Shakespeare for freedom : why the plays matter / Ewan Fernie.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fernie, Ewan, 1971- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Criticism and interpretation.

Shakespeare, William.

Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616--Influence.

Liberty in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 327 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2017.

Summary:

Shakespeare for Freedom presents a powerful, plausible and political argument for Shakespeare's meaning and value. It ranges across the breadth of the Shakespeare phenomenon, offering a new interpretation not just of the characters and plays, but also of the part they have played in theatre, criticism, civic culture and politics. Its story includes a glimpse of 'Freetown' in Romeo and Juliet, which comes to life in the 1769 Stratford Jubilee; the Shakespearean careers of the Leicester Chartist, Cooper, and the Hungarian hero, Kossuth; Hegel's recognition of Shakespearean freedom as the modern breakthrough; its fatal effects in America; the disgust it inspired in Tolstoy; its rehabilitation by Ted Hughes, and its obscure centrality in the 2012 Olympics. Ultimately, it issues a positive Shakespearean prognosis for freedom as a vital (in both senses), unending struggle. Shakespeare for Freedom shows why Shakespeare has mattered for four hundred years, and why he still matters today.

Contents:

Reclaiming Shakespearean freedom

Shakespeare means freedom

'Freetown!' (Romeo and Juliet)

Freetown-upon-Avon

Freetown-am-Main

Free artists of their own selves!

Freetown philosopher

Against Shakespearean freedom

The freedom of complete being.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 14 Apr 2017).

ISBN:

1-108-29808-7

1-108-29968-7

1-108-30000-6

1-108-30032-4

1-108-30192-4

1-108-30064-2

1-316-45213-1