Shakespeare’s Freedom

Shakespeare’s Freedom, by Stephen Greenblatt, University of Chicago Press RRP£15.50, 152 pages

In this short collection of essays, Stephen Greenblatt’s analysis of both Shakespeare and the Renaissance is informative and often original. He argues that Shakespeare’s genius lay in embracing and subverting the norms of his age.

Following his familiar “new historicist” method, the best-selling author of Will in the World juxtaposes Shakespeare’s sensibilities with the dominant ideals of Renaissance culture.

Shakespeare explored freedom through negation: Iago’s radical independence; the dependent autonomy of Coriolanus; Lear’s limited authority. Given the emphasis on historical context, the parallels drawn with present concerns are remarkable. It takes “only a small adjustment”, Greenblatt writes, to translate Antonio’s hatred of Shylock to current fears of Islam.

Yet, the book’s real lesson is Shakespeare’s awareness of the human condition in all its complexity. He grappled with the absolutes of his age, yet his art appeals to timeless human concerns.