{"product_id":"shakespeares-ideas-9781405167956","title":"Shakespeares Ideas","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn in-depth exploration, through his plays and poems, of the philosophy of Shakespeare as a great poet, a great dramatist and a great mind.  \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eWritten by a leading Shakespearean scholar\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eDiscusses an array of topics, including sex and gender, politics and political theory, writing and acting, religious controversy and issues of faith, skepticism and misanthropy, and closure\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003eExplores Shakespeare as a great poet, a great dramatist and a great mind\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Bevington sees a development in how important Shakespeare felt certain topics were, and so the structure of the book is both chronological and thematic, beginning with the early romances and ending with the dark eschatology of the last plays.\" (\u003ci\u003eEnglish\u003c\/i\u003e, December 2010)\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \"A personal and passionate reading of the author, unwilling to look for conclusions where there are none. Humane, wise and almost infuriatingly judicious, Shakespeare's Ideas celebrates the plurality inherent to Shakespeare's works and the expansive mind behind them.\" (\u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e, February 2009)  \u003cp\u003eBevington's newest book wears its considerable erudition lightly and, for the most part, well. Bevington (Univ. of Chicago) begins by pointing out that one cannot know the thoughts of Shakespeare the man, but that the plays and poems, looked at as a whole, do present a kind of philosophy--one of balance and moderation. Chapters on sex and gender, politics, writing, religion, and other topics all suggest that though Shakespeare created characters with extreme and wide-ranging views, the world of the plays (and thus perhaps of Shakespeare himself) rewards compassion, understanding, forgiveness, duty, and above all, love. In general, this is not a book for scholars; Bevington does not offer highly theoretical readings or bring up scholarly debates about meaning and textuality. But his immense knowledge of the plays and the era allow him to present complex ideas in an engaging, completely readable manner that will appeal to all readers, no matter their background. Though it offers nothing new to those who study the plays for a living, everyone else will find it a masterpiece of thoughtful investigation into the plays.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eSumming Up\u003c\/b\u003e: Essential. Lower- and upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, general readers. -- \u003ci\u003eA. Castaldo, Widener University\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003ci\u003eChoice,\u003c\/i\u003e February 2009)\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\"It's an absorbing journey, and one that will fascinate both general readers and serious scholars alike.\" (\u003ci\u003eYorkshire Evening Post\u003c\/i\u003e, October 2008)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgements ix  \u003cp\u003e1 \u003cb\u003eA Natural Philosopher\u003c\/b\u003e 1\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 \u003cb\u003eLust in Action\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eShakespeare's Ideas on Sex and Gender 15\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 \u003cb\u003eWhat is Honour?\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eShakespeare's Ideas on Politics and Political Theory 42\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 \u003cb\u003eHold the Mirror Up to Nature\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eShakespeare's Ideas on Writing and Acting 74\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 \u003cb\u003eWhat Form of Prayer Can Serve My Turn?\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eShakespeare’s Ideas on Religious Controversy and Issues of Faith 106\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 \u003cb\u003eIs Man No More Than This?\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eShakespeare's Ideas on Scepticism, Doubt, Stoicism, Pessimism, Misanthropy 143\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 \u003cb\u003eHere Our Play Has Ending\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eIdeas of Closure in the Late Plays 177\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 \u003cb\u003eCredo\u003c\/b\u003e 213\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurther Reading 218\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 227\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"John Wiley and Sons Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49407900320087,"sku":"9781405167956","price":68.36,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781405167956.jpg?v=1730500899","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/shakespeares-ideas-9781405167956","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}