Liberty, Freedom and Enfranchisement - Shakespeare and Republican Thought

Abstract

Throughout his career, William Shakespeare has not only written plays that take an interest in the nature of power and rulership in general, but he also appears to be inspired by classical as well as contemporary forms of republicanism. This thesis attempts to give an overview of how this strain of republican and anti-monarchical thought of 16th and 17th century Europe consistently emerges in Shakespeare's works, focusing on two plays in particular: 'Coriolanus' and 'Julius Caesar'.