Bruce Altschuler and Michael Genovese, eds., Shakespeare and Politics: What a Sixteenth-Century Playwright Can Teach Us About Twenty-First Century Politics (Boulder, CO: Paradigm, 2013)

Summary from the Publisher:

William Shakespeare, more than any other author, was able to capture the essence of human nature in all its manifestations. His political plays offer enduring insights into our humanity, our vanity, our noble and baser drives, what makes us great, and what makes us loathsome. He tells us about ourselves and about our world. This volume gleans valuable lessons from the writings of William Shakespeare and applies them to contemporary politics. Original chapters covering over a dozen different plays take up perennial political themes including power and leadership, corruption and virtue, war and peace, evil and liberty, persuasion and polarization, and empire and global overreach.

Table of Contents:

Introduction / Bruce E. Altschuler and Michael A. Genovese
On Shakespeare’s Commanders and Kings: Leadership, Politics, and Hubris / Michael A. Genovese and Thomas E. Cronin
Macbeth and Political Corruption / Bruce E. Altschuler
A Dionysian Hamlet / Sarah A. Shea
Antony and Cleopatra: Empire, Globalization, and the Clash of Civilizations / Paul A. Cantor
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: Tyrannicide in Julius Caesar / Philip Abbott
Why Iago Is Evil: Othello and the American Desire to Understand Corruption / Coyle Neal
Richard III, Tyranny, and the Modern Financial Elite / Marlene K. Sokolon
Cymbeline and the Origins of Modern Liberty / David Ramsey
Shakespeare’s Henry V and Responsibility for War / John M. Parrish
Troilus and Cressida: The Value of Reputations and the Corruption of Society / Lilly J. Goren
Deception and Persuasion in Measure for Measure / Carol McNamara
Absurdity and Amateur Hour in the American Political Forest: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the Nightmare of Polarization / Kevan M. Yeneral

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