The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.1584  Thursday, 22 September 2005

[1] 	From: 	Dennis Taylor <
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	Date: 	Tuesday, 20 Sep 2005 15:15:01 -0400
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 16.1566 Shadowplay

[2] 	From: 	V. Kerry Inman <
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	Date: 	Tuesday, 20 Sep 2005 20:05:34 -0400
	Subj: 	Re: On the closing of "Code"


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Dennis Taylor <
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Date: 		Tuesday, 20 Sep 2005 15:15:01 -0400
Subject: 16.1566 Shadowplay
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.1566 Shadowplay

Some argue that the move from Venus and Adonis to Rape of Lucrece was 
motivated by Southwell's famous plea

DT

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		V. Kerry Inman <
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Date: 		Tuesday, 20 Sep 2005 20:05:34 -0400
Subject: 	Re: On the closing of "Code"

There are important issues which are being missed here and that should 
continue under discussion as they are fundamental to Shakespeare 
interpretation.  I see the following:

1. No position on understanding Shakespeare is perfect.  Every position 
will have some weaknesses as well as strengths.  Pointing out a few 
problems never suffices to destroy a position.

2. Understanding Shakespeare's religion is fundamental to understanding 
Shakespeare.  Whatever Shakespeare's personal religious views were, his 
plays are undeniably laden with Catholic theology.  This might be only 
because his plays are 'historical' and display the old 'historic' 
religion, but there is no church historian or historical theologian of 
reputation who has studied Shakespeare and failed to see Catholic 
theology everywhere.  He is definitely far from the authors of The 
Pilgrim's Progress and Foxe's Book of Martyrs.

3. The simple fact is that plays can have hidden meanings and certainly 
could have in Elizabethan times.  The proof is Hamlet's play within a 
play and its purpose.  And whether or not a hidden meaning was intended 
in a play, one might be seen.  These perceived 'meanings,' as they tell 
us about the theater going public, are legitimate subjects of study.

4. Finally _Shadowplay_ has serious faults.  There are numerous hasty 
conclusions and sweeping generalizations, but the faults suffice to 
discredit the author and not the thesis.

5. Given what we know about Shakespeare, his times, and literary 
interpretation the possibility of hidden 'codes' is a legitimate, 
scholarly endeavor.

V. Kerry Inman

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