Deadly Thought: Hamlet and the Human SoulThe human soul is for pre-modern philosophers the cause of both thinking and life. This double aspect of the soul, which makes man a rational animal, expresses itself above all in human action. Deadly Thought: "Hamlet" and the Human Soul traces Hamlet's famous inability to act to his inability to hold together these twin aspects of the soul. Combining careful attention to detail and interpretive breadth, noted scholar Jan H. Blits deftly illustrates how Hamlet collapses life into thought, and moral action into stage acting, and ultimately comes to see his own life as a stage play. Hamlet, the book demonstrates, epitomizes the intellectualism of the Renaissance and the modern age it began, and so becomes tragedy's first self-conscious protagonist, signaling the end of ancient tragedy. Erudite, innovative, and lively, Deadly Thought is a ground-breaking contribution that will appeal to Shakespeare scholars, political theorists, historians of philosophy, literary theorists and anyone interested in a truly fresh interpretation of this classic work. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 45
Page 3
... characters in Hamlet still believe in purgatory , angels , saints , and ghosts , and take very seriously the rites of the Catholic church . Denmark is still a Catholic country.2 Yet , Shake- speare not only has Hamlet conspicuously pun ...
... characters in Hamlet still believe in purgatory , angels , saints , and ghosts , and take very seriously the rites of the Catholic church . Denmark is still a Catholic country.2 Yet , Shake- speare not only has Hamlet conspicuously pun ...
Page 10
... character , is at various times a play- wright , actor , chorus , director , manager , audience , critic , patron , and would - be partner in a theater company.20 The only man he in fact ever emulates is the First Player ( 2.2.531-36 ...
... character , is at various times a play- wright , actor , chorus , director , manager , audience , critic , patron , and would - be partner in a theater company.20 The only man he in fact ever emulates is the First Player ( 2.2.531-36 ...
Page 14
... characters , speech , and structure of the play , as well as in its content . Both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern , and Cornelius and Voltemand , seem to be redundant pairs : there are two where one would seem to do . There are also two ...
... characters , speech , and structure of the play , as well as in its content . Both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern , and Cornelius and Voltemand , seem to be redundant pairs : there are two where one would seem to do . There are also two ...
Page 15
... characters are internally di- vided or doubled . Hamlet has " cause , and will , and strength , and means , " and yet does not act ( 4.4.45 ) ; Claudius is " like a man to double business bound " ( 3.3.41 ) ; " Poor Ophelia [ is ] ...
... characters are internally di- vided or doubled . Hamlet has " cause , and will , and strength , and means , " and yet does not act ( 4.4.45 ) ; Claudius is " like a man to double business bound " ( 3.3.41 ) ; " Poor Ophelia [ is ] ...
Page 24
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Sorry, this page's content is restricted.
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
accuses action actors answer appearance Aristotle asks Barnardo birth body cause Christian Cicero Clau Claudius Claudius's conscience corpse Dane Danish dead death deed Denmark describes despite Diogenes Laertius dius double emphasizes explicitly father fear final Fortinbras Fortinbras's fortune Gertrude Gertrude's Ghost God's Gonzago grave Grave-digger Grave-digger's guilt Hamlet says Hamlet seems hath hear heaven Hecuba Horatio imitation incest Jephthah kill King Hamlet King's Laertes Laertes's letter lines lonius lord man's Marcellus marriage means mentions metaphor moral mother murder nature never noble old Hamlet once one's Ophelia Osric play play's Player King Player Queen Plutarch political Polonius Polonius's praise question Quintilian reason refers revenge rhetoric Rosencrantz and Guildenstern royal scene sense Shakespeare silent soliloquy soul speaks speech Stoic Stoicism suggests tell theatrical thee thing thou thought tion tragedy turns twice virtue vows warning words