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book: Shakespeare's Mad Men
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Shakespeare's Mad Men

A Crisis of Authority
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2022

About this book

This book is about a mad king and a mad duke. With original and iconoclastic readings, Richard van Oort pioneers the reading of Shakespeare as an ethical thinker of the "originary scene," the scene in which humans became conscious of themselves as symbol-using moral and narrative beings. Taking King Lear and Measure for Measure as case studies, van Oort shows how the minimal concept of an anthropological scene of origin—the "originary hypothesis"—provides the basis for a new understanding of every aspect of the plays, from the psychology of the characters to the ethical and dialogical conflicts upon which the drama is based. The result is a gripping commentary on the plays. Why does Lear abdicate and go mad? Why does Edgar torture his father with non-recognition? Why does Lucio accuse the Duke in Measure for Measure of madness and lechery, and why does Isabella remain silent at the end? In approaching these and other questions from the perspective of the originary hypothesis, van Oort helps us to see the ethical predicament of the plays, and, in the process, makes Shakespeare new again.

Author / Editor information

Richard van Oort is Professor of English at the University of Victoria in Canada. He is author of Shakespeare's Big Men (2016).

Reviews

"Eminently readable, Shakespeare's Man Men attempts to engage and explain the larger questions the plays raise, particularly why characters behave the way they do and make the choices they do. The readings are original and offer exciting ways to engage with the plays. Highly recommended."—K. J. Wetmore Jr., CHOICE --- "[R]eaders... will find value and pleasure in van Oort's compelling readings, and his clear style makes complex concepts pleasingly accessible."—Molly G. Yarp, Times Literary Supplement --- "van Oort's reading is nothing less than a stunning provocation."—Amir Khan, Shakespeare Quarterly --- "Attentive to both the ruses of bad faith and the truths disclosed by Shakespeare's language, van Oort addresses our human predicament as symbol-making creatures whose search for love is troubled by the ceaseless drive for mastery."—Julia Reinhard Lupton, University of California, Irvine --- "A rigorous yet highly readable attempt to understand Shakespeare and neoclassical drama in general in new terms, Shakespeare's Mad Men demonstrates in admirable detail the analytical power of generative anthropology wielded by a powerful intelligence."—Eric Gans, University of California, Los Angeles --- "This is criticism of the highest order, whose long, careful readings of King Lear and Measure for Measure are in dialogue with the finest readers of Shakespeare for the past century." —Blair Hoxby, Stanford University

Topics

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    Contents

    v
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    Foreword

    vii
    Paul A. Kottman
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    Introduction

    1
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    1 The King’s Last Potlatch

    13
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    2 The Judge, the Duke, His Wife, and Her Lover

    117
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    Conclusion

    225
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    Afterword

    233
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    Notes

    237
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    Bibliography

    273
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    Index

    279
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
November 7, 2022
eBook ISBN:
9781503633582
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
304
View content
https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503633582
eBook ISBN: 9781503633582
Keywords for this book
Shakespeare; King Lear; Measure for Measure; generative anthropology; tragedy; ethics; desire; resentment; authority
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
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