Shakespeare's Ideas: More Things in Heaven and EarthISBN: 978-1-4051-6795-6
Hardcover
248 pages
August 2008, Wiley-Blackwell
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"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." (Times Literary Supplement, February 2009)
Bevington'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.
Summing Up: Essential. Lower- and upper-division
undergraduates, graduate students, general readers. -- A.
Castaldo, Widener University (Choice, February
2009)
"It's an absorbing journey, and one that will fascinate both general readers and serious scholars alike." (Yorkshire Evening Post, October 2008)
"Lucid, wise and finely balanced, David Bevington's exploration of the ideas at work in Shakespeare is essential reading for beginners and experts alike."–Alexander Leggatt, Professor Emeritus of English, University of Toronto
"Shakespeare’s Ideas offers all that we have come
to expect of David Bevington. I cannot think of a better, more
judicious scholar to guide us through the complexities of
Shakespeare’s political and moral philosophy."
–James Schiffer, SUNY New Paltz
"The fruit of a half-century of teaching and thinking with
Shakespeare, David Bevington's well-judged and genuinely
informative account of Shakespeare's thought demonstrates his
trademark circumspection and thoroughgoing sensitivity to the
complexity and variety of the plays' questions. Useful no matter
what degree your acquaintance with the Bard."
–Claire McEachern, University of California, Los
Angeles