Shakespeare's Tragic SkepticismReaders of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies have long noted the absence of readily explainable motivations for some of Shakespeare's greatest characters: why does Hamlet delay his revenge for so long? Why does King Lear choose to renounce his power? Why is Othello so vulnerable to Iago's malice? But while many critics have chosen to overlook these omissions or explain them away, Millicent Bell demonstrates that they are essential elements of Shakespeare's philosophy of doubt. Examining the major tragedies, Millicent Bell reveals the persistent strain of philosophical skepticism. Like his contemporary, Montaigne, Shakespeare repeatedly calls attention to the essential unknowability of our world. In a period of social, political, and religious upheaval, uncertainty hovered over matters great and small--the succession of the crown, the death of loved ones from plague, the failure of a harvest. Tumultuous social conditions raised ultimate questions for Shakespeare, Bell argues, and ultimately provoked in him a skepticism which casts shadows of existential doubt over his greatest masterpieces. |
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Page 13
... perhaps even passionate — precisely because it existed under threat . The fideist wall against doubt was always in danger of being breached . But his fideist faith is only one side of Montaigne's am- bivalence , shared perhaps with ...
... perhaps even passionate — precisely because it existed under threat . The fideist wall against doubt was always in danger of being breached . But his fideist faith is only one side of Montaigne's am- bivalence , shared perhaps with ...
Page 15
... Perhaps we can only guess about his thoughts about this current intellectual topic , thoughts that may be just barely visible where witches are actually present , as in Macbeth , or suggestively referred to , as in Othello . In reading ...
... Perhaps we can only guess about his thoughts about this current intellectual topic , thoughts that may be just barely visible where witches are actually present , as in Macbeth , or suggestively referred to , as in Othello . In reading ...
Page 17
... had not previously used but had picked up somewhere , perhaps just out of current talk . But the assimilation of Florio suggested by this degree of lin- guistic relation is striking . It has even been claimed Introduction 17.
... had not previously used but had picked up somewhere , perhaps just out of current talk . But the assimilation of Florio suggested by this degree of lin- guistic relation is striking . It has even been claimed Introduction 17.
Page 26
... perhaps sharing his vision , perhaps arguing with it , but still accommodated by his own act of composition . That these accommodations were made in a spirit of active hos- pitality may be possible . What Shakespeare seems to have been ...
... perhaps sharing his vision , perhaps arguing with it , but still accommodated by his own act of composition . That these accommodations were made in a spirit of active hos- pitality may be possible . What Shakespeare seems to have been ...
Page 30
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Contents
Hamlet Revenge | 29 |
Othellos Jealousy | 80 |
Unaccommodated Lear | 138 |
Macbeths Deeds | 191 |
The Roman Frame | 241 |
Selected Bibliography | 279 |
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action actor ambiguous ambition Antony and Cleopatra Antony's appears asks audience Banquo blood Brabantio Brutus called Cassio cause character Claudius Cordelia crime daughters death deed denies Desdemona doubt dramatic Duncan Edgar Edmund Emilia expressed faith false father feel fideism Florio Folio Fool Fortinbras fourth act ghost Gloucester Goneril Hamlet hath hear Holinshed Horatio human Iago Iago's idea identity imagination jealousy Julius Caesar Kent killed King Lear Lady Macbeth Laertes lago Lear's Macduff Machiavellian madness Malcolm marriage meaning mind Montaigne Montaigne's motive murder nature never observed Ophelia Othello philosophic skepticism play's playwright plot Plutarch Polonius prophecy Quarto reference Regan reminds revenge Roderigo role Roman royal says scene seems selfhood sense sexual Shake Shakespeare Shakespeare's play skepticism social soliloquy someone speaks speare's stage story suggested tells theater theatrical things thou thought tion tragedy tragic trial true truth witchcraft witches word