Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:

The life expectancy in Shakespearean times averaged only about twenty-five to thirty-five years, but those who survived the illnesses of infancy and childhood could look forward to a long life with nearly the same level of confidence as someone living now. But even so long ago, some faced conflicts in their middle and later years that remain familiar today. In Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity, Karl F. Zender explores William Shakespeare's depictions of middle age by examining the relationships between middle-aged parents -- mainly fathers -- and their children in five of his greatest plays. He finds that the middle-aged characters in King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest -- much like their modern counterparts -- experience a fear of aging and debility.

Representations of middle age occur throughout the Shakespearean canon, in forms ranging from Jaques' "seven ages" speech in As You Like It to the emphasis -- almost an obsession -- in many plays on relations between the generations. Lear, Zender shows, tries to forestall the approach of old age with a fantasy of literal rebirth in his relationship with Cordelia. Macbeth depicts an even more urgent struggle against midlife decline, while in Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare portrays two characters in midlife crisis who attempt to redefine their identities by memorializing their former status and power, now lost. Drawing on Erik Erikson's theory of generativity -- a midlife shift from advancing one's own career to aiding a younger generation -- Zender explores the difficulties Shakespeare's characters face as they transfer power and authority to their children and others in the next generation. Paying careful attention to the plays' moral and ethical implications, he demonstrates how Shakespeare's innovative depiction of the midlife experience focuses on internal psychological understanding rather than external actions such as ceremony and ritual.

Illuminating and engaging, Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity offers a fresh analysis of several of Shakespeare's most important plays and explores a profound, centuries-old perspective on the challenges inherent in middle age.

Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity by Karl F. Zender

From reader reviews:

Hector Hartung:

As people who live in the particular modest era should be upgrade about what going on or details even knowledge to make these people keep up with the era that is always change and progress. Some of you maybe will update themselves by examining books. It is a good choice for you but the problems coming to an individual is you don't know which you should start with. This Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity is our recommendation so you keep up with the world. Why, as this book serves what you want and need in this era.

Bryant Kelly:

The event that you get from Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity is the more deep you excavating the information that hide in the words the more you get interested in reading it. It does not mean that this book is hard to be aware of but Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity giving you joy feeling of reading. The article writer conveys their point in certain way that can be understood by simply anyone who read the item because the author of this book is well-known enough. This particular book also makes your vocabulary increase well. It is therefore easy to understand then can go together with you, both in printed or e-book style are available. We advise you for having that Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity instantly.

Floyd Lipp:

Reading a reserve can be one of a lot of pastime that everyone in the world likes. Do you like reading book thus. There are a lot of reasons why people like it. First reading a reserve will give you a lot of new details. When you read a reserve you will get new information simply because book is one of numerous ways to share the information or perhaps their idea. Second, studying a book will make a person more imaginative. When you reading a book especially fictional book the author will bring one to imagine the story how the figures do it anything. Third, you could share your knowledge to other folks. When you read this Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity, you can tells your family, friends along with soon about yours book. Your knowledge can inspire the mediocre, make them reading a e-book.

Aaron Martinez:

Are you kind of occupied person, only have 10 or 15 minute in your time to upgrading your mind proficiency or thinking skill even analytical thinking? Then you are receiving problem with the book compared to can satisfy your small amount of time to read it because this all time you only find guide that need more time to be read. Shakespeare, Midlife, and Generativity can be your answer as it can be read by anyone who have those short free time problems.