Shakespeare in the Present: Political Lessons under Biden by Philip Goldfarb Sty

Publisher Description

Shakespeare in the Present: Political Lessons under Biden is the first case study in applying the lessons of Shakespeare's plays to post-Trump America. It looks at American politics through the lens of Shakespeare, not simply equating figures in the contemporary world to Shakespearean characters, but showing how the broader conditions of Shakespeare's imagined worlds reflect and inform our own. Clearly written, in a direct and engaging style, it shows that reading Shakespeare with our contemporary Washington in mind can enrich our understanding of both his works and our world. Shakespeare wrote for his own time, but we always read him in our present. As such, the way we read him now is always affected by our own understanding of our own political world. This book provides quick critical analyses of Shakespeare's plays and contemporary American politics while serving as an introduction for undergraduates and general readers to this kind of topical, presentist criticism of Shakespeare.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Shakespeare and Biden Partisan PolarizationPolarization in late Republican Rome Caesar and Antony beyond TrumpPartisanship closer to homeThe American War of the RosesPretextual Insurrections and Unpunished CrimesHenry Bolingbroke's inheritance and Richard II's throne1399 and 2021 Elections, disputes, and danger to the stateThe importance of consequencesThe Tyranny of ExpectationsFrom Hal to Harry"Nothing can come of nothing"Senator Joe and President BidenPublic negotiationsInconstant CoalitionsPowerful alliesWavering commitmentsMy 80% friendIllegitimate JusticeThe Queen and the JewCourt-packingCatering to self-interestLost France and Lost AfghanistanFrance forever lostThe Hundred Years War and the "forever war"Conclusion: Shakespeare and Presentism

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