1st Edition
Shakespeare’s Politic Histories The Italian Connection
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 Shakespeare’s Politic Histories: The Italian Connection
Politic Histories, Politic Stratagems
The Prince: A Prolegomena
Gracing My Stratagems: Politic Drama
2 The First Tetralogy, Shakespeare’s Politic History
Things Not as They Ought to Be, but as They Truly Are
Might vs. Right
Trust and Distrust
The Fox and the Lion
With silence, be politic: Waiting for the Right Moment
Weakness and Cruelty
3 ‘Made I him king for this?’: Buckingham and the Choice of Ministers
Choosing the Right Minister, Choosing the Right Prince
Give us notice of his inclinations: The Use of Spies
Playing the Orator, Playing the Crowd
Stops he now for breath? The Limits of Politic Stratagems
4 Stanley, the True Machiavellian of Richard III
Stanley, the Quiet Machiavellian
What think’st thou, then, of Stanley? Hiding One’s Intentions
Look unto it: Failing to See Past the Surface
What says Lord Stanley? Choosing the Right Moment
5 ‘For few men right temper with the stars’: Fortuna and Virtù
Tempering with the stars
Fortune Favours the Bold: The Nature of Virtù
Fortuna vs. Virtù, or Fortuna and Virtù?
Conclusion ‘My kingdom for a horse!’: The Hollow Crown
My kingdom for a horse! The Hollow Crown
For one commanding all, obey’d by none: Some Closing Thoughts
Bibliography
Index
Biography
John H. Cameron teaches English Literature at Saint Mary’s University as well as German and Russian Literature at Dalhousie University. He is the editor of Narrative is the Essence of History and co-editor (with Goran Stanivukovic) of a special issue of Forum for Modern Language Studies that explores the development of comedy across different theatrical traditions (July 2022). He is the co-author (with Goran Stanivukovic) of Tragedies of the English Renaissance.
