Power Search
Low Price Guarantee
We Take School POs
Reading Shakespeare's Will: The Theology of Figure from Augustine to the Sonnets
Contributor(s): Freinkel, Lisa (Author)

View larger image

 ISBN: 0231123256     ISBN-13: 9780231123259
Publisher: Columbia University Press
OUR PRICE: $37.80  

Binding Type: Paperback - See All Available Formats & Editions
Published: January 2002
Qty:

Annotation: The most influential treatments of Shakespeares Sonnets have ignored the impact of theology on his poetics, examining instead the poets "secular" emphasis on psychology and subjectivity. "Reading Shakespeares Will" offers the first systematic account of the theology behind the poetry. Investigating the poetic stakes of Christianitys efforts to assimilate Jewish scripture, the book reads Shakespeare through the history of Christian allegory.
To "read Shakespeares will," Freinkel argues, is to read his bequest to and from a literary history saturated by religious doctrine. Freinkel thus challenges the common equation of subjectivity with secularity, and defines Shakespeares poetic voice in theological rather than psychoanalytic terms. Tracing from Augustine to Luther the religious legacy that informs Shakespeares work, Freinkel suggests that we cannot properly understand his poetry without recognizing it as a response to Luthers Reformation. Delving into the valences and repercussions of this response, "Reading Shakespeares Will" charts the notion of a "theology of figure" that helped to shape the themes, tropes, and formal structures of Renaissance literature and thought.
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Criticism | Shakespeare
- Literary Criticism | European - General
Dewey: 822.33
LCCN: 2001017255
Age Level: 22-UP
Grade Level: 17-UP
Lexile Measure: 1330(Not Available)
Physical Information: 0.91" H x 6" W x 9.1" L (1.24 lbs) 416 pages
Features: Annotated, Bibliography, Illustrated, Index, Table of Contents
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
The most influential treatments of Shakespeare's Sonnets have ignored the impact of theology on his poetics, examining instead the poet's "secular" emphasis on psychology and subjectivity. Reading Shakespeare's Will offers the first systematic account of the theology behind the poetry. Investigating the poetic stakes of Christianity's efforts to assimilate Jewish scripture, the book reads Shakespeare through the history of Christian allegory.

To "read Shakespeare's will," Freinkel argues, is to read his bequest to and from a literary history saturated by religious doctrine. Freinkel thus challenges the common equation of subjectivity with secularity, and defines Shakespeare's poetic voice in theological rather than psychoanalytic terms. Tracing from Augustine to Luther the religious legacy that informs Shakespeare's work, Freinkel suggests that we cannot properly understand his poetry without recognizing it as a response to Luther's Reformation. Delving into the valences and repercussions of this response, Reading Shakespeare's Will charts the notion of a "theology of figure" that helped to shape the themes, tropes, and formal structures of Renaissance literature and thought.
 
Customer ReviewsSubmit your own review
 
To tell a friend about this book, you must Sign In First!