Shakespeare's Tragedies Violation and Identity [Paperback]

A study of the linked themes of violation and identity in seven Shakespearean tragedies.Shakespeare's Tragedies: Violation and Identity offers clearly written, accessible close readings of seven Shakespearean tragedies; Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. The central theme is violation, and the way acts of violation raise questions about the identities of the victims and the perpetrators, and about the nature of the acts themselves. Drawing on contemporary critical approaches, it will appeal not just to specialists but to students and general readers with an interest in Shakespeare.Shakespeare's Tragedies: Violation and Identity offers clearly written, accessible close readings of seven Shakespearean tragedies; Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth. The central theme is violation, and the way acts of violation raise questions about the identities of the victims and the perpetrators, and about the nature of the acts themselves. Drawing on contemporary critical approaches, it will appeal not just to specialists but to students and general readers with an interest in Shakespeare.Beginning with the rape of Lavinia in Titus Andronicus, this book traces the linked themes of violation and identity through seven Shakespearean tragedies. The shock effects of Lavinia's rape reverberate throughout Shakespeare's later tragedies. This detailed study of Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth reveals the way acts of violence evoke questions about the identities of the victims, perpetrators, and the acts themselves. Written in a clear, accessible style, it highlights the humanistic aspects of Shakespearean tragedy.Introduction; 1. Titus Andronicus: This was thy daughter; 2. Romeo and Juliet: what's in a name? 3. Hamlet: a figure like your father; 4. Troilus and Cressida: this is and is not Cressid; 5. OthelÃ-