The Moral Universe of Shakespeare's Problem PlaysWhat is it that makes Shakespeare’s problem plays problematic? Many critics have sought for the underlying vision or message of these puzzling and disturbing dramas. Originally published in 1987, the key to Viv Thomas’s new synthesis of the plays is the idea of fracture and dissolution in the universe. From the collapse of ‘degree’ in Troilus and Cressida to the corruption at the heart of innocence in Measure for Measure, to the puzzling status of virtue and valour in All’s Well, the most obvious feature of these plays in their capacity to prompt new questions. In a detailed discussion of each play in turn, the author traces the dominant themes that both distinguish and unite them, and provides numerous insights into the sources, background, texture and morality of the plays. |
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... action, in a situation admitting of different ethical interpretations.8 Here the problems in the plays are seen as perplexing, and open to varying ethical interpretations. Moreover, the problems may be abstract but they are embodied in ...
... action; it must dominate it'.10 Thus the serious or dark strains in the romantic comedies do not make them problem plays. 'Still less', says Lawrence, 'do the tragic elements in a tragicomedy make of it a problem play.' In contrasting ...
... action. The sense of release characteristic of Shakespeare's romantic comedies is not there. The predominant feeling is not one of emotional surrender but one of mental agitation and questioning. There is general agreement that Troilus ...
... action rather than contemplating the sense of loss characteristic of tragedy or of feeling the release or joy inherent in Shakespeare's romantic comedies. Whatever affinities these plays may share with Hamlet or Timon of Athens the ...
... action is placed in such a way that the issues remain clear and constantly on the surface. Irony, paradox and deflation are essential elements in maintaining the detachment of the audience. There are exemplary characters but they form ...
Contents
Wholeness and Division in Troilus and Cressida | |
Virtue and Honour in Alls Well that Ends Well | |
Order and Authority in Measure for Measure | |
Conclusion | |
Bibliography | |