Medical Mind of Shakespeare

by Aubrey C. Kail

Book by Kail, Aubrey

Genres: History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

My wife said it best, it's always fascinating when non-english majors write about literature. I'm positive that was a jab at me, but she had a point. Aubrey C. Kail's The Medical Mind of Shakespeare was a wonder because their work wasn't just a long literary analysis of the various plays of Shakespeare, instead it's an effort to understand how medical knowledge impacted the writing of, arguably, the most important writer in the entire Western cannon. Kail's book looks at a wide variety of medical issues from syphilis, pregnancy, dementia, suicide, depression, insanity, and alcoholism to name just a few, and with each of these ailments and conditions they provide quote after quote attempting to understand how Shakespeare is accurately and artistically rendering these conditions. This book isn't just a celebration of The Bard's work, it's a new perspective most readers will never receive because too often the focus of the man's work is his literary tricks.

Putting aside the novelty of method, this book is beautifully constructed as almost every page is adorned with medieval prints or actual photographs of famous performances of Shakespeare's plays. There is a not a page that goes by without at least two or three quotes directly from the works, and this all combines to create a unique experience. Over time the reader begins to feel they are experiencing rather than simply reading about these plays, and by the end my perspective had been permanently altered.

Perspective is everything for it will define a person's experiences, as well as their interpretations. Aubrey C. Kail has done something wonderful for the field Shakespeare studies because they have leveled the playing field. Shakespeare should be for everyone, and by opening the conversation to doctors Kail has reminded the readers that real analysis is about one's personal convictions.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for those who work in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, midwifery, etc and are fans of Shakespeare. The author is a psychiatrist and not surprisingly also does a great job of discussing mental health themes like madness and suicide in Shakespeare. Popular play like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet are mentioned multiple times; to the extent that at times it feels he is repeating himself a bit too much. The other thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that in many places the author is too heavy on just listing examples of whatever point he wants to make and not providing analysis or any commentary. However, there is plenty of excellent commentary overall. A nice bonus are very old illustrations (going back to the middle ages) dealing with medical issues interspersed throughout the book (for example, the cover of the book). There are also old black-and-white photos of Shakespearean actors from early to mid 20th century. The photos didn't do much for me but I really liked the old illustrations. I give it 4.5 stars overall.