Souls with Longing Representations of Honor and Love in Shakespeare

Souls with Longing focuses on representations of honor and love in the plays and poetry of William Shakespeare. Shakespeare "s works vividly represent for us the grand spectacle of being human �a pageant of souls with longing in whose wake we ceaselessly follow. Through his representations, Shakespeare illuminates the nature and character as well as consequences of our distinctively human desire for and pursuit of both honor and love. His writings remind us of the integrity, power, and allure of great passion and ambition in human beings, desires whose meaning is inevitably diminished when reduced to terms of mere preference, self-interest, or utilitarian calculation. In his plays and poetry, Shakespeare stages for our entertainment and consideration memorable characters defined by the way that they conceive and pursue honor and love. Sustained reflection on these characters makes us keenly aware of our humanity and helps us to come to know ourselves more profoundly. The chapters in this collaborative volume, written by scholars in the Humanities, English Literature, Rhetoric, and Political Philosophy, reveal that Shakespeare "s representations of honor and love have much to teach us about who we are, what we desire, and why �as well as about the nature of the worlds that we construct around us as a consequence of our longing. As the abiding popularity of his works demonstrates, Shakespeare "s representations of souls with longing, and his portraits of honor and love, continue to exert an undeniable, if not always acknowledged, sway over our political, moral, and romantic imaginations.

Bernard J. Dobski is associate professor and chair of political science at Assumption College. Dustin A. Gish is visiting assistant professor of political science at College of The Holy Cross.