Thinking Through Shakespeare

"Thinking Through Shakespeare attempts to rehabilitate Shakespeare's universality. Standing as a counterpoint to much of contemporary literary criticism, which tends to be of the skeptical, constructivist, and historicist bent, David Womersley argues that Shakespeare's plays are widely and enduringly popular because they reflect on deep questions of enduring human importance. Rather than suggesting that Shakespeare had any special access to timeless wisdom, the book argues that his drama is powerful because it serves as a forensic instrument, a means to probe complex issues and set rival perspectives in motion without coming to any ultimate conclusions. Structured around four fundamental philosophical themes-personal identity, the distinction between civilization and barbarism, the nature of political institutions, and the ethical dilemmas surrounding good and right-Thinking Through Shakespeare offers a fresh framework for understanding Shakespeare's relevance to contemporary life. Each section delves deeply into one of the great tragedies, examining how these core issues emerge and evolve across his body of work. The book transcends mere historical analysis, connecting Shakespeare's plays to the broader tapestry of human thought. By engaging with influential thinkers across the centuries from Hume to Nietzsche, as well as pre-Shakespearians such as St. Ambrose, Womersley illuminates the threads of continuity that link Shakespeare's explorations to the perennial dilemmas of human existence. In reviving Shakespeare as a poet of general nature, this book invites readers to reflect on the complexities of our shared humanity. Shakespeare speaks to us all, making his works not just relics of the past but vital, living texts that continue to challenge and inspire thoughtful engagement with the human condition, and that is why he continues to be read and performed"--