Hazarding All: Shakespeare and the Drama of Consciousness

Shakespeare's use of theatre and theatricalization creates a consciousness that is an unmediated encounter with actuality, demonstrating the pervasiveness of his chiasmus of theatricalization. He opens a shared space of negativity within partnered chiastic relations of two plays, resulting in an object of reflection that the playwright and spectator encounter outside the theatre. This shift of consciousness enables the playwright, and the spectator to move toward intersubjectivity and reciprocal intentionality toward sustained being, exceeding the proposals of philosophers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 19 May 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Shakespeare's use of theatre and theatricalization is a powerful tool for creating a unique form of consciousness that allows for an unmediated encounter with reality. This chiasmus of theatricalization, characterized by the back-and-forth movements between role-playing consciousness and a would-be non-role-playing consciousness, permeates Shakespeare's works and demonstrates the pervasiveness of this concept throughout his plays. Shakespeare opens a shared space of negativity within the partnered chiastic relation of two plays, creating an object of reflection that the playwright and spectator encounter outside the theatre. As a result, the playwright and spectator move towards an intersubjectivity and reciprocal intentionality toward sustained being, a concept that philosophers refer to as epistemological shifts. This book aims to explore how Shakespeare effected a massive shift of this kind in his bold management of theatricalization itself. By leveraging terms of Kant and Husserl that they developed in proposals for such shifts, the book demonstrates that Shakespeare exceeds the philosophers' proposals. He anticipates and already brings to a working consummation a systematic and immediate access to the ways of knowing reality that they contemplate as hoped-for desiderata. Through the drama of consciousness played out in the pairs of plays examined here, the playwright
the playwright
the
theatre
and
the
theatricalization
is
a
powerful
tool
for
creating
a
unique
form
of
consciousness
that
allows
for
an
unmediated
encounter
with
reality.
This
chiasmus
of
theatricalization,
characterized
by
the
back-and-forth
movements
between
role-playing
consciousness
and
a
would-be
non-role-playing
consciousness,
permeates
Shakespeare's
works
and
demonstrates
the
pervasiveness
of
this
concept
throughout
his
plays.
Shakespeare
opens
a
shared
space
of
negativity
within
the
partnered
chiastic
relation
of
two
plays,
creating
an
object
of
reflection
that
the
playwright
and
spectator
encounter
outside
the
theatre.
As
a
result,
the
playwright
and
spectator
move
towards
an
intersubjectivity
and
reciprocal
intentionality
towards
sustained
being,
a
concept
that
philosophers
refer
to
as
epistemological
shifts.
This
book
aims
to
explore
how
Shakespeare
effected
a
massive
shift
of
this
kind
in
his
bold
management
of
theatricalization
itself.
By
leveraging
terms
of
Kant
and
Husserl
that
they
developed
in
proposals
for
such
shifts,
the
book
demonstrates
that
Shakespeare
exceeds
the
philosophers'
proposals.
He
anticipates
and
already
brings
to
a
working
consummation
a
systematic
and
immediate
access
to
the
ways
of
knowing
reality
that
they
contemplate
as
hoped-for
desiderata.
Through
the
drama
of
consciousness
played
out
in
the
pairs
of
plays
examined
here,
the
playwright
and
spectator
together
intersubjectively
attain
to
an
onlooker
consciousness
that
exits
the
fictionality,
the
play-acting,
of
theatricalization;
and
they
are
enabled
to
recover
the
actuality
of
objects
in
their
worlds.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474493161