Shakespeare's Courtly Mirror: Reflexivity and Prudence in All's Well that Ends WellUniversity of Delaware Press, 1993 - 314 pages "A leading premise of Haley's book is that modern psychological constructs are inadequate for understanding the courtly humanism dramatized by Shakespeare down to 1604. Renaissance culture knows nothing of the bourgeois subject of Locke, Freud, and Lacan. Shakespeare defines aristocratic identity in epic terms and presents not an autonomous individual but a hero whose persona is determined publicly in the "courtly mirror." That exemplary mirror, from Henry IV to Measure for Measure, reflects the heroic actions of rulers and courtiers. The historical self-awareness of Henry, Hal, and Brutus assumes a more contemporary aspect in the courtly self-consciousness of Hamlet, Duke Vincentio, and the three main characters of All's Well That Ends Well: Bertram, Helena, the King." "The "reflexivity" in the title does not indicate the self-referentiality of language, nor does it refer to the traditional paradigm of consciousness implying stable self-knowledge. Courtly reflexivity is oriented toward praxis rather than introspection. Before taking action, the courtier or cortigiana - Helena is a good example - knows only that (s)he is not what (s)he is. The courtier's deliberation is guided by a reflexive, self-regulating prudence that is usually identified with honor or love. In All's Well, Shakespeare contrasts this self-providence or heroic prudence with Divine Providence, but he does so obliquely. While focusing exclusively upon a court which prizes worldly action, he sustains his contrast through a series of ironical allusions to Scripture." "Beginning with a prologue on the problems raised by structural and theatrical interpretations of Bertram's role, Haley goes on to introduce his concept of reflexivity by way of an exchange with the new literary historicism. Chapters 1 to 3 follow the courtly debate over providence and honor, through Helena's triumph in act 2 to Bertram's deserting her. The collapse of her providential design coincides with the crisis of the sick King's honor - a crisis which Shakespeare describes alchemically, implying that alchemy, understood as reflexive chemistry, offers another mirror of the courtier's self-providence." "Chapter 4, the center of the book, brings together historical providence and Boccaccian prudence (avvedimento) in the figure of Ahab, with whom Shakespeare compares both Bertram and the Hal of Henry V. Chapters 5 to 7 pursue Shakespeare's ironic parallel between biblical Providence and courtly prudence, examining specific scenes of self-judgment and self-betrayal in the Henriad and Measure for Measure, as well as in All's Well."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved |
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... courtier's deliberation is guided by a reflexive , self - regulating prudence that is usually identified with honor or love . In All's Well , Shakespeare contrasts this self - providence or heroic prudence with Divine Providence , but ...
... courtier's deliberation is guided by a reflexive , self - regulating prudence that is usually identified with honor or love . In All's Well , Shakespeare contrasts this self - providence or heroic prudence with Divine Providence , but ...
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... courtiers in literature . 4. Self- knowledge in literature . 5. Mirrors in literature . I. Title . PR2801.H34 1993 822.3'3 - dc20 91-58000 CIP PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA For my mother , Jean Piercy Haley Contents Preface 1.
... courtiers in literature . 4. Self- knowledge in literature . 5. Mirrors in literature . I. Title . PR2801.H34 1993 822.3'3 - dc20 91-58000 CIP PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA For my mother , Jean Piercy Haley Contents Preface 1.
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... Courtier 24 The Courtier's Mirror and the Mirror of the Play 32 9 17 Vile Misprision 39 By Reflection 44 2. Providence 52 End Ere I Do Begin 52 Honor and Alchemy 58 An Equivocal Companion 64 The Fine's the Crown 70 The Luckiest Stars in ...
... Courtier 24 The Courtier's Mirror and the Mirror of the Play 32 9 17 Vile Misprision 39 By Reflection 44 2. Providence 52 End Ere I Do Begin 52 Honor and Alchemy 58 An Equivocal Companion 64 The Fine's the Crown 70 The Luckiest Stars in ...
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... courtier's sprezzatura . These are all examples of the reflexivity that I define in the second and third sections of ... courtier or cortigiana — Helena is a good example - knows only that ( s ) he is not what ( s ) he is . The discourse ...
... courtier's sprezzatura . These are all examples of the reflexivity that I define in the second and third sections of ... courtier or cortigiana — Helena is a good example - knows only that ( s ) he is not what ( s ) he is . The discourse ...
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... courtier's heroic virtù , as well as the heroine's erotic ambition , upon biblical prophecy . From Shakespeare's thematic contrast between Divine Providence and courtly prudence springs much of the contradictory interpretation of All's ...
... courtier's heroic virtù , as well as the heroine's erotic ambition , upon biblical prophecy . From Shakespeare's thematic contrast between Divine Providence and courtly prudence springs much of the contradictory interpretation of All's ...
Contents
17 | |
24 | |
32 | |
39 | |
44 | |
Providence | 52 |
Honor and Alchemy | 58 |
An Equivocal Companion | 64 |
Merely Our Own Traitors | 155 |
SelfBetrayal and Shame | 166 |
Reflexivity or Revenge? | 178 |
The Clown | 185 |
One Flesh | 191 |
Clown versus Court | 196 |
Wisdom and Foolish Words | 206 |
The Courtly Mirror | 216 |
The Fines the Crown | 70 |
The Luckiest Stars in Heaven | 76 |
Helenas Love | 87 |
Inspired Merit | 97 |
Eros versus Providence | 107 |
Too Dear for My Possessing | 113 |
Shakespeare and the Book of Kings | 123 |
Ahab | 134 |
The Happy Few | 144 |
The Tinct and Multiplying Medicine | 224 |
Doubly Won | 237 |
All Yet Seems Well | 247 |
The Date of Alls Well | 254 |
Notes | 258 |
Works Cited | 297 |
Index | 305 |
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Common terms and phrases
action Ahab Ahab's alchemical alchemical opus All's allusion ambiguous Angelo aristocratic audience Bertram Bertram's heroic Bertram's honor biblical Boccaccio Boccaccio's book of Kings chapter characters Clown comedy Countess court courtier courtly mirror critics death Decameron Deuteronomists dialogue Diana Divine Providence Dowden dramatic Duke Elijah epic erotic fate father final scene fool Giletta Hal's Hamlet hath heaven Helena hero hero's heroic prudence heroine's humanistic Hunter husband ideal irony King King's knave Lafew Lavatch Lord marriage means Measure for Measure melancholy Mercurius metaphor miracle moral nature noble nobleman Paracelsian Paracelsus Parolles peripeteia person play play's playwright plot poet prima materia prince Problem Comedies prophecy prophet providential judgment prudential psychological reflection reflexivity Renaissance ring role Rossillion says seems self-transcendence sexual Shakespeare shame soliloquy Sonnets speech thee theme thinks thou transcendence University Press Vincentio virgin virtue wife wisdom words worldly young
Popular passages
Page 79 - Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie, Which we ascribe to heaven : the fated sky Gives us free scope; only, doth backward pull Our slow designs, when we ourselves are dull.
Page 116 - Farewell ! thou art too dear for my possessing, And like enough thou know'st thy estimate : The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing ; My bonds in thee .are all determinate.
Page 155 - Dangerous it were for the feeble brain of man to wade far into the doings of the Most High; whom although to know be life, and joy to make mention of his name; yet our soundest knowledge is, to know that we know him not as indeed he is, neither can know him ; and our safest eloquence concerning him, is our silence, when we confess without confession, that his glory is inexplicable, his greatness above our capacity and reach. He is above, and we upon earth; therefore it behoveth our words to be wary...
Page 170 - The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together: our virtues would be proud if our faults whipped them not ; and our crimes would despair if they were not cherished by our virtues.
Page 160 - Could trammel up the consequence, and catch With his surcease success : that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here ; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague the inventor ; this even-handed justice Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice To our own lips.
Page 153 - t, my lord. [Exit. K. Hen. 0 God of battles ! steel my soldiers' hearts! Possess them not with fear ; take from them now The sense of reckoning, if the opposed numbers Pluck their hearts from them ! — Not to-day, O Lord, O not to-day, think not upon the fault My father made in compassing the crown...
Page 57 - Ham. Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting-, That would not let me sleep : methought, I lay Worse than the mutines in the bilboes.* Rashly, And prais'd be rashness for it, — Let us know, Our indiscretion sometimes serves us well, When our deep plots do pall : and that should teach us. There's a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will.* Hor.
Page 37 - God! that one might read the Book of Fate, And see the revolution of the times Make mountains level, and the continent, Weary of solid firmness, melt itself Into the sea : and, other times, to s'ee The beachy girdle of the ocean Too wide for Neptune's hips...