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Godless Shakespeare is the first book to discuss Shakespeare''s plays from an atheist perspective.Although it is clear that Shakespeare engaged with and deployed much of his culture''s broadly religious interests - his language is shot through with biblical quotations, priestly sermonizing and Christian imagery - Mallin argues that there is a profound absence of or hostility to God in his plays. Following Dante''s three part structure for The Divine Comedy - Hell represents expressions of religious faith in Shakespeare''s plays, Purgatory sets out more sceptical positions, and Heaven shows articulations of godlessness - Mallin traces a spiritual ascent from the unthinkingly devout to the atheistically spiritual. This polemical, vigorous account focuses on the moral and spiritual dilemmas of major characters, developing the often subtle transitions between belief, scepticism and atheism. Finally, Godless Shakespeare argues for the liberating potential of unbelief.
List of contents
Introduction
HELL - Religious Faith
Pericles: God's Bitch
Hamlet: Hamlet's Dark Song
Isabella: Replacement Theology
Titus: Crackers
PURGATORY- Skepticism
Antonio: Conspicuously Failed Christ Figures Named
Portia: The Profit Driven Life
Katherina: Sun, Moon, Loss of Light
Hamlet: Happy Suicide
Leontes and audience: It is Required
HEAVEN- Godlessness
Aaron: Aaron Ascendant
Macbeth: The Life to Come
Bottom: Dreams of Sex and Death
Cleopatra: Her Becomings
References
Index
About the author
Eric S. Mallin is Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. He is the author of Reading Shakespeare in the Movies: Non-Adaptations and Their Meaning (2019).
Summary
Godless Shakespeare is the first book to discuss Shakespeare's plays from an atheist perspective. Although it is clear that Shakespeare engaged with and deployed much of his culture's broadly religious interests - his language is shot through with biblical quotations, priestly sermonizing and Christian imagery - Mallin argues that there is a profound absence of or hostility to God in his plays.
Following Dante's three part structure for The Divine Comedy - Hell represents expressions of religious faith in Shakespeare's plays, Purgatory sets out more sceptical positions, and Heaven shows articulations of godlessness - Mallin traces a spiritual ascent from the unthinkingly devout to the atheistically spiritual. This polemical, vigorous account focuses on the moral and spiritual dilemmas of major characters, developing the often subtle transitions between belief, scepticism and atheism. Finally, Godless Shakespeare argues for the liberating potential of unbelief.
