Shakespeare's works do not embody any doctrine or set of beliefs, as his critics have long been tempted to suggest, but they do stage encounters with certain kinds of thinking — ethical, political, epistemological, even metaphysical — that still concern us nowadays. They can be shown to draw on ancient philosophies — Platonism, Stoicism, Scepticism — either directly or through medieval and continental Renaissance thought. Or their scenarios can be likened to those of other kinds of intellectual argument, such as legal or theological discourse. The essays collected in this volume, which is dedicated to A. D. Nuttall, demonstrate the value of 'thinking with' Shakespeare, either as embodied in Shakespeare's own creative programme or in our use of philosophical paradigms as an approach to his works.
William Poole is Fellow and Tutor in English, New College, Oxford. Richard Scholar is Fellow and Tutor in French, Oriel College, Oxford.
Reviews:
‘In his witty, deeply learned and humane "Last Word", Nuttall reminds us that the famous principle of economy in explanation, Ockham's Razor, when applied to Shakespeare's plays, should be renamed "Ockham's Beard", which prompts us to ask of any of Shakespeare's plays, "What else is going on?"... What makes this collection distinctive is that nearly all of these essays focus centrally on genre.’ — Paul Cefalu, Shakespeare Quarterly 59.3, Fall 2008, 345-48
‘Frank Kermode once referred to Nuttall (who died in 2007) as "probably the most philosophically-minded of modern literary critics", and the volume reflects this emphasis... A stimulating collection of pieces, of relevance not just to Shakespeareans but also to anyone with an interest in questions of the nature of literary value.’ — unsigned, Forum for Modern Language Studies 46.1, January 2010, 118-19
Poole, William, and Scholar, Richard, introduction to , in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 1–8
First footnote reference:35 William Poole, Richard Scholar, introduction to , in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 1–8, p. 21.
Subsequent footnote reference:37 Poole and Scholar, p. 47.
Poole, William, and Scholar, Richard. 2007. Introduction to , in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 1–8
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Poole and Scholar 2007: 21).
Example footnote reference:35 Poole and Scholar 2007: 21.
Burrow, Colin, ‘Why Shakespeare is not Michelangelo’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 9–22
First footnote reference:35 Colin Burrow, ‘Why Shakespeare is not Michelangelo’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 9–22, p. 21.
Burrow, Colin. 2007. ‘Why Shakespeare is not Michelangelo’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 9–22
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Burrow 2007: 21).
Josipovici, Gabriel, ‘The Opinion of Pythagoras’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 23–32
First footnote reference:35 Gabriel Josipovici, ‘The Opinion of Pythagoras’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 23–32, p. 21.
Subsequent footnote reference:37 Josipovici, p. 47.
Josipovici, Gabriel. 2007. ‘The Opinion of Pythagoras’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 23–32
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Josipovici 2007: 21).
Example footnote reference:35 Josipovici 2007: 21.
Martindale, Charles, ‘Shakespeare Philosophus’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 33–52
First footnote reference:35 Charles Martindale, ‘Shakespeare Philosophus’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 33–52, p. 21.
Subsequent footnote reference:37 Martindale, p. 47.
Martindale, Charles. 2007. ‘Shakespeare Philosophus’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 33–52
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Martindale 2007: 21).
Example footnote reference:35 Martindale 2007: 21.
Mukherji, Subha, ‘False Trials and the Impulse to Try in Shakespeare and his Contemporaries’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 53–72
First footnote reference:35 Subha Mukherji, ‘False Trials and the Impulse to Try in Shakespeare and his Contemporaries’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 53–72, p. 21.
Mukherji, Subha. 2007. ‘False Trials and the Impulse to Try in Shakespeare and his Contemporaries’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 53–72
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Mukherji 2007: 21).
Sugimura, N. K., ‘Two Concepts of Reality in Antony and Cleopatra’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 73–92
First footnote reference:35 N. K. Sugimura, ‘Two Concepts of Reality in Antony and Cleopatra’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 73–92, p. 21.
Sugimura, N. K.. 2007. ‘Two Concepts of Reality in Antony and Cleopatra’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 73–92
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Sugimura 2007: 21).
Medcalf, Stephen, ‘Dreaming, Looking, and Seeing: Shakespeare and a Myth of Resurrection’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 93–114
First footnote reference:35 Stephen Medcalf, ‘Dreaming, Looking, and Seeing: Shakespeare and a Myth of Resurrection’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 93–114, p. 21.
Medcalf, Stephen. 2007. ‘Dreaming, Looking, and Seeing: Shakespeare and a Myth of Resurrection’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 93–114
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Medcalf 2007: 21).
Cave, Terence, ‘When Shakespeare Met Montaigne’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 115–20
First footnote reference:35 Terence Cave, ‘When Shakespeare Met Montaigne’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 115–20, p. 21.
Cave, Terence. 2007. ‘When Shakespeare Met Montaigne’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 115–20
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Cave 2007: 21).
Nuttall, A. D., ‘The Last Word’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 121–28
First footnote reference:35 A. D. Nuttall, ‘The Last Word’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), pp. 121–28, p. 21.
Nuttall, A. D.. 2007. ‘The Last Word’, in Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda), pp. 121–28
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Nuttall 2007: 21).
Poole, William, and Richard Scholar (eds), Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007)
First footnote reference:35Thinking with Shakespeare: Comparative and Interdisciplinary Essays, ed. by William Poole and Richard Scholar (Cambridge: Legenda, 2007), p. 21.
Subsequent footnote reference:37 Poole and Scholar, p. 47.
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