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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... scene, with Troy approaching its final catastrophe.'23 It is telling to find such a distinguished critic expressing his ambivalence so candidly. Evidently Troilus and Cressida does not conform to any of the traditional categories. The ...
... scene which focuses sharply on the central themes. Moreover, the scene occurs in almost an identical position in each play. In Troilus and Cressida (II.ii.) the issue is one of value, worth and honour; in All's Well (II.iii.) the ...
... scene are irritating he represents a type which cannot be bludgeoned into subservience — valuable antidote in any society threatened with totalitarianism. Parolles is the most innocuous of the three: he neither exposes nor commits a ...
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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 | |