I spent this afternoon listening to the Audible version of Robert Greene’s The Laws of Human Nature (narrated by Paul Michael), which I also blogged about – here – a few days ago. I especially enjoyed the section in the fourth chapter devoted to toxic personality types. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = “clevercuckoon-20”; [Read more…]
Shakespeare, Machiavellian Prudence and Integrity by David Hurley A Presentation for the Shakespeare & Modern Authors Society 県立広島大学 September 2015 My paper will look at how prudential considerations place pressure upon the apparent integrity of various characters and the responsive strategies which those characters – and Shakespeare in his representation [Read more…]
What follows are some ad hoc notes towards a 30-minute presentation I am to give to the Shakespeare and Contemporary Authors Society Annual Conference at the Kenritsu Hiroshima Daigaku on 6th September to an audience of Japanese professors and lecturers of English literature. The presentation will be given in English. [Read more…]
I am reading Then and Now by Somerset Maugham. On the first page Maugham deftly sums up Machiavelli’s thought in 56 well-chosen words: Machiavelli cherished the conviction that men are always the same and have the same passions, so that when circumstances are similar the same causes must lead to [Read more…]
A Lecture on Shakespeare and Machiavelli, delivered to Sekai O Miru Kai Aster Plaza Hiroshima April 2009 1. The Villainous Machiavel of the English Stage Eighty-five years after his death in 1527, Niccolò Machiavelli made his first appearance on the London stage in the prologue to Christopher Marlowe’s play, The [Read more…]
This post is based on a lecture I gave to Sekkai O Miru Kai, Hiroshima, 2009. Who Was Machiavelli? Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Renaissance Florence on 3rd May 1469. The Renaissance was a time of renewed classical learning, of discovered continents and rediscovered manuscripts, progress in the arts and [Read more…]
“Machiavelli‘s return to the beginning means return to the primeval or original terror which precedes every man-made terror, which explains why the founder must use terror and which enables him to use terror. Machiavelli‘s return to the beginning means return to the terror inherent in man’s situation, to man’s essential [Read more…]
I have been reading Leo Strauss’ Thoughts On Machiavelli. Strauss reminds us that Marlowe had Machiavelli say on stage that, “I hold there is no sin but ignorance”. Here is Strauss‘ own deep insight into the surface of things that must have left him free of all stain of ignorance: [Read more…]
Robert Greene has written a book in the tradition of Machiavelli. He illustrates his “laws” with historical examples of what happens when they are followed or transgressed. Each chapter concludes with a section discussing the reversal of the law. The book is charmingly laid out with the main narrative flanked by fables, anecdotes and maxims. But a question arises: Is Greene’s rhetorical display of [Read more…]
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