Shakespeare and Platonic Beauty - Couverture souple

Vyvyan, John

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0856832944 ISBN 13 : 9780856832949

Editeur : Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd, 2013

Synopsis

Looking at some of the Shakespearean comedies, author John Vyvyan suggests they express a consistent, profoundly Christian philosophy of life based on the Platonic ideas of beauty and love. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, and All's Well That Ends Well, the heroines bring to life the idea of love as the force that is awakened in the world by beauty which then leads the soul to perfection. Vyvyan believes that for Shakespeare, love was preeminent over human ideas of justice, that self-discovery was a supreme human experience, and that breaking faith with the ideal--as Agamemnon, Cressida, and Hector all do in Troilus and Cressida --sowed the seeds of tragedy. The author's recognition of Shakespeare's use of allegory enables him to make sense of certain developments in these plays that seem weak or absurd from the psychological standpoint. He does not suggest that Shakespeare's philosophy is the most important thing about his plays; it is simply one thing about them that ought to be known. The recognition of this philosophy enhances enjoyment of the plays, giving them a new dimension and richness. This edition contains a list of the author's Shakespearean references and an enhanced index.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

John Vyvyan, a British Shakespearen scholar, was offered a visiting lectureship at the State University of New York. He is the author of Shakespeare and the Rose of Love and The Shakespearean Ethic.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd
• Date d'édition: 2013
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0856832944
• ISBN 13: 9780856832949
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 232
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible