Stephen Greenblatt Book order (chronological)

Poor boy. Dark star. Spy. Transgressor. Genius. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author reveals the daring life of Christopher Marlowe, Shakespeare's contemporary and rival. In repressive Elizabethan England, artists face conformity; foreigners are viewed with suspicion, and entertainment is often crude. Amid this backdrop emerges an ambitious cobbler's son from Canterbury, gifted with an extraordinary ear for Latin poetry. For Marlowe, this talent becomes a gateway to beauty, visionary imagination, and transgressive desire. His discoveries lead to a remarkable explosion of English literature and culture, paving the way for Shakespeare's success. With engaging narrative and insightful literary criticism, the author reconstructs Marlowe's involvement with the queen's spy service, which profoundly influenced his brief and tumultuous life, resulting in masterpieces like Tamburlaine and Faustus, which explore the nature of power and its consequences. The author also delves into the people Marlowe encountered and the transformations they initiated, which contributed to the emergence of modern economic, scientific, and cultural power—echoing the Faustian bargains we still confront today.

A responsive, refreshed, and media-rich revision of the best-selling anthology in the field The most trusted anthology for complete works and helpful editorial apparatus. The Tenth Edition supports survey and period courses with NEW complete major works, NEW contemporary writers, and dynamic and easy-to-access digital resources. NEW video modules help introduce students to literature in multiple exciting ways. These innovations make the Norton an even better teaching tool for instructors and, as ever, an unmatched value for students.

Stephen Greenblatt untersucht in seinem gefeierten Buch die anhaltende Faszination der Geschichte von Adam und Eva und deren Einfluss auf unsere Konzepte von Paradies, Scham, Sünde sowie Gut und Böse. Er beleuchtet das Erbe dieser Erzählung in der christlichen Kultur und stellt die existenzielle Frage nach dem Menschsein.

A powerful exploration of the human capacity for renewal, as seen through Shakespeare and Freud

Was uns Shakespeare über Trump, Putin und Co. verrät Wie kann es sein, dass eine Nation in die Hände eines Tyrannen fällt? Warum akzeptieren Menschen die Lügen eines Mannes, der ihrem Land so offensichtlich schadet? Und gibt es eine Chance, einen Tyrannen zu stoppen, ehe es zu spät ist? William Shakespeare hat sich in seinen Dramen immer wieder mit diesen Fragen beschäftigt und vom Aufstieg der Tyrannen, von ihrer Herrschaft und ihrem Niedergang erzählt. Pulitzer-Preisträger Stephen Greenblatt zeigt uns, wie präzise und anschaulich der Dichter das Wesen der Tyrannei eingefangen hat – und wie erschreckend aktuell uns dies heute erscheint. »Shakespeares Machtkunde für das 21. Jahrhundert« Cem Özdemir

"Brilliant, beautifully organized, exceedingly readable." —Philip Roth World-renowned Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores the playwright’s insight into bad (and often mad) rulers. 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. 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.

The most-trusted and best-selling anthology continues to set the bar with a vibrant revision of the Major Authors Edition. Major Authors offers new complete major works, new contemporary writers, and new dynamic and convenient digital resources. Now the Norton is an even better teaching tool and, as ever, an unmatched value for students.

The most trusted anthology for complete works and helpful editorial apparatus. The Tenth Edition supports survey and period courses with NEW complete major works, NEW contemporary writers, and dynamic and easy-to-access digital resources. NEW video modules help introduce students to literature in multiple exciting ways. These innovations make the Norton an even better teaching tool for instructors and, as ever, an unmatched value for students.

World-renowned Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt explores the playwright’s insight into bad (and often mad) rulers. 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. 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. 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. As Greenblatt shows, Shakespeare’s work, in this as in so many other ways, remains vitally relevant today.