Shakespeare's Tragic Skepticism

Shakespeare's Moral Compass

“…The clever young men who caught the latest word on the wind would have been eager to get a look at Montaigne -a writer who knew Sextus but went beyond him in brilliance and daring -as soon as the translation was heard of. 93 Whether or not Shakespeare had read Sextus Empiricus or knew the word 'scepticism', two things are not in doubt. The fi rst is that, as many critics including A. C. Bradley, A. P. Rossiter, Graham Bradshaw, Millicent Bell, Hugh Grady, Andy Mousely and John D. Cox have pointed out, his plays often enact the 'suspension of judgement'; he often gives us the arguments but always gives us reasons to doubt them, and then does not take sides or give us the satisfaction of didactic resolution.…”

“…Looking back to the medieval era, Shakespeare puts a list of popular anti-papal grievances into the mouth of King John: Though you and all the kings of Christendom Are led so grossly by this meddling priest, Dreading the curse that money may buy out, And by the merit of vile gold, dross, dust, Purchase corrupted pardon of a man, Who in that sale sells pardon from himself; Though you and all the rest, so grossly led, This juggling witchcraft with revenue cherish, Yet I alone, alone do me oppose Against the Pope and count his friends my foes. (King John,III,i,(88)(89)(90)(91)(92)(93)(94)(95)(96)(97)(98) Here, King John alludes to the sale of indulgences. He argues that the clergymen who sell these pardons ironically end up condemning themselves to damnation because only God has the power to pardon sinners.…”

“…Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven And that his soul may be as damned and black As hell whereto it goes. (Hamlet,III,iii,(89)(90)(91)(92)(93)(94)(95) Hamlet's 'intention' is focused 'chiefl y upon the evil done to the recipient' and hence, at least according to Aquinas, his revenge is 'unlawful' in the eyes of God.…”

“…This is an art Which does mend nature -change it, rather -but The art itself is nature. (IV,iv,(89)(90)(91)(92)(93)(94)(95)(96)(97) Although 'humanity must . .…”

Shakespeare, William

“…In terms of epistemology, critics tend to align Shakespeare, like Montaigne, with Skepticism, building on Keats's sense of his "negative capability," as well as the earlier, more formalist critical tradition represented by Rossiter and Rabkin (Bradshaw 1987;Bell 2002;Hamlin 2005a;Hamlin 2005b;Cox 2007;Nuttall 2007;Sherman 2007). Shakespeare's skepticism can be easily overstated, however, unless it is balanced by a sense of his more fundamental sympathies.…”