Shakespeare and the Political Way

Elizabeth Frazer

The first systematic attempt to draw out the normative political lessons from the greatest writer in the English language
Offers an original reading of 'Shakespeare and politics'
Clearly sets out the complexities and ambiguities in the vague concept of politics, and makes a persuasive argument for 'the political way'
Presents clear accounts of selected Shakespeare dramas, informative both for those who are not very familiar with them, and for the more expert

Shakespeare and the Political Way

Elizabeth Frazer

Description

Studies of Shakespeare and politics often ask the question whether his dramas are on the side of aristocratic or monarchical sovereign authority, or are on the side of those who resist; whether he endorses a standard view of male and patriarchal authority, or whether his cross-dressing heroines put him among feminist thinkers. Scholars also show that Shakespeare's representations of rule, revolt, and arguments about laws and constitutions draw on and allude to stories and real events that were contemporaneous for him, as well as historical ones.

Building on scholarship about Shakespeare and politics, this book argues that Shakespeare's representations and stagings of political power, sovereignty, resistance, and controversy are more complex. The merits of political life, as opposed to life governed by monetary exchange, religious truth, supernatural power, military heroism, or interpersonal love, are rehearsed in the plots. And the clashing and contradictory meanings of politics — its association with free truthful speech but also with dishonest hypocrisy, with open action and argument as much as occult behind the scenes manoevring — are dramatized by him, to show that although violence, lies, and authoritarianism do often win out in the world there is another kind of politics, and a political way that we would do well to follow when we can. The book offers original readings of the characters and plots of Shakespeare's dramas in order to illustrate the subtlety of his pictures of political power, how it works, and what is wrong and right with it.

Shakespeare and the Political Way

Elizabeth Frazer

Introduction: Political Power and the Political Way
1:Political Power and Othello
2:Political Power and Measure for Measure
3:Political and Military Power: Coriolanus
4:Violence and Political Authority: Romeo and Juliet
5:Sovereignty, Justice, and Political Power: King Lear
6:Friendship and Justice: Merchant of Venice and Timon of Athens
7:Politics and Magic: Macbeth and Tempest
8:Politics and Theatre: Hamlet
Conclusion: The Political Way

Shakespeare and the Political Way

Elizabeth Frazer

Author Information

Elizabeth Frazer, Official Fellow and Tutor in Politics, New College, University of Oxford

Elizabeth Frazer teaches political thought and political theory at the University of Oxford. Her publications include Can Violence Ever Be Justified? (with Kimberly Hutchings, Polity Press, 2019), and she is the author of articles about ideals of politics in political thought and education.

Shakespeare and the Political Way

Elizabeth Frazer

Reviews and Awards

"This illuminating book analyzes the full range of human relationships, divisions, and conflicts represented by Shakespeare through the lens of political theory. By exploring the problems that animate the plays, Frazer reveals not only that dramatic action is fundamentally political, but also that the meaning of politics is by its nature contested." - András Kiséry, Associate Professor of English, CCNY

"This is a timely, important book for students, audiences, makers and professors of Shakespeare. It reminds us that Shakespeare's plays survive because they show us how we should and shouldn't operate: not just as individuals, but as families, as communities, as nations." - Dr Deana Rankin, Senior Lecturer in Shakespeare and Early Modern Literature, Royal Holloway, University of London

"This illuminating book analyzes the full range of human relationships, divisions, and conflicts represented by Shakespeare through the lens of political theory. By exploring the problems that animate the plays, Frazer reveals not only that dramatic action is fundamentally political, but also that the meaning of politics is by its nature contested." - András Kiséry, Associate Professor of English, CCNY

"Elizabeth Frazer's wide-ranging and accessible study offers an engaging analysis of the "politic" contexts of Shakespearean drama.Insightfully situating Shakespearean texts in relation to ongoing histories of political life, Shakespeare and the Political Way appeals to readers across disciplines, in Shakespeare studies as well as intellectual history and political theory." - Mark Netzloff, Professor of English, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

"This is a book that illuminates both what we - now - mean by politics and what Shakespeare was telling us about the strengths and weaknesses of 'the political way'. It's a great read for theatre-goers and students of politics alike, and an especiallygood read for those of us who are both." - Anne Phillips, Graham Wallas Professor of Political Science, LSE