Political Wisdom in Late Shakespeare

"A Way Out of the Wreck" explores the political wisdom contained in the four last plays of Shakespeare’s First Folio. These four plays prove remarkably united in their presentation of five virtues—patience, piety, fidelity, clemency, and diligence—which consistently appear desirable for rulers to have and regimes to encourage.

Nicolas D. McAfee is the Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at the Center for Thomas More Studies, located at the University of Dallas.

Introduction: The Search for Political Wisdom in Late Shakespeare Chapter 1: Reconstituting the Court of Shakespeare's Cymbeline Chapter 2: The Political Postmortems of Henry VIII Chapter 3: The Rebirth of Political Community in The Winter's Tale Chapter 4: Prospero and His Competition Conclusion: The Coherence of Shakespeare's Courtly Virtues