Shakespeare's Political Drama : The History Plays and the Roman Plays

Book Cover -- Dedication -- Half-Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Preface -- Note on the texts -- 1 Henry VI -- 2 Richard III -- 3 Richard II -- 4 Henry IV -- 5 Henry V -- 6 Julius Caesar -- 7 Antony and Cleopatra -- 8 Coriolanus -- 9 Henry VIII -- Conclusion -- Notes -- Index.;First published in 1989. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. There is political interest everywhere in Shakespeare. Macbeth and Hamlet are concerned with kingship, Measure for Measure with law, The Tempest with power. Shakespeare is consistently interested in rulers, law, questions of authority and obedience - as well as the politics of personal relationships. In this book Alexander Leggatt concentrates on the ordering and enforcing, the gaining and losing, of public power in the state, in the English and Roman histories. He sees Shakespeare as concerned both with things as they are, and with things as they ought to be: his depiction of public life includes clear appraisals of the one, and powerful images of the other. It is the interplay of the two that makes the drama.

In Shakespeare's Politcal Drama, Alexander Leggatt concentrates on the ordering and enforcing, the gaining and losing, of public power in the state, in the English and Roman histories. He sees Shakespeare not as the propogandist for a myth of order, but as concerned both with things as they are and with things as they ought to be. Leggatt sees each play as a fresh experiment, so that what emerges is not a single homogeneous view of Shakespearean politics but a series of explorations of differing material.

In Shakespeare's Politcal Drama, Alexander Leggatt concentrates on the ordering and enforcing, the gaining and losing, of public power in the state, in the English and Roman histories. He sees Shakespeare not as the propogandist for a myth of order, but as concerned both with things as they are and with things as they ought to be. Leggatt sees each play as a fresh experiment, so that what emerges is not a single homogeneous view of Shakespearean politics but a series of explorations of differing material.

Book Cover......Page 1 Dedication......Page 2 Half-Title......Page 3 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 7 Preface......Page 8 Note on the texts......Page 14 1 Henry VI......Page 16 2 Richard III......Page 48 3 Richard II......Page 70 4 Henry IV......Page 94 5 Henry V......Page 130 6 Julius Caesar......Page 156 7 Antony and Cleopatra......Page 178 8 Coriolanus......Page 206 9 Henry VIII......Page 230 Conclusion......Page 254 Notes......Page 260 Index......Page 276 Annotation InShakespeare's Politcal Drama, Alexander Leggatt concentrates on the ordering and enforcing, the gaining and losing, of public power in the state, in the English and Roman histories. He sees Shakespeare not as the propogandist for a myth of order, but as concerned both with things as they are and with things as they ought to be. Leggatt sees each play as a fresh experiment, so that what emerges is not a single homogeneous view of Shakespearean politics but a series of explorations of differing material Shakespeare is consistently interested in rulers, law, questions of authority and obedience. In this study, Alexander Leggatt examines the depiction of state and public power in the English and Roman histories. This not only recalls Marlowe's Tamburlaine but anticipates later Shakespearian heroes who transcend the human-Coriolanus, in particular.