Shakespeare in the present : political lessons under Biden / Philip Goldfarb Styrt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Goldfarb Styrt, Philip, author.

Series:

Routledge focus on literature.

Routledge focus on literature

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Biden, Joseph R., Jr.

Biden, Joseph R.

Politics and literature--United States--History.

Politics and literature.

Presidents--United States--History.

Presidents.

United States--Politics and government--2021-.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (99 pages)

Place of Publication:

New York, New York ; London : Routledge, [2023]

Summary:

"Shakespeare in the Present: Political Lessons under Biden is the first case study in applying the lessons of Shakespeare's plays to post-Trump America. It looks at American politics through the lens of Shakespeare, not simply equating figures in the contemporary world to Shakespearean characters, but showing how the broader conditions of Shakespeare's imagined worlds reflect and inform our own. Clearly written, in a direct and engaging style, it shows that reading Shakespeare with our contemporary Washington in mind can enrich our understanding of both his works and our world. Shakespeare wrote for his own time, but we always read him in our present. As such, the way we read him now is always affected by our own understanding of our own political world. This book provides quick critical analyses of Shakespeare's plays and contemporary American politics while serving as an introduction for undergraduates and general readers to this kind of topical, presentist criticism of Shakespeare"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Half Title

Series Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Shakespeare and Biden

Notes

References

1. Partisan Polarization

Polarization in late republican Rome

Caesar and Antony beyond Trump

Partisanship closer to home

The American War of the Roses

2. Pretextual Insurrections and Unpunished Crimes

Henry Bolingbroke's inheritance and Richard II's throne

1399 and 2021

Elections, disputes, and danger to the state

The importance of consequences

3. The Tyranny of Expectations

From Hal to Harry

Nothing can come of nothing

Senator Joe and President Biden

Public negotiations

4. Inconstant Coalitions

Powerful allies

Wavering commitments

My 80% friend

5. Illegitimate Justice

The Queen and the Jew

Court-packing

Catering to self-interest

6. Lost France and Lost Afghanistan

France forever lost

The Hundred Years War and the "forever war

Conclusion: Shakespeare and Presentism

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-00-333139-4

1-000-80085-7

1-003-33139-4

1-000-80079-2

9781003331391

OCLC:

1346301947