Shakespeare and Renaissance Ethics

Shakespeare and Renaissance Ethics examines representations of moral choice in Shakespeare's plays, focusing on intellectual history, Montaigne, and Christian ethics.

Patrick Gray (Edited by), John D. Cox (Edited by)

9781107419810, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 26 October 2017

319 pages
23 x 15.3 x 1.8 cm, 0.5 kg

Written by a distinguished international team of contributors, this volume explores Shakespeare's vivid depictions of moral deliberation and individual choice in light of Renaissance debates about ethics. Examining the intellectual context of Shakespeare's plays, the essays illuminate Shakespeare's engagement with the most pressing moral questions of his time, considering the competing claims of politics, Christian ethics and classical moral philosophy, as well as new perspectives on controversial topics such as conscience, prayer, revenge and suicide. Looking at Shakespeare's responses to emerging schools of thought such as Calvinism and Epicureanism, and assessing comparisons between Shakespeare and his French contemporary Montaigne, the collection addresses questions such as: when does laughter become cruel? How does style reflect moral perspective? Does shame lead to self-awareness? This book is of great interest to scholars and students of Shakespeare studies, Renaissance studies and the history of ethics.

Introduction: rethinking Shakespeare and ethics Patrick Gray and John D. Cox
Part I. Shakespeare and Classical Ethics: 1. Fame, eternity, and Shakespeare's Romans Gordon Braden
2. Shakespeare and the ethics of laughter Indira Ghose
3. Aristotelian shame and Christian mortification in Love's Labour's Lost Jane Kingsley-Smith
4. Shakespeare's Vergil: empathy and The Tempest Leah Whittington
Part II. Shakespeare and Christian Ethics: 5. Shakespeare's prayers John D. Cox
6. The morality of milk: Shakespeare and the ethics of nursing Beatrice Groves
7. Hamlet the rough-hewer: moral agency and the consolations of Reformation thought Russell M. Hillier
8. 'Wrying but a little'? Marriage, punishment, and forgiveness in Cymbeline Robert S. Miola
Part III. Shakespeare and the Ethical Thinking of Montaigne: 9. 'Hide thy selfe': Montaigne, Hamlet, and Epicurean ethics Patrick Gray
10. Conscience and the god-surrogate in Montaigne and Measure for Measure William M. Hamlin
11. Shakespeare, Montaigne, and classical reason Peter Holbrook
12. Madness, proverbial wisdom, and philosophy in King Lear Peter Mack.

Subject Areas: Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ], Shakespeare studies & criticism [DSGS], Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800 [DSBD]