Craig Bourne - The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Philosophy

THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO SHAKESPEARE AND PHILOSOPHY

Iagos I am not what I am epitomises how Shakespeares work is rich in philosophy, from issues of deception and moral deviance to those concerning the complex nature of the self, the notions of being and identity and the possibility or impossibility of self-knowledge and knowledge of others. Shakespeares plays and poems address subjects including ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, and social and political philosophy. They also raise major philosophical questions about the nature of theatre, literature, tragedy, representation and fiction.

The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Philosophy is the first major guide and reference source to Shakespeare and philosophy. It examines the following important topics:

What roles can be played in an approach to Shakespeare by drawing on philosophical frameworks and the work of philosophers?

What can philosophical theories of meaning and communication show about the dynamics of Shakespearean interactions and vice versa?

How are notions such as political and social obligation, justice, equality, love, agency and the ethics of interpersonal relationships demonstrated in Shakespeares works?

What do the plays and poems invite us to say about the nature of knowledge, belief, doubt, deception and epistemic responsibility?

How can the ways in which Shakespeares characters behave illuminate existential issues concerning meaning, absurdity, death and nothingness?

What might Shakespeares characters and their actions show about the nature of the self, the mind and the identity of individuals?

How can Shakespeares works inform philosophical approaches to notions such as beauty, humour, horror and tragedy?

How do Shakespeares works illuminate philosophical questions about the nature of fiction, the attitudes and expectations involved in engagement with theatre, and the role of acting and actors in creating representations?

The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Philosophy is essential reading for students and researchers in aesthetics, philosophy of literature and philosophy of theatre, as well as those exploring Shakespeare in disciplines such as literature and theatre and drama studies. It is also relevant reading for those in areas of philosophy such as ethics, epistemology and philosophy of language.

Craig Bourne is Reader in Philosophy at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. He works mainly on metaphysics, philosophy of language and aesthetics. His books include A Future for Presentism (2006) and Time in Fiction (co-authored with Emily Caddick Bourne, 2016).

Emily Caddick Bourne is Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. She works mainly on the intersection between metaphysics, philosophy of language and aesthetics. Her publications include Time in Fiction (co-authored with Craig Bourne, 2016). She is a Trustee of the British Society of Aesthetics.

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Routledge Philosophy Companions offer thorough, high-quality surveys and assessments of the major topics and periods in philosophy. Covering key problems, themes and thinkers, all entries are specially commissioned for each volume and written by leading scholars in the field. Clear, accessible and carefully edited and organised, Routledge Philosophy Companions are indispensable for anyone coming to a major topic or period in philosophy, as well as for the more advanced reader.

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First published 2019

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2019 selection and editorial matter, Craig Bourne and Emily Caddick Bourne, individual chapters, the contributors

The right of Craig Bourne and Emily Caddick Bourne to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Names: Bourne, Craig, editor. | Bourne, Emily Caddick, editor.

Title: The Routledge companion to Shakespeare and philosophy / edited by Craig Bourne and Emily Caddick Bourne.

Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2018021615| ISBN 9781138936126 (hardback ; alk. paper) | ISBN 9781315677019 (e-book)

Subjects: LCSH: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616Philosophy. | Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616Criticism and interpretation. | Philosophy in literature. | LiteraturePhilosophy.

Classification: LCC PR3001 .R68 2019 | DDC 822.3/3dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018021615

ISBN: 978-1-138-93612-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-67701-9 (ebk)

Typeset in Goudy
by Sunrise Setting Ltd., Brixham, UK

Bart

For Ajay, the ^ Bard of Ely

CONTENTS

Craig Bourne and Emily Caddick Bourne

Philip Smallwood

Gza Kllay

Daryl Kaytor

Garry L. Hagberg

Scott F. Crider

Craig Bourne and Emily Caddick Bourne

Borut Trpin

Maximilian de Gaynesford

Michael Troy Shell

Wolfgang Huemer

Christopher Crosbie

Sophie Emma Battell

Matthew H. Kramer

Rafe McGregor

Jan H. Blits

Stella Achilleos

Tzachi Zamir

Jennifer Ann bates

Veli Mitova

Dianne Rothleder

Julia reinhard lupton

Anita Gilman Sherman

Katarzyna Burzyska