Character and Symbol in Shakespeare's Plays by Honor Matthews - 9781108002356

Character and Symbol in Shakespeare's PlaysA Study of Certain Christian and Pre-Christian Elements in Their Structure and Imagery\nAuthor(s): Honor Matthews\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Cambridge University Press\nISBN-13: 9781108002356, 978-1108002356\nSynopsis\nFirst published in 1962, Matthews' study examines the symbolic elements which persistently recur in Shakespeare's plays. The book focuses on the traditional material from medieval and sixteenth-century drama which seems to have been present in Shakespeare's mind as he worked, and which, Matthews argues, inspired significant themes which resonate throughout the plays. Divided into three parts, the book addresses in turn the concept of sin, the opposition of justice and mercy and the hope of redemption. Matthews investigates these motifs and their currency in Elizabethan England, and traces their presence in Shakespeare's created worlds with detailed reference to a wide ra.