Scepticism and Shakespeare

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

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The literary career of William Shakespeare coincides directly with a period during which early modern England witnessed a vigorous new interest in philosophical scepticism. Common-sense doubt about religious, moral, and political orthodoxy exists in every culture, but published writings from Elizabethan and Jacobean England display a steadily-increasing familiarity with the lexicon and argumentative tactics of classical scepticism – particularly as this scepticism was elaborated in Renaissance Italy and France. Shakespeare himself may never have read the epistemological treatises of antiquity, but his plays at times exhibit striking affinities with the concerns and attitudes of a thoughtful, probing scepticism which simultaneously acknowledges and influences the development of early…

3662 words

Citation: Hamlin, William M.. "Scepticism and Shakespeare". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 14 January 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=5769, accessed 28 March 2024.]

5769 Scepticism and Shakespeare 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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