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Tyrant
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
19 posts | 16 read | 25 to read
How does a truly disastrous leader a sociopath, a demagogue, a tyrant come to power? How, and why, does a tyrant hold on to power? And what goes on in the hidden recesses of the tyrant's soul? For help in understanding our most urgent contemporary dilemmas, William Shakespeare has no peer. As an ageing, tenacious Elizabeth I clung to power, a talented playwright probed the social and psychological roots and the twisted consequences of tyranny. What he discovered in his characters remains remarkably relevant today. With uncanny insight, he shone a spotlight on the infantile psychology and unquenchable narcissistic appetites of demagogues and imagined how they might be stopped. In Tyrant, Stephen Greenblatt examines the themes of power and tyranny in some of Shakespeares most famous plays -- from the dominating figures of Richard III, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Coriolanus to the subtle tyranny found in Measure for Measure and The Winter's Tale. Tyrant is a highly relevant exploration of Shakespeares work that sheds new light on the workings of power.
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haileybean
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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1.) tagged book
2.) White Oleander - Janet Fitch
3.) The Golden Notebook - Woodstock NY
4.) Harry Potter - PoA probably the most
5.) Breakfast at Tiffany‘s
6.) A lot 😬
7.) Uhm, I kind of like the Goblin Bazaar - In an Absent Dream
8.) Dark Matter - Blake Crouch
9.) Read my shelves more
10.) my couch
11.) Little House on the Prairie
12 — whoever wants to do this, you‘re tagged!

review
Angeles
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
Mehso-so

The book has too much foreshadowing of current US politics (read Trump is a tyrant in the making) using Shakespeare‘ tyrants and too much pop-psychoanalysis of those characters, but not enough Shakespeare,which is ironic . Not deep enough for my taste but not horrible either

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Angeles
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
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I‘m in a non fiction mood and this seems like a great read right now

Booksnchill I enjoyed this on audio 5y
4 likes1 comment
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Devyn
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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I know I‘m not going to be able to do the full #24in48, but I‘m building an ambitious stack anyways just to see what I can get through!

(Other People‘s Houses by Abbi Waxman is on the Kindle)

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TheBiblioFile
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
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Pickpick
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TheBiblioFile
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt

Biblio File podcast interview with Stephen Greenblatt on Tryrant

http://thebibliofile.ca/stephen-greenblatt-on-his-book-tyrant-shakespeare-on-pol...

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Faibka
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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@batsy @GingerAntics I just bought this book and since we‘re on a Shakespearian streak I though it might interest you :) if you‘ve already read it I would love to know what you think!

GingerAntics I haven‘t read this one, but Greenblat is a well respected Shakespeare scholar. I‘m definitely going to have to look this up. 6y
TheBookHippie I need this book!!! 6y
batsy Ooh! I havent read it! Don't need further convincing #stacked 😂 6y
See All 24 Comments
Faibka @GingerAntics great! 👍 I want to finish reading the plays he references so I can get to it soon 6y
Faibka @TheBookHippie that‘s exactly what I said when I saw it! go for it 😃 6y
GingerAntics You don‘t even need that. He explains what you need to know to understand. I‘d read it now. It will help inform your reading of the play. You can reread it after that to get the second layer of info. My favourite of his is Hamlet in Purgatory. 6y
Faibka @batsy awesome! 👏 always happy to contribute to others tbr piles 😁 6y
GingerAntics This book is happening...just as soon as I have the money. 6y
Faibka @GingerAntics you make a good point and are making me reconsider... it would be nice to be reading the play and think back on his analysis. I read Hamlet long ago and have seen a few adaptations, so far my favorite play! so definitely adding Hamlet in Purgatory to my tbr. 6y
GingerAntics Hamlet is my favourite as well!!! I‘ve found that anytime I read one of his books (even a third or fourth time) I get something else out of it, so you‘ll probably enjoy multiple readings. I got Hamlet in Purgatory from an inter library loan, so I haven‘t been able to read it in a while. I think it‘s time to just buy it already. lol 6y
Faibka @GingerAntics yeah! Go for it. I still have a few bookish commitments to get to but you‘ve convinced me to start reading it as soon as I can :) 6y
GingerAntics @Faibka @TheBookHippie I won‘t be able to get them until March, but these are definitely happening. 6y
Faibka @GingerAntics I‘m more than convinced in getting Hamlet in Purgatory! Maybe we should reconvene in March and read and discuss them :) 6y
GingerAntics @Faibka lol I won‘t be able to get them until late March at the earliest (I get paid on the last business day of the month), so probably April. lol 6y
GingerAntics For some reason, my library has absolutely NOTHING by Greenblat about Shakespeare. They only have “The Swerve” and “The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve.” 6y
Faibka @GingerAntics 😢 well, we can wait for April then 😆 gives me time to get HiP (lol, that sounded funny with the acronym) 6y
GingerAntics Fingers crossed I can get my hands on some copies!!! I‘ll keep you posted. 6y
Faibka @GingerAntics ok! 👍 6y
GingerAntics I‘m going to check with the library at the college I work at. Hopefully they‘ll have a copy, but don‘t know if they have much Shakespeare going on. We‘ll see. 6y
Faibka @GingerAntics cool! I hope they have it! :) 6y
GingerAntics Fingers crossed. I‘m trying to think if we even teach a Shakespeare class. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I‘m just going to check when I‘m in there getting information from the librarians for a presentation on conducting research. 6y
Faibka @GingerAntics oh my gosh a Shakespeare class! I would love to take one. Hoping you find the books! 🤞 6y
GingerAntics In grad school I took 2. That school had several really great Shakespeare classes. This school, I don‘t think they have any. 6y
20 likes3 stack adds24 comments
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Waynegjr
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
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2018 year end round up part 2: Honorable Mentions Part 1

Tyrant by Stephan Greenblatt
Calypso by David Sedaris
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
The Feral Detective by Jonathon Letham

47 likes1 stack add
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balletbookworm
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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Pickpick

I was basically a big, ol‘ eyeballs emoji reading this. A rather slim book about how Shakespeare walked a fine line depicting tyranny in an era when openly criticizing the government/ruler could get you killed. Some interesting textual analysis. I couldn‘t read it at night though - it was a little too anxiety-inducing before bed.

17 likes1 stack add
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Booksnchill
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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Pickpick

Ok- what would Shakespeare have to say about US politics today? Well, he said it already in plays like Henry VI, Richard III, King Lear, Hamlet, MacBeth, etc. this shortish 5 hour audiobook provides a fascinating contextual reading of Shakespeare on Tyrants and the politics of his time- and ours. Recommended!4⭐️

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Booksnchill
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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My next commute read- Shakespeare‘s Politics

TheBookDream You are one lucky reader. I adore the Nashville public library. 6y
Booksnchill @TheBookDream are you in Nashville? 6y
TheBookDream No. I visited family there growing up. We loooooved visiting the main branch library. Their collection is awesome and The Nashville Room is great for research 6y
Booksnchill @TheBookDream You are so right! I work one block from that fabulous resource and am there about every day! 6y
48 likes1 stack add4 comments
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catiewithac
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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Pickpick

I recommend this book to readers who seek a criticism of Trump with a heavy dose of Shakespeare and Medieval English history. A familiarity with medieval monarchs and Shakespeare is presumed and preferred. Greenblatt never utters Trump by name but his criticism is cutting and comes from an “oblique angle.” This angle is one Greenblatt argues Shakespeare used himself to reveal tyrannies of his day (freedom of speech did not exist in his time). ⭐️

38 likes1 stack add
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Jonathon
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
Pickpick

TYRANT reminded me of the necessity and immediacy of great literature in the world, particularly at this moment in time. Greenblatt‘s work in this book deserves to survive the Trump regime—I think it could serve as a useful text to gain insight into the messages literature gives us from those writers writing from a place of limited speech. Well-written and engaging.

Alfoster Nice review!😍 6y
2 likes1 comment
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BookishMarginalia
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
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Very appropriate!

MayJasper Yes indeed. Sadly 20 or 30 tyrants, supported by their sycophants, can devastate the lives of many millions and are doing so. 6y
99 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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ORenD
Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | Stephen Greenblatt
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#currentread is a fascinating study on tyrants as observed by Shakespeare. It is sooo relevant in current times in US.

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Michollio
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
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Pickpick

Great combination of literary examination and historical background with relevance to current issues.

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Michollio
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
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"In ordinary times, when a public figure is caught in a lie, or simply reveals blatant ignorance of the truth, his standing is diminished. But these are not ordinary times."

6 likes1 stack add
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Waynegjr
Tyrant: Shakespeare On Power | Stephen Greenblatt
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Pickpick

Coming out next Tuesday: calling all English majors, this is YOUR anti-trump book. Greenblatt writes a fascinating book exploring what Shakespeare‘s has to say about tyrants in his plays. He is not subtle about the comparisons between Shakespeare‘s villains and the current resident of the white hoist. Really readable and interesting.

38 likes8 stack adds