This special issue arose from questions of whether or not the New Historicist paradigm in early modern studies has been superseded by newer theoretical approaches and, if so, whether these have entirely broken with New Historicist tenets (“after”) or are in constructive dialogue with them (“beyond”). The included essays lay out a number of considerations that argue for the existence of newer approaches; at the same time, they demonstrate that questions dominant in New Historicist work, as well as New Historicist modes of writing, continue to inform recent research in early modern studies.