The Plays of Shakespeare: A Thematic GuideTouching viewers and readers with his presentation of social, moral, and political issues, Shakespeare holds ageless and unequaled appeal primarily because of the universal themes at the heart of his dramatic works. Shakespeare scholar Victor Cahn takes a unique approach to exploring the plays by identifying and explicating the themes that recur throughout the canon. Written in lively language, each of the 35 essays explores a core theme or topic and discusses its implications in several key plays in which it figures prominently. This user-friendly guide not only allows readers to better understand the significance of concepts such as power, politics, marriage or money; the organization by theme also helps users to compare and contrast these important topics across relevant plays. Cahn draws vivid connections between related works of Shakespeare, but just as importantly, enlightens readers as to the pertinence of these themes in contemporary life. |
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... offers his hand in friendship , and Montague offers to go one step further by building a statue : “ But I can give thee more " ( V , iii , 298 ) . Despite this small bump , however , the path of reconciliation seems clear . Such is also ...
... offers . Such conflicting feelings reflect our attitude toward characters in An- tony and Cleopatra as well . The play is split between two locales : Rome and Egypt . The former stands for reason , duty , and sobriety , while the latter ...
... offers many religious leaders who are prone to corruption . His characters carry prej- udices against a variety of cultures , but the speakers , too , are often ugly , while the objects of intolerance may bring scorn on themselves ...