In Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics, renowned scholar Stephen Greenblatt offers an analysis of depictions of tyrannical figures in seven of the sixteenth-century playwright’s works for a fresh take on Shakespeare and our contemporary political milieu. Geben Sie es weiter, tauschen Sie es ein, © 1998-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. oder Tochtergesellschaften, Entdecken Sie Stephen Greenblatt bei Amazon, Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics (English Edition), Übersetzen Sie alle Bewertungen auf Deutsch, Lieferung verfolgen oder Bestellung anzeigen, Recycling (einschließlich Entsorgung von Elektro- & Elektronikaltgeräten). With uncanny insight, he shone a spotlight on the infantile psychology and unquenchable narcissistic appetites of demagogues—and the cynicism and opportunism of the various enablers and hangers-on who surround them—and imagined how they might be stopped. Those swathes of the democratic voter base who enjoy shakespeare. Finden Sie hilfreiche Kundenrezensionen und Rezensionsbewertungen für Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics auf Amazon.de. Greenblatt, S: Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics: Amazon.de: Greenblatt, Stephen: Fremdsprachige Bücher Wählen Sie Ihre Cookie-Einstellungen Wir verwenden Cookies und ähnliche Tools, um Ihr Einkaufserlebnis zu verbessern, um unsere Dienste anzubieten, um zu verstehen, wie die Kunden unsere Dienste nutzen, damit wir Verbesserungen vornehmen können, und um Werbung anzuzeigen. But the details, as well as the bravery, or absence of it, in those around them, leads to very differe. Shakespeare has a lot to say about power and politics in his plays. The inner chapters are a series of thematic summaries of a range of plays shaped deliberately so as to make us aware of their 21st century resonances. I saw this in the bookstore and thought it was essentially going to be "how Shakespeare shows us how terrible Donald Trump is" and since I already knew the terrible part I thought I didn't really need Shakespeare's help on the topic so I passed on reading the book. Tyrant by Stephen Greenblatt is a good book encased in a misguided polemic that ultimately harms the entire enterprise. Bücher bei Weltbild.de: Jetzt Tyrant - Shakespeare on Politics von Stephen Greenblatt versandkostenfrei bestellen bei Weltbild.de, Ihrem Bücher-Spezialisten! Greenblatt relates 6 plays: Richard III, Macbeth, King Lear, A Winter's tale, Julius Caesar and Coriolanus, drawing parallels to one Tyrant currently in power. Greenblatt never says outright the name of the modern leader who has the personality of a tyrant, but it is obvious whom he means. I saw this in the bookstore and thought it was essentially going to be "how Shakespeare shows us how terrible Donald Trump is" and since I already knew the terrible part I thought I didn't really need Shakespeare's help on the topic so I passed on reading the book. When will my order arrive? The Thomas Code: Solving the mystery of the Gospel of Thomas (English Edition), Der, Die, Das: Die Geheimnisse des deutschen Genus, Der, Die, Das: The Secrets of German Gender. World-renowned Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores the playwright’s insight into bad (and often mad) rulers. Free with your Audible trial: Hardcover "Please retry" … "The only people who will serve him are self-interested scoundrels , like himself; in any case, he has no interest in honest loyalty or dispassionate, independent judgment. This is quite entertaining and even thought-provoking, but Greenblatt’s reading of the plays in the context of their own times is so much more compelling and insightful that you wish he had stuck to this method for the whole book. It doesn't mention contemporary politics at all, not even once. Yet, like the tyrants depicted in Tyrant: Shakespeare in Politics, he too will meet his end, undone by the flaws in his character. Both are identical except for the one word in the title. One of the reasons Shakespeare is still passionately read today is how extraordinarily sharp was his insight into the complexities of human nature—and how he managed to make poetry even of the muck of evil. Uncanny look at today’s world through the eyes of the Bard, Rezension aus Deutschland vom 25. Shakespeare's fascination with the tyrannical impulse, in domestic as well as political settings, is undeniable and is acutely observed by Greenblatt. Nachdem Sie Produktseiten oder Suchergebnisse angesehen haben, finden Sie hier eine einfache Möglichkeit, diese Seiten wiederzufinden. Dive into his new novel The Swamp, a funny satire of the Obama years. "Dominating others serves to shore up his damaged self-image." Ihre zuletzt angesehenen Artikel und besonderen Empfehlungen. In William Shakespeare’s day, it wasn’t safe to disagree with power. Stephen Greenblatt. This was a book where I underlined practically everything. Wählen Sie Ihre Cookie-Einstellungen. Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics Norton, 2018, ISBN 9780393635751; dt. The overlap between the private and public spheres is always catastrophic, as is the tyrant's blind, psychotic fury at resistance when pure obedience is expected, an emotion the plays release and explore compulsively. Greenblat draws subtle (and not so subtle) parallels with modern-day tyrants. Shakespeare’s fascination with the tyrannical impulse, in domestic as well as political settings, is undeniable and is acutely observed by Greenblatt. He expects his accusation to be enough. I'm not sure it is comforting to be reminded that 'politics was ever thus' but I thoroughly enjoyed the terrific skill of Greenblatt's telling. Eight Tragedies of Shakespeare (eBook, ePUB) 18,95 € Bill Bryson. When will my order arrive? Learnt a lot about Trump, Putin, Erdogan and Johnson, Orban, Salvini, the lot. Bücher Online Shop: Tyrant - Shakespeare on Politics von Stephen Greenblatt bei Weltbild.ch bestellen und von der kostenlosen Lieferung profitieren! Then I was given it as a present and I generally try to read books given to me as presents and was happy to learn that the words "Trump" and 2016 were no where to be found in the book itself--although in the acknowledgments Stephen Gr. Share; US$20.88 US$21.95 You save US$1.07. Hello Select your address All Hello, Sign in. "Delay is dangerous; everything has to be done in haste, with scarcely a moment to think." • Tyrant: Shakespeare on Power is published by Bodley Head. Cherished institutions seem fragile, political classes are in disarray, economic misery fuels populist anger, people knowingly accept being lied to, partisan rancor dominates, spectacular indecency rules - these aspects of a society in crisis fascinated Shakespeare and shaped some of his most memorable plays. Expected delivery to the United States in 15-18 business days. —Philip Roth World-renowned Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores the playwright’s insight into bad (and often mad) rulers. Mr. Greenblatt is (justifiably) making many allusions to the current dystopian mess with the orange, tiny-fisted tyrant wannabe in the states, but never calls him out by name, only by inference. Shakespeare (eBook, ePUB) 6,29 € James Shapiro. Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics (Paperback) Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics (Paperback) By Stephen Greenblatt. Brilliant, beautifully organized, exceedingly readable. Examining the psyche—and psychoses—of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, and Coriolanus, Greenblatt illuminates the ways in which William Shakespeare delved into the lust for absolute power and the disasters visited upon the societies over which these characters rule. 1. And he does, well. 6 Personen fanden diese Informationen hilfreich, Rezension aus dem Vereinigten Königreich vom 2. It is broken down into chapters about conditions necessary for the Tyrant's rise to power, specific aspects of the Tyrant's personality, and the eventual fall of the Tyrant. Vorherige Seite verwandter Gesponserter Produkte, Nächste Seite verwandter Gesponserter Produkte, Norton & Company; 1. Try. "Besides, who can the perennially insecure tyrant trust more than the member of his own family?" All Hello, Sign in. And how is it possible that Shakespeare is so politically relatable today? Rarely have I enjoyed a piece of political commentary as much as I did Stephen Greenblatt’s Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics. If he says that someone has been betraying him, or laughing at him, or spying on him, it must be the case. He expects his wishes to be carried out almost before he has expressed them aloud." Examining the psyche—and psychoses—of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, and Co… No wonder Angela Merkel was caught reading it. Wählen Sie ein Land/eine Region für Ihren Einkauf. "To solicit a popular mandate, he conducts a political campaign, complete with a fraudulent display of religious piety, the slandering of opponents, and a grossly exaggerated threat to national security." —Philip Roth World-renowned Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores the playwrights insight into bad (and often mad) rulers. At a May 6 event at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Greenblatt discussed and read short excerpts from his new book, Tyrant, which looks at how Shakespeare navigated the fraught political situation of his time and how he explored the nature of leadership in the … Was Greenblatt speaking about Shakespeare or today's current climate? He is a bully. Although it is not exactly a popular work, it shows him moving further than ever before toward the role of the self-consciously public intellectual — in this case occupying a space somewhere between James Comey and the Timothy Snyder of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century (2017). Nonetheless, I found it was an interesting and readable treatise that helped me better appreciate the historical plays: the Henriad and the War of the Roses (Richard II, Henry IV 1-2, Henry V, Henry VI 1-2-3, Richard III). Share; US$20.88 US$21.95 You save US$1.07. The best bits of this book are the opening chapter (on how Shakespeare was forced to write about Elizabethan politics obliquely by setting his plays in foreign countries and the distant past) and the coda (which returns to this topic). The author’s resume, while impressive, is not likely to nudge the title any higher: since 2000, Greenblatt has been the John Cogan University Professor of Humanities at Harvard University, and he specialises, to no surprise, in understanding the writings of William Shakespeare, … And speaking ill of the queen led to swift … Stephen Greenblatt’s Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics might not be high up on the reading lists of political science scholars and students. The textual analysis is relatively superficial, this is more about characteristics of tyrants and their occurrences in the Bard's plays than a literary criticism. Dispatched from the UK in 10 business days. Dispatched from the UK in 10 business days. Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics, eBook epub (epub eBook) von Stephen Greenblatt bei hugendubel.de als Download für Tolino, eBook-Reader, PC, Tablet und Smartphone. 4.5 out of 5 stars 113 ratings. He could not possibly have written about Elizabeth or James and lived long, but he could tell psychologically complex tales of tyrants in other lands or other times. Macbeth (eBook, ePUB) 11,02 € Graham Holderness. Instead the book is a look at the many tyrants portrayed by Shakespeare (including Richard III, Coriolanus, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, the King in Winter's Tale, and also King Lear--who I would not have classified in the group before reading this book) and the ways that Shakespeare used them to shine a light on questions ranging from the politics of Elizabethan England, how enablers help a tyrant, how people turn bad over time, or how their badness undoes them, etc. From Coriolanus to Richard III, all tyrants are sort-of the same, so you can easily see parallels to current leaders (in multiple countries). Leider ist ein Problem beim Speichern Ihrer Cookie-Einstellungen aufgetreten. "It helps that he is an immensely and privileged man, accustomed to having his way, even when his way violates every moral norm." World-renowned Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores the playwright's insight into bad (and often mad) rulers. "He does not need to traffic in facts or supply evidence. In this perspective Greenblatt gives sharp focus and insights into the plays that feature tyranny, and at the same time throws a light on the ebb and flow of current political life. Breathtakingly current, terrifyingly close to what we are experiencing in the U.S., and maybe the entire world. This is a book about Shakespeare. Rezension aus Deutschland vom 5. Folger Director Emerita Gail Kern Paster provides some additional insight into the context of each quote. These six quotes touch on what it means to be a king, the power of the law, what separates royal from common, and speaking truth to authority. Free delivery worldwide. All an enjoyable and insightful read, appropriately on the short and slightly breezy side. The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve: The Story That Created Us, Greenblatt, S: Hamlet in Purgatory: Expanded Edition (Princeton Classics). There are no discussion topics on this book yet. "What he likes to talk about is winning." Click here. It would be safe to assume some changes. tolino shine 3. Description "Brilliant, beautifully organized, exceedingly readable." Refresh and try again. USt. "His possession of power includes the domination of women." A short read. Greenblatt's analysis of tyrannical figures in such plays as the early "Henry VI" cycle, "Richard III," "Macbeth," and "King Lear" lays out clear one-for-one correspondences to our contemporary political moment and features rather thinly veiled critiques of Trump's dangerous character failings (even though he never names the president once) on a regular basis: his "narcissism, insecurity, cruelty, and folly...a proneness to rage, a merciless penchant for bullying, an absence of empathy, a refusal to compromise, a compulsive desire to wield power over others" (166). : Der Tyrann: Shakespeares Machtkunde für das 21. Jahrhundert Siedler, 2018, ISBN 978-3-8275-0118-9. Englisches Buch: Tyrant - Shakespeare on Politics - von Stephen Greenblatt - (Norton) - ISBN: 0393356973 - EAN: 9780393356977 Expected delivery to the United States in 15-18 business days. 3 Personen fanden diese Informationen hilfreich, Rezension aus dem Vereinigten Königreich vom 29. - Stephen Greenblatt, Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics Stephen Greenblatt, like Harold Bloom, is a man steeped in Shakespeare. As an aging, tenacious Elizabeth I clung to power, a talented playwright probed the social causes, the psychological roots, and the twisted consequences of tyranny. Bitte versuchen Sie es erneut. The overlap between the private and public spheres is always catastrophic, as is the tyrant’s blind, psychotic fury at resistance when pure obedience is expected, an emotion the plays release and explore compulsively. Meistere Deine Emotionen: Ein praktischer Leitfaden zur Überwindung von Negativität... Architects of Intelligence: The truth about AI from the people building it (English... Mittelalter (Akademie Studienbücher - Geschichte). May 3, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. UTC At one level Stephen Greenblatt’s elegant and deftly written book is about Shakespeare’s account of tyrants, but it is intended largely as a … Greenblatt (The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve), a Harvard humanities professor, offers a canny parallel to contemporary political concerns in this survey of tyrannical figures in Shakespeare's works. But the 79% passed far too quickly - it is simply a short book. Chapters are sorted by topic (the influence of party politics on the rise of tyrants, the abuse for populism for political gain, the types and importance of enablers, the influence of personality and mental illness on tyrannical behavior, etcetera) and tend to examine one or two plays/characters … ‎"Brilliant, beautifully organized, exceedingly readable." Oktober 2019. Edition (17. What excites him is the joy of domination. Available. We’d love your help. After the past couple books I've read, that was refreshing. Greenblatt makes no attempt to hide his inspiration in writing this book, which was refreshing. Wir verwenden Cookies und ähnliche Tools, um Ihr Einkaufserlebnis zu verbessern, um unsere Dienste anzubieten, um zu verstehen, wie die Kunden unsere Dienste nutzen, damit wir Verbesserungen vornehmen können, und um Werbung anzuzeigen. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. Brilliant, beautifully organized, exceedingly readable. Lesen Sie ehrliche und unvoreingenommene Rezensionen von unseren Nutzern. A very engaging read. The inner chapters are a series of thematic summaries of a range of plays shaped deliberately so as to make us aware of their 21st century resonances. "He has always had wealth; he was born into it and makes ample use of it. Tyrant . Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics Kindle Edition by Stephen Greenblatt (Author) Format: Kindle Edition. Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics: Greenblatt, Stephen: Amazon.sg: Books. They are drawn irresistibly to normalize what is normal. $21.95.. Is Shakespeare our contemporary? Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics (eBook, ePUB) 7,99 € Victor Kiernan. See all formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. ", 9 Personen fanden diese Informationen hilfreich, Gute Grundidee - etwas zu forcierte Umsetzung, Rezension aus Deutschland vom 4. Shakespeare seen through the eyes of one tuned into the dilemmas of our own times. With uncanny insight, he shone a spotlight on the infantile psychology and unquenchable … But the details, as well as the bravery, or absence of it, in those around them, leads to very different outcomes. A wonderful read. Greenblatt’s latest book is Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics. Best Popular Nonfiction Politics Books on Goodreads, “Greenblatt is the Harvard Shakespeare expert who co-founded new historicism, the lit-crit practice that seeks to place works in their historical context.”, Melissa Albert Recommends YA Tales Where the Real World Gets Real Magical. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Entdecken Sie jetzt alle Amazon Prime-Vorteile. Stephen Greenblatt ist wohl in den USA und auch darüber hinaus ein sehr angesehener Shakespeare-Experte. A fun series of essays about tyrants in Shakespeare. I purchased the hard copy of this book to read, because I wanted a book that I could re-read anytime from my bookshelves, and hard copies are just easier to read, (for me). Oktober 2019. There was no freedom of expression in Shakespeare’s England, on the stage or anywhere else. 4.18 (1,663 ratings by Goodreads) Hardback; English; By (author ) Stephen Greenblatt. Start by marking “Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Joe Flood is a writer, photographer and web person from Washington, DC. Wiederholen Sie die Anforderung später noch einmal. Comment Report abuse. He knows that those he grabs hate him." Another group is composed of those who do not quite forget that he is a miserable piece of work but who nonetheless trust that everything will continue in a normal way." The overlap between the private and public spheres is always catastrophic, as is the tyrant’s blind, psychotic fury at resistance when pure obedience is expected, an emotion the plays release and explore compulsively. But what happens when that executive is not mentally fit to hold office? So, it is obvious that Greenblatt would be a wise choice to turn to to see if Shakespeare can give us any information (via Shakespeare) on the behavior, motives, and reason for tyrants. In Shakespeare's time, it was a punishable crime to criticize the government, so often his plays would never reference contemporary politics, only historical or even fictional stories. Tyrant : Shakespeare on Politics. Easily enraged, he strikes out at anyone who stands in his way." "Absolute power - the power to command everyone - is the extreme form of this joy." Using the protagonists of Coriolanus, King Lear, Macbeth, and the Wars of the Roses plays, among others, Greenblatt convincingly and bracingly explores the circumstances that allow for the rise of … Examining the psyche—and psychoses—of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, and Coriolanus, Greenblatt illuminates the ways in which William Shakespeare delved into the lust for absolute power and the disasters visited upon the societies over which these characters rule. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. "A more sinister group consists of those who persuade themselves that they can take advantage of his rise to power. Nine Lives of William Shakespeare (eBook, ePUB) 13,95 € - 1 %. Skip to main content.sg. an der Kasse variieren. Februar 2019. Greenblatt, S: Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics, (Englisch) Gebundene Ausgabe – 17. "Sexual conquest excites him, but only for the endless reiterated proof that he can have anything he likes. Hinzufügen war nicht erfolgreich. And, of course, completely intentional. TYRANT Shakespeare on Politics By Stephen Greenblatt 212 pp. It discusses the following Shakespearian 'tyrants': Richard III, King Lear, Macbeth, Coriolanus - there must be more that I've forgotten! Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics, eBook epub (epub eBook) von Stephen Greenblatt bei hugendubel.de als Download für Tolino, eBook-Reader, PC, Tablet und Smartphone. "His followers know that he is a pathological liar and they see perfectly well that he has done this or that ghastly thing, but they have a strange penchant for forgetting, as if it were hard work to remember just how awful he is. An engaging exploration of Shakespeare’s insights into the nature of tyranny - how it arises, how we respond to it, how it affects the tyrant and those around him. search results for this author. W.W. Norton & Company. "These skills attract followers who are drawn to the same cruel delight." August 2018. Free delivery worldwide. The best bits of this book are the opening chapter (on how Shakespeare was forced to write about Elizabethan politics obliquely by setting his plays in foreign countries and the distant past) and the coda (which returns to this topic). eBook Shop: W. W. Norton & Company: Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics von Stephen Greenblatt als Download. Unlike today’s America, with the protections of the First Amendment, his world was governed by the near-absolute power of the monarch, the aging Queen Elizabeth. What if he begins to make decisions that threaten the well-being and security of the realm?”, National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Criticism (2018). Which plays should I brush up on before reading this book? —Philip Roth World-renowned Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores the playwrights insight into bad (and often mad) rulers. Zugelassene Drittanbieter verwenden diese Tools auch in Verbindung mit der Anzeige von Werbung durch uns. Available. **"Brilliant, beautifully organized, exceedingly readable." It's fairly simple: if you're a Never Trumper, you're going to love this book. en meer dan één miljoen andere boeken zijn beschikbaar voor Amazon Kindle.Amazon Kindle. Wählen Sie die Kategorie aus, in der Sie suchen möchten. Juli 2018. Diesen Roman kann man nicht aus der Hand legen…. To order a copy for £14.44 (RRP £16.99) go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 … Etwas ist schiefgegangen. Prime. Der Tyrann: Shakespeares Machtkunde für das 21. Instead he wants flattery, confirmation, and obedience." Account & Lists Account Returns & Orders. List Price: 21.95* * Individual store prices may vary. Sorry. An engaging look at Shakespeare's construction of tyrants in the Early Modern era, as well a topical and unfortunately necessary discussion that applies to how tyrants are born, raised, and enabled in our current socio-political climate. He examines such plays as Henry VI (all three), Richard II, … Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics: Greenblatt, Stephen: Amazon.sg: Books. Dating back to 1534, during the reign of the queen’s father, Henry VIII, legal statutes made it treason to refer to the ruler as a tyrant.2 The penalty for such a crime was death. Shakespeare in a Divided America (eBook, ePUB) 8,95 € Harold Bloom. $13.95 . April 2018, Vorbespielter Audioplayer, Ungekürzte Ausgabe. 4.18 (1,663 ratings by Goodreads) Hardback; English; By (author ) Stephen Greenblatt. Welcome back. "What he actually wants is loyalty, and by loyalty he does not mean integrity, honor, or responsibility. Prime-Mitglieder genießen Zugang zu schnellem und kostenlosem Versand, tausenden Filmen und Serienepisoden mit Prime Video und vielen weiteren exklusiven Vorteilen. Dieser Artikel kann nicht per 1-Click® bestellt werden. Shakespeare on Politics. August 2018. Other Editions of This Title: Paperback (5/14/2019) Description. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. For example, there is a long description of the character of Richard III using only the pronoun ‘he’ so that you almost think he is writing about Donald Trump. eBook Shop: W. W. Norton & Company: Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics von Stephen Greenblatt als Download. Wählen Sie eine Sprache für Ihren Einkauf. Any connections between the contents of this book and contemporary politics are entirely in the mind of the reader. While working through the entire collected plays of William Shakespeare I'm also devouring anything and everything written about the man and his work, and so I picked up this book because I was passing a coworker at the library who was just about to finish entering it into the system. My only criticism was that it is too short. The Little Book of Stoicism: Timeless Wisdom to Gain Resilience, Confidence, and Ca... Kapitalismus ist nicht das Problem, sondern die Lösung: Eine Zeitreise durch 5 Kont... Renaissance und Humanismus (Enzyklopädie deutscher Geschichte, Band 93). Tyrant shows that Shakespeare’s work remains vitally relevant today, not least in its probing of the unquenchable, narcissistic appetites of demagogues and the self-destructive willingness of collaborators who indulge their appetites. Anyone who contradicts him is either a liar or an idiot." This was a relatively short but good book talking about tyrants in the various plays of Shakespeare. Tyrant is an examination of Shakespeare's exploration of government, society, and tyrannical figures throughout his plays. Tyrant : Shakespeare on Politics. Ähnlichkeiten mit einer lebenden Person sind nicht auszuschließen. August 2019. Mid-brow rather than high-brow. It is an interesting and entertaining book for people like me who did Eng Lit at university and who now and again goes to see a Shakespeare play. Greenblatt gets to the heart of Shakespeare's political musings, which as he states still feel completely relevent in today's political climate. Finden Sie alle Bücher, Informationen zum Autor. Tyrant is an examination of Shakespeare's exploration of government, society, and tyrannical figures throughout his plays. Abhängig von der Lieferadresse kann die USt. May 14th 2019 Read more. "Impatience is another of the qualities. Tyrant shows that Shakespeare’s work remains vitally relevant today, not least in its probing of the. An intriguing addition to your isolation reading list, well, if you're wanting to explore Shakespeare's insights into bad (and often mad) rulers. This was a relatively short but good book talking about tyrants in the various plays of Shakespeare. Helpful . Skip to main content.sg. For those not familiar with his CV, here 'tis. Stephen Greenblatt (Author) 4.5 out of 5 stars 248 ratings. Momentanes Problem beim Laden dieses Menüs. In exploring the psyche (and psychoses) of the likes of Richard III, Macbeth, Lear, Coriolanus, and the societies they rule over, Stephen Greenblatt illuminates the ways in which William Shakespeare delved into the lust for absolute power and the catastrophic consequences of its execution.Cherished institutions seem fragile, political classes are in disarray, economic misery fuels populist anger, people knowingly accept being lied to, partisan rancor dominates, spectacular indecency rules—these aspects of a society in crisis fascinated Shakespeare and shaped some of his most memorable plays.