Shakespeare's Tragic SkepticismYale University Press, 01.10.2008 - 304 Seiten 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. |
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Seite 5
... soliloquies , which miniature such a structure . The most famous soliloquy of them all , Hamlet's “ To be or not to be . . . ” is just such a balancing of alternatives — about the “ nobler ” course , about the right expectation ...
... soliloquies , which miniature such a structure . The most famous soliloquy of them all , Hamlet's “ To be or not to be . . . ” is just such a balancing of alternatives — about the “ nobler ” course , about the right expectation ...
Seite 31
... soliloquies , and does not succeed in his purpose till the end of five acts . Even a play - within - a - play is a favorite of older plays of this kind . Moreover , like The Span- ish Tragedy , which has all the features just mentioned ...
... soliloquies , and does not succeed in his purpose till the end of five acts . Even a play - within - a - play is a favorite of older plays of this kind . Moreover , like The Span- ish Tragedy , which has all the features just mentioned ...
Seite 32
... soliloquies ex- ceed in profundity and poetry anything the theater had ever heard , make the madness the Revenger is supposed to feign to conceal his purposes an occasion for paradoxical wit and cynic philosophy as well as a symptom of ...
... soliloquies ex- ceed in profundity and poetry anything the theater had ever heard , make the madness the Revenger is supposed to feign to conceal his purposes an occasion for paradoxical wit and cynic philosophy as well as a symptom of ...
Seite 38
... soliloquy in the Second Quarto's glimpse of martial Fortinbras and of Hamlet's admiration and in- tent to emulate him expressed in his outburst , " How all occasions do inform against me . " Though this seems illogically placed in Act ...
... soliloquy in the Second Quarto's glimpse of martial Fortinbras and of Hamlet's admiration and in- tent to emulate him expressed in his outburst , " How all occasions do inform against me . " Though this seems illogically placed in Act ...
Seite 46
... soliloquy inveighs against the collapse of seemly interval represented by the marriage that followed this death : But two months dead — nay not so much , not two A little month , or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my ...
... soliloquy inveighs against the collapse of seemly interval represented by the marriage that followed this death : But two months dead — nay not so much , not two A little month , or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my ...
Inhalt
1 | |
29 | |
2 Othellos Jealousy | 80 |
3 Unaccommodated Lear | 138 |
4 Macbeths Deeds | 191 |
The Roman Frame | 241 |
Selected Bibliography | 279 |
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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