and contributing chapters on topics like sexual coercion in The Maid’s Tragedy. She also reviews for Shakespeare Quarterly and has published in Early Modern Literary Studies.

She serves as treasurer for the Rocky Mountain Medieval and Renaissance Association (RMMRA). Her work bridges textual analysis, historical context, and gender studies, with a particular emphasis on Shakespearean and pre-colonial literature.