{"product_id":"the-pillar-of-the-world-julian-markels-9780814253373","title":"The Pillar of the World: \"Antony and Cleopatra\" in Shakespeare's Development","description":"In tracing the development of Shakespeare's growing concern with the conflict between public and private values, Mr. Markels finds that the traditional doctrine of order by which the history plays idealize political stability as an end in itself is transcended in \u003ci\u003eAntony and Cleopatra.\u003c\/i\u003e The problematic relation of the individual ruler to the society he rules, as seen particularly in \u003ci\u003eJulius Caesar\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eKing Lear\u003c\/i\u003e where the effects of self-dramatization magnify the disparity between the public and the private realm, is resolved in \u003ci\u003eAntony and Cleopatra\u003c\/i\u003e where the claims of both realms are reconciled and the ideal of stability is transformed from the \u003ci\u003eraison d'être\u003c\/i\u003e of human action into its mere \u003ci\u003edonnée.\u003c\/i\u003e Mr. Markels points out that the often noted discontinuities in the action of Antony and Cleopatra-and, indeed, even in the syntax of the dialogue itself-far from needing to be resolved and explained away, are intrinsic to the conflict portrayed. Mr. Markels suggests that Cleopatra's decision to join her lover in death indicates her ultimate ability to share Antony's vision. It is on the basis of this treatment of death as apotheosis-as opposed to mere catastrophe or, as in \u003ci\u003eKing Lear, \u003c\/i\u003e final release from the demands of existence-that \u003ci\u003eAntony and Cleopatra\u003c\/i\u003e can be said to exemplify in a particularly impressive way that transition from a political to an ethical concern that distinguishes Shakespeare's most mature creations. \u003cb\u003eJulian Markels\u003c\/b\u003e is professor of English at the Ohio State University.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Julian Markels\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0814253377\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780814253373\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Ohio State University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/12\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 202\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.56lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.25h x 5.50w x 0.46d","brand":"Julian Markels","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48453404295423,"sku":"9780814253373","price":32.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_d4e9062e-0cce-41d8-bfb8-b278bb13d16d.jpg?v=1777300043","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-pillar-of-the-world-julian-markels-9780814253373","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}