Shakespeare's themes - Paul Fletcher

This work is concerned with showing how a full understanding of a Shakespeare work depends on an awareness of the central theme and related themes and noticing how these themes are presented as the play or poem moves forward from beginning to end. The book also shows how the works are interrelated, thus enabling us to gain an understanding of Shakespeare's works as a whole.;It is assumed here that if we wish to catch the true spirit of Shakespeare, we must see him as a man of his time. Although there are some respects in which his view of life as a Renaissance Christian may not be acceptable to us, we should be able to respond to his presentation of human life as a perpetual battle between good and evil, where there is an especial need for integrity in those in authority, and where love in various forms is of supreme value.;In a series of notes the book indicates how Shakespeare may have been directly influenced by that famous statement of Renaissance ideals, Castiglione's "The Book of the Courtier", available in Shakespeare's time in Sir Thomas Hoby's English translation.;The format of the book is intended to be helpful to students and play-goers as well as more experienced readers of Shakespeare, as Fletcher goes through each of the Bard's works in turn, giving a brief synopsis and then discussing the work in relation to its wider themes.