Philosophical pearls of the Shakespearean deep
By: by Farhang Zabeeh
Publisher: Humanity Books
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Amherst, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 285
ISBN-13: 9781616146528
Subjects: Philosophy; Philosophy in literature
Description: "Scholars have long debated the extent of Shakespeare's education. Although his friend and admirer Ben Jonson said of him, "thou hadst small Latine and lesse Greek," Shakespeare's plays reveal a wide familiarity with literary and philosophical works from the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, and the classical age. Philosopher Farhang Zabeeh delves into this fascinating topic in this detailed study of the philosophical influences evident in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. Readers will be surprised and delighted to discover in Shakespeare unmistakable echoes of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Dante, Montaigne, and other famous thinkers. In one chapter, Zabeeh makes a convincing case that one of the bard's most famous comic characters, John Falstaff, is a parody of Socrates. In other chapters, he demonstrates indirect references to Plato in Shakespearean passages concerning appearance versus reality, as well as the influence of Aristotle's ethics. Other common philosophical themes evident in the plays concern the nature of time, subjectivity versus objectivity, and political and moral values. Philosophical Pearls of the Shakespearean Deep offers many fresh insights that will give even longtime readers of Shakespeare a new appreciation of the great master."--Publisher's website.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.