Shakespeare and Violence

by R.A. Foakes

Relating this study to current anxieties about the problem of violence, R.A. Foakes reveals how similar concerns are central in Shakespeare's plays. At first Shakespeare exploited spectacular violence for its entertainment value, but in later plays he explored a range of issues relating to war, heroism, manliness, and violence in nature as well as in human beings. This book examines the development of Shakespeare's representations of violence and explains their importance in shaping his career as a dramatist.

238 pages, Hardcover

First published December 19, 2002

About the author

Reginald A. Foakes was an English author and Shakespeare scholar. He has published works on Shakespeare and the Romantic poets and edited many of Shakespeare's plays in the Arden and New Cambridge editions.