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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... appear to share Frye's uncertainty, placing the play between the tragedies and the histories, though the circumstances leading to that decision are obscure. (The title of the play does not appear in the catalogue, which suggests that ...
... appears to have been historically the most characteristic response, and in recent times there has been a temptation to tilt the play towards tragedy in order to diminish the ambivalence of the audience which this play usually engenders ...
... appear to feel that there is something peculiar about the societies portrayed in these plays. It was Boas who suggested ... appears so fresh and so meaningful to a modern audience. We share the problems of the Trojans and Greeks — the ...
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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 | |