Philosophy Course: Introduction to Shakespeare

Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

COVID-19 update: arrangement of our courses

We are now delivering courses online and in-person. Please check the delivery format of each class before enrolling.

Please note that course materials (excluding prescribed texts) are shared electronically within 48 hours of course commencement. Printing is not available.

Shakespeare’s plays speak directly to us because of his depth of human understanding and his insights into the human condition. We will explore themes including love, power, revenge, ambition, evil, nobility, truth, and tragedy, through an analysis of Shakespeare’s major characters and themes. We’ll also discuss Shakespeare in the context of his time. His plays reflect the ferment of post reformation philosophy and politics. He was familiar with the philosophy of Michel De Montaigne on skepticism and Machiavelli’s political pragmatism. His plays reflect the changing ideas on human nature and the rise of science, which are played out in the complex psychology of his characters and their social and political situations. We will range across the comedies, tragedies and historical plays; from the high drama of Macbeth, Coriolanus and King Lear, to the wise playfulness of As You Like it and Much Ado about Nothing.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• identify the main philosophical ideas in Shakespeare’s plays and discuss them in relation to our contemporary situation
• discuss the significance of each philosophical issue to Shakespeare’s world
• discuss the overall themes presented in Shakespeare’s works
• discuss the various points of view presented in Shakespeare’s plays.

Content

Introduction to Shakespeare’s philosophy

We will begin with an overview of philosophical ideas in a selection of his plays.

Philosophy in the Elizabethan era

We will look at the influence of renaissance humanism on Shakespeare’s ideas. We will pay particular attention to the philosophy of Michel De Montaigne. Montaigne was perhaps the most widely read of the philosophers of his period. He recovered the Greek philosophies of skepticism, epicureanism and stoicism, and attempted to make them relevant for his own period. Montaigne makes a unique contribution to the philosophy of ‘Nature’ and the roles of reason and emotion in the human animal. We will consider some extracts from his Essays.

Humanism and the nobility of the human spirit

None of Shakespeare’s characters are ‘romantically’ noble in the simplistic sense of the hero tradition, but many of his most flawed characters, such as Falstaff, have their noble moments. For example, we could say that King Lear is about a man who must become ‘humanistically’ noble, by divesting himself of his false kingly nobility.

Shakespeare and Machiavelli

The idea of the evil Italianate Machiavelli appears in several of Shakespeare’s plays; however political pragmatism has a much more extensive influence than these explicit references. We will look at Machiavelli’s political pragmatism and its role in Shakespeare’s ideas.

Shakespeare on power and revenge

There is no lack of ‘Machiavellian’ characters in Shakespeare’s plays. Macbeth and Richard 111 are two of Shakespeare’s most complex characters. But what do we think of their actions: are we seduced or repelled by them, or perhaps both at the same time? What is Shakespeare’s philosophy of power in these plays?

Shakespeare on truth

A theme throughout Shakespeare’s plays is the problem of truth: How do we know what we know. Of particular interest here is the skepticism which Shakespeare presents in such lines as: 'What’s aught, but as 'tis valew’d'. We will range across the comedies and the tragedies on this issue.

Shakespeare on love and lust

Love and lust are two of our favourite subjects and Shakespeare’s plays make a feast of them. But can we bring out a consistent set of ideas and values from his many treatments of these topics? We will ask: What do Shakespeare’s plays tell us about the role of love and sex in our lives, and how different are the ideas of his age to our own. The Taming of the Shrew has become somewhat problematic, whereas Romeo and Juliet still seems to work for us.

Shakespeare and the idea of nature

The word ‘Nature’ is one of the most used words in Shakespeare’s plays. But what does he mean by nature, and how does it relate to the ideas of the times? What for example lies behind Hamlet’s rejection of ‘nature’ in the play Hamlet?

Shakespeare and consciousness

The idea that humans are defined by their individual consciousness is important to both the humanist philosophy of the age and is also central to Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. We will consider the ‘psychological’ plays in some detail.

Shakespeare and religion

“To be or not to be” is a question which Hamlet asks himself, mindful that Christianity forbids suicide. He concludes that ‘conscience does make cowards of us all’. What does this tell us about Hamlet’s attitude towards religion? And what are we to make of his many references to the supernatural in plays such as Macbeth and The Tempest.

Intended audience

Anyone with a general interest in the philosophy of Shakespeare.

Delivery style

Lecture/seminar

Materials

Course notes are provided electronically.