128 Pages
by
Routledge
128 Pages
by
Routledge
Why Read Shakespeare? treats Shakespeare as a dramatist who thinks philosophically through stories. Written for students and general readers, the book argues that Shakespeare is worth reading because of the provocative answers he offers to three philosophical questions: What is love? Do human beings have free will? And why does political authority command obedience?
This book addresses each... Read more
Introduction: Why Read Shakespeare?
Chapter 1: Everything You Need to Know about Shakespeare before Reading Shakespeare
Chapter 2: The Problem of Love: The Comedies
Chapter 3: The Problem of Free Will: The Tragedies
Chapter 4: The Problem of Political Authority: The Histories
Epilogue: When Problems Won’t Stay Put
Index
Biography
Will Stockton is Professor of English at Clemson University, USA. His recent books include The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Religion (2026) and An Introduction to Queer Literary Studies: Reading Queerly (2023).
