Shakespeare's Tragic SkepticismYale University Press, 01/10/2008 - 304 páginas Readers of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies have long noted the absence of readily explainable motivations for some of Shakespeare’s greatest characters: why does Hamlet delay his revenge for so long? Why does King Lear choose to renounce his power? Why is Othello so vulnerable to Iago’s malice? But while many critics have chosen to overlook these omissions or explain them away, Millicent Bell demonstrates that they are essential elements of Shakespeare’s philosophy of doubt. Examining the major tragedies, Millicent Bell reveals the persistent strain of philosophical skepticism. Like his contemporary, Montaigne, Shakespeare repeatedly calls attention to the essential unknowability of our world. In a period of social, political, and religious upheaval, uncertainty hovered over matters great and small—the succession of the crown, the death of loved ones from plague, the failure of a harvest. Tumultuous social conditions raised ultimate questions for Shakespeare, Bell argues, and ultimately provoked in him a skepticism which casts shadows of existential doubt over his greatest masterpieces. |
No interior do livro
Resultados 1-5 de 44
Página 3
... Desdemona - to mean female chastity as well as truthfulness - William Empson , who counted fifty - two occurrences of the word or its cognates in Othello , also pointed out years ago that it had an emergent sense as description of a ...
... Desdemona - to mean female chastity as well as truthfulness - William Empson , who counted fifty - two occurrences of the word or its cognates in Othello , also pointed out years ago that it had an emergent sense as description of a ...
Página 24
... Desdemona . Iago is a manipulator of appearances ; Othello should not have believed him . The narrative of the love of Othello and Desdemona survives Iago's assault . But doubt has been lodged in our minds — there is , to a lingering ...
... Desdemona . Iago is a manipulator of appearances ; Othello should not have believed him . The narrative of the love of Othello and Desdemona survives Iago's assault . But doubt has been lodged in our minds — there is , to a lingering ...
Página 56
... Desdemona — and so , only to be confirmed by the accused's confession . In the Hamlet story as related by Belleforest , there is no problem of evi- dence . Unlike the murder in Shakespeare “ by which the whole ear of Denmark / Is by a ...
... Desdemona — and so , only to be confirmed by the accused's confession . In the Hamlet story as related by Belleforest , there is no problem of evi- dence . Unlike the murder in Shakespeare “ by which the whole ear of Denmark / Is by a ...
Página 80
Atingiu o limite de visualização deste livro.
Atingiu o limite de visualização deste livro.
Página 81
Atingiu o limite de visualização deste livro.
Atingiu o limite de visualização deste livro.
Índice
1 | |
29 | |
2 Othellos Jealousy | 80 |
3 Unaccommodated Lear | 138 |
4 Macbeths Deeds | 191 |
The Roman Frame | 241 |
Selected Bibliography | 279 |
Outras edições - Ver tudo
Palavras e frases frequentes
action actor ambiguous ambition Antony and Cleopatra Antony's appears asks audience Banquo blood Brabantio Brutus called Cassio cause character Cinthio Claudius Cordelia crime daughters death deed denies Desdemona doubt dramatic Duncan Edgar Edmund Emilia expressed faith false father feel fideism Florio Folio Fool Fortinbras fourth act ghost Gloucester Goneril Hamlet hath hear Horatio human Iago Iago's idea identity imagination jealousy Julius Caesar Kent killed King Lear Lady Macbeth Laertes lago Lear's Macduff Machiavellian madness Malcolm marriage meaning mind Montaigne Montaigne's motive murder nature never observed Ophelia Othello philosophic skepticism play's playwright plot Plutarch Polonius prophecy Quarto reference Regan reminds revenge Roderigo role royal says scene seems selfhood sense sexual Shake Shakespeare Shakespeare's play skepticism social soliloquy someone speaks speare's stage story suggested tells theater theatrical things thou thought tion tragedy tragic trial true truth witchcraft witches word