Tyrant : Shakespeare on politics /
"As an aging, tenacious Elizabeth I clung to power, a talented playwright probed the social causes, the psychological roots, and the twisted consequences of tyranny. In exploring the psyche (and psychoses) of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, Coriolanus, and the societies they rule over,...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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New York, NY :
W.W. Norton & Company,
[2018]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
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| Summary: | "As an aging, tenacious Elizabeth I clung to power, a talented playwright probed the social causes, the psychological roots, and the twisted consequences of tyranny. In exploring the psyche (and psychoses) of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, Coriolanus, and the societies they rule over, Stephen Greenblatt illuminates the ways in which William Shakespeare delved into the lust for absolute power and the catastrophic consequences of its execution."-- "As an aging, tenacious Elizabeth I clung to power, a talented playwright probed the social causes, the psychological roots, and the twisted consequences of tyranny. In exploring the psyche (and psychoses) of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, Coriolanus, and the societies they rule over, Stephen Greenblatt illuminates the ways in which William Shakespeare delved into the lust for absolute power and the catastrophic consequences of its execution. Cherished institutions seem fragile, political classes are in disarray, economic misery fuels populist anger, people knowingly accept being lied to, partisan rancor dominates, spectacular indecency rules--these aspects of a society in crisis fascinated Shakespeare and shaped some of his most memorable plays. With uncanny insight, he shone a spotlight on the infantile psychology and unquenchable narcissistic appetites of demagogues--and the cynicism and opportunism of the various enablers and hangers-on who surround them--and imagined how they might be stopped. As Greenblatt shows, Shakespeare's work, in this as in so many other ways, remains vitally relevant today."--Dust jacket. Society in crisis fascinated William Shakespeare and shaped some of his most memorable plays. In exploring the psyche and psychoses of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, Coriolanus, and the societies they rule over, Shakespeare delved into the lust for absolute power and the catastrophic consequences of its execution. Greenblatt shows that this spotlight on the infantile psychology and unquenchable narcissistic appetites of demagogues-- and the cynicism and opportunism of the various enablers and hangers-on who surround them-- remains vitally relevant today. -- adapted from jacket |
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| Physical Description: | 212 pages ; 22 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-195) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780393635751 0393635759 |
