Great Stage of Fools: A Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays

by Peter J. Leithart

This book gives close attention to the poetry and plotting of six Shakespeare plays, three tragedies (Coriolanus, Richard III, and King Lear) and three comedies (Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice), paying particular attention to biblical imagery and theological themes of the plays.

Genres: Shakespeare, Nonfiction

218 pages, Hardcover

Published July 1, 2021

About the author

Peter Leithart received an A.B. in English and History from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987. In 1998 he received his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England. He has served in two pastorates: He was pastor of Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church), Birmingham, Alabama from 1989 to 1995, and was founding pastor of Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, Idaho, and served on the pastoral staff at Trinity from 2003-2013. From 1998 to 2013 he taught theology and literature at New St. Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho, where he continues to teach as an adjunct Senior Fellow. He now serves as President of Trinity House in Alabama, where is also resident Church Teacher at the local CREC church. He and his wife, Noel, have ten children and five grandchildren.

Reviews

[Sam Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Leithart brings his manner of reading Biblical texts to Shakespearean texts. What more could you ask for? I found him especially helpful in attending to the formal aspects of each play in a way I had never seen before, but he is very good on characterization as well. Excellent as what it claims to be: a guide.

[Anna Kling · Rating 5 out of 5]

So thankful for the helpful aid to a few more of Shakespeare's plays.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I hope Leithart keeps writing these, because I would keep reading them.

[Jlnpeacock Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

To understand some of the Shakespearean plays it is most helpful to have a guide. Dr. Leithart is the perfect person for this. He reviews three tragedies and three comedies. In so doing, he explains the many layers of each play that would be lost to most of us. The plays can then be enjoyed on multiple levels. It is beautiful to see God working in the stories and to understand Shakespeare's focus in each play - the force behind the story. It seems this book is a must for all who view "Coriolanus, Richard III, King Lear, Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Merchant of Venice."