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. |
From inside the book
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... play's tragic stature . Even in Hamlet , a play that ends with a series of murders , the spirit of forgiveness lives . The dying Laertes , once obsessed by the desire to revenge the deaths of his father , Polonius , and his sister ...
... Play'd foul play with our oaths . Your beauty , ladies , Hath much deformed us , fashioning our humors Even to the oppos'd end of our intents ... ( V , ii , 755–758 ) From this point on , the tone of the play grows grim , and the ...
... play may also have been a tribute to King James I , formerly James VI of Scotland , who suc- ceeded Elizabeth on the English throne , and whose interest in witches and other aspects of the supernatural was apparent in a book he wrote on ...