Shakespeare's politics

[LARSSON at vax1.mankato.msus.edu]

recent post, includes:
"Shakespeare and other traffikers in popular                
dramatic idioms couch incredibly subversive (revolutionary is probably
more accurate) ideas and theoretical machinations in tropes and
stereotypes so simple and deceptive that Joe Shmo will cheer and cry and
get sexual satisfaction from learning about Economics, culture theory, or
whatever."

Well, sometimes they do, but I wouldn't go that far in the case of the Bard.
When the old order (divine right of kings, feudal obligation, etc.) is
questioned, he almost always eventually comes down on the side of the
Establishment--Prince Hal becomes heroic Henry V while Falstaff wastes away.

What *is* interesting is that he bothers to question the old order at all!


Despite various attempts to revive them (ongoing as we type), old orders
are always being questioned--perhaps most openly in this country, but it's
a global phenomenon.  Pynchon certainly joins in, but I think he wonders
from time to time just what is going to replace it all.

BTW, it's interesting that Allan Bloom, who launched the current wave of
Culture Wars in the US with his CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND co-authored
a rather strange book on Shakepeare's politics.  He deals very little with
the overt political issues that are raised in the histories and tragedies
and offers a reading of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE which goes on at some length
about the status of Jews in 15th century Venice, but says nothing about
their status in England!


Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)