Shakespeare and Virtue
A Handbook

Through classical, Scriptural, and global notions of virtue, this handbook illuminates the shared worlds of Shakespeare's plays.

Julia Reinhard Lupton (Edited by), Donovan Sherman (Edited by)

9781108843409, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 January 2023

400 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 3 cm, 0.78 kg

'Shakespeare and Virtue knits together the strengths of an academic handbook with a guidebook's ability to inspire. Readers will want to keep this book close at hand not only for its capacious overview of Shakespearean virtues and their connections to a broad range of philosophies and religions, but also for its energizing reminders of the transformative potentialities of reading, performing and teaching Shakespeare's 'virtue ecologies' in contexts of political activism, social justice, and ecological resilience.' Kristine Steenbergh, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

This volume maps Shakespearean virtue in all its plasticity and variety, providing thirty-eight succinct, wide-ranging essays that reveal a breadth and diversity exceeding any given morality or code of behaviour. Clearly explaining key concepts in the history of ethics and in classical, theological, and global virtue traditions, the collection reveals their presence in the works of Shakespeare in interpersonal, civic, and ecological scenes of action. Paying close attention to individual identity and social environment, chapters also consider how the virtuous horizons broached in Shakespearean drama have been tested anew by the plays' global travels and fresh encounters with different traditions. Including sections on global wisdom, performance and pedagogy, this handbook affirms virtue as a resource for humanistic education and the building of human capacity.

Introduction Julia Reinhard Lupton and Donovan Sherman
Part I. Shakespeare and Virtue Ethics: 1. Arete Jeffrey S. Doty and Daniel Bloom
2. Dynamis (dynamism, capacity) and energeia (actuality) Christopher Crosbie
3. Techne Jeffrey Gore
4. Eudaimonia Katarzyna Lecky
5. Ethos Joseph Turner
6. Hexis (habit) Kate Narveson
7. Stoicism Donovan Sherman
8. Skepticism James Kuzner
9. Askesis and asceticism Jennifer R. Rust
10. Shakespeare's moral compass Neema Parvini
Part II. Shakespeare's Virtues: 11. The four cardinal virtues: Caesar's mantle and practical wisdom Kevin Curran
12. The three theological virtues Sarah Beckwith
13. Prudence: the wisdom of 'hazarding all' in the merchant of Venice Kelly Lehtonen
14. Friendship Sean Keilen
15. Patience Nick Moschovakis
16. Care Benjamin Parris
17. Hospitality Joan Pong Linton
18. Respect Sanford Budick
19. Chastity Jennifer Flaherty
20. Wit Indira Ghose
21. Service Joseph Sterrett
22. Humility Richard Wilson
23. Kindness Paul Yachnin
24. Stewardship and resilience: the environmental virtues Jessica Rosenberg
25. Cognitive virtue and global ecosociability Donald Wehrs
26. Trust: don't ever change David Carroll Simon
27. Being 'free' as a virtue Richard Strier
Part III. Shakespeare and Global Virtue Traditions: 28. Shakespeare's rabbinic virtues: a listening ear Stephanie Shirilan
29. Islamic virtues: ethics in the premodern ottoman empire Yasin Basaran
30. Persian virtues: hospitality, tolerance and peacebuilding in the age of Shakespeare Sheiba Kian Kaufman
31. Buddhist virtues: Equanimity, mindfulness and compassion in hamlet Unhae Langis
32. The virtues in black theology Vincent Lloyd
33. Virtue on Robben Island David Schalkwyk
34. Globability: the virtue of worlding Jane Hwang Degenhardt
Part IV. Virtuous Performances: 35. Dramaturgy: the virtue/virtuosity of unfolding hamlet's story Freddie Rokem
36. Performing chastity: the marina project Katharine Craik and Ewan Fernie
37. Villains in prison, villains on stage: is Shakespeare really salvific? Mariacristina Cavecchi
38. Teaching Shakespeare and moral agency Michael Bristol.

Subject Areas: Literary reference works [DSR], Shakespeare studies & criticism [DSGS], Literary studies: c 1500 to c 1800 [DSBD], Shakespeare plays [DDS]