Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays

Author - Colin Mcginn ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Harper Perennial was reviewed on 10-Dec-2008.

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1) Paperback Book Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays by Harper Perennial. The writing is solid, and some of the analysis is sophisticated, particularly the chapter that attempts to answer the question of what makes a tragic hero so tragic.

Despite the title of the book, the strongest discussion takes place when McGinn puts philosophy aside - references to Montaigne and other philosophers seem forced, tenuous, and unconvincing. Even so, this is a good book to browse through, especially for folks who enjoy literary criticism. It might be fun to curl up on a Sunday afternoon comparing and contrasting McGinn´s philosophical approach with other staple lit crit approaches (i.e. historicist, postmodernist, feminist, etc.)

The book is written with the layperson in mind - this could be a good or bad thing depending on how much or how little technical understanding a person has in regards to Shakespeare, philosophy, and lit crit approaches.¤

2) Paperback Book Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays by Harper Perennial. I recommend this book, it contains many interesting insights. However, I think a more apt subtitle would have been: "Some Meaningful Discoveries" and a more apt title would have been "Philosophic Questions Raised in Some of Shakespeare´s Better Known Plays". Within these boundaries, it´s quite good. Of course, it doesn´t add anything to Shakespeare, or not very much. And I´m not sure that comparisons to lesser lights like Hume, Wittgenstein, Freud and even Montaigne are very illuminating. When you recall your state at the end of a good production of King Lear or Hamlet, it´s hard to think what needs to be added, except maybe explanations of archaic expressions, and that´s pretty minor. With Shakespeare, all we ordinary mortals can do is to point out interesting things about the landscape and method, as Helen Vendler did in her wonderful book on the sonnets. Still, I think if you love Shakespeare, you´ll like this book. It reminds you of those troubling questions and revelations your first experience of Shakespeare´s plays evoked. The cultural world of our collective imagination is not going to be re-defined by Professor MeGinn´s book. If this was all you had of Shakespeare, it wouldn´t be much, but as an amplification of the experience you´ve already had, it´s not bad.

Some of his most insightful observations had nothing to do with the study of philosophy, for example, the uniqueness and authenticity of each major character. This would make an excellent topic for a book: how real these men and women are. Very few characters in literature have a life of their own the way Hamlet, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Othello and many others do. They are like historical figures, as definable and at the same time as mysterious as Lincoln or Charles II or Napoleon or Josephine are. I thought this was a very good observation.¤

3) Paperback Book Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays by Harper Perennial. the first three quarters of the book are better than its ending, but mr. mcginn is a clean writer and makes what could be a pedantic subject easily accessible.¤

4) Paperback Book Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays by Harper Perennial. It´s doubtful that anyone who has an enduring interest in Shakespeare and his plays would doubt that the Bard was of a philosophical bent. Certainly, one of the reasons Shakespeare has endured is that his characters speak deeply to the heart of what it means to be human. So, having the observations of an experienced philosopher on Shakespeare´s work is quite appealing. Fortunately, Mr. McGinn doesn´t disappoint.

In fact, the book is much like one would expect from a serious philosopher. He opens with a chapter on the themes he is going to pursue, outlining his ideas and defining his terms. He follows with chapters on six major plays (Midsummer, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, Lear and The Tempest). Then, he offers four chapters on general topics such as gender and ethics. Finally, he wraps things up with an examination of Shakespeare´s genius.

Overall, McGinn´s analysis of the plays is quite insightful. The first few pages of his chapter on Hamlet made me think about the opening scene of the play (Bernardo & Francisco on the ramparts) in a new way. He has a powerful ability to take a single philosophical idea and dig deeply into a play. This can open up important new avenues of thought.

Still, feeling the weight of McGinn´s intelligence in his writing, a reader does have to be careful in thinking that he has cut down to the heart of the plays. Though enlightening, in some ways, McGinn´s views are narrow because he has a particular purpose that reflect his own interests. For example, McGinn sees Montaigne´s influence on Shakespeare very clearly and there can be no doubt Shakespeare read Montaigne and this impacted his work; however, McGinn´s highlighting of Montaigne cannot help but put other influences into shadow.

It is also true that to be completely convinced by the philosophical assertions McGinn has made it would be necessary to see how his work in useful in understanding the other thirty or so plays. He only talks about six in detail, remember, which leaves an awful lot of ground unplowed. It would be interesting to see McGinn´s take on the rest of the canon.

To a reader with some background in Shakespeare, McGinn´s work is a valuable addition to the scholarship surrounding the Bard. And, despite its philosophical topics, you don´t have to be a professional to read, enjoy and understand this book. It is definitely worth reading.¤

5) Paperback Book Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays by Harper Perennial. an interesting and erudite exploration of some of the possible ideas and ideals driving the representations in shakespeares work. Well written beautifully explained and accessable for the fairly everyday reader. Well worth while reading and of course having in your collection for reference.

MFW¤

6) Paperback Book Shakespeare's Philosophy: Discovering the Meaning Behind the Plays by Harper Perennial.

Shakespeare´s plays are usually studied by literary scholars and historians and the books about him from those perspectives are legion. It is most unusual for a trained philosopher to give us his insight, as Colin McGinn does here, into six of Shakespeare´s greatest plays––A Midsummer Night´s Dream, Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, and The Tempest.

In his brilliant commentary, McGinn explores Shakespeare´s philosophy of life and illustrates how he was influenced, for example, by the essays of Montaigne that were translated into English while Shakespeare was writing. In addition to chapters on the great plays, there are also essays on Shakespeare and gender and his plays from the aspects of psychology, ethics, and tragedy.

As McGinn says about Shakespeare, "There is not a sentimental bone in his body. He has the curiosity of a scientist, the judgement of a philosopher, and the soul of a poet." McGinn relates the ideas in the plays to the later philosophers such as David Hume and the modern commentaries of critics such as Harold Bloom. The book is an exhilarating reading experience, especially at a time when a new audience has opened up for the greatest writer in English.

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 7-Jan-2009, 00608561659780060856168, 650-510-930-460-410-660-8

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