Of Levinas and Shakespeare

Scholars have used Levinas as a lens through which to view many authors and texts, fields of endeavor, and works of art. Yet no book-length work or dedicated volume has brought this thoughtful lens to bear in a sustained discussion of the works of Shakespeare. It should not surprise anyone that Levinas identified his own thinking as Shakespearean. ""The play’s the thing"" for both, or put differently,the observation of intersubjectivity is. What may surprise and indeed delightall learned readers is to consider what we might yet gain from considering eachin light of the other.

Comprising leadingscholars in philosophy and literature, Of Levinas and Shakespeare: ""To See Another Thus"" is the firstbook-length work to treat both great thinkers. Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth dominate the discussion; however, essays also address Cymbeline,The Merchant of Venice, and even poetry, such as Venus and Adonis. Volume editors planned and contributors deliver a thorough treatment from multiple perspectives, yet none intends this volume to be the last word on the subject; rather, they would have it be a provocation to further discussion, anenticement for richer enjoyment, and an invitation for deeper contemplation of Levinas and Shakespeare.