Book contents
- Shakespeare and Virtue
- Shakespeare and Virtue
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Shakespeare and Virtue Ethics
- Part II Shakespeare’s Virtues
- Chapter 11 The Four Cardinal Virtues
- Chapter 12 The Three Theological Virtues
- Chapter 13 Prudence
- Chapter 14 Friendship
- Chapter 15 Patience
- Chapter 16 Care
- Chapter 17 Hospitality
- Chapter 18 Respect
- Chapter 19 Chastity
- Chapter 20 Wit
- Chapter 21 Service
- Chapter 22 Humility
- Chapter 23 Kindness
- Chapter 24 Stewardship and Resilience
- Chapter 25 Cognitive Virtue and Global Ecosociability
- Chapter 26 Trust
- Chapter 27 Being “Free” as a Virtue
- Part III Shakespeare and Global Virtue Traditions
- Part IV Virtuous Performances
- Works Cited
- Index
Chapter 21 - Service
from Part II - Shakespeare’s Virtues
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 January 2023
- Shakespeare and Virtue
- Shakespeare and Virtue
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Part I Shakespeare and Virtue Ethics
- Part II Shakespeare’s Virtues
- Chapter 11 The Four Cardinal Virtues
- Chapter 12 The Three Theological Virtues
- Chapter 13 Prudence
- Chapter 14 Friendship
- Chapter 15 Patience
- Chapter 16 Care
- Chapter 17 Hospitality
- Chapter 18 Respect
- Chapter 19 Chastity
- Chapter 20 Wit
- Chapter 21 Service
- Chapter 22 Humility
- Chapter 23 Kindness
- Chapter 24 Stewardship and Resilience
- Chapter 25 Cognitive Virtue and Global Ecosociability
- Chapter 26 Trust
- Chapter 27 Being “Free” as a Virtue
- Part III Shakespeare and Global Virtue Traditions
- Part IV Virtuous Performances
- Works Cited
- Index
Summary
Service is not always a virtue. It can be a drudgery, or an enslavement if not physical or legal, then economic. But Paul inverted this meaning to illustrate the greater commitment of the believer to God, a virtue that levels social divisions and asserts a broader community of faith. This chapter examines the ways that Shakespeare adopts or reshapes Paul’s use of service elevating it as a community virtue where one serves another, often toward no gain for oneself in order to support a greater good. Two plays illustrate this focus of Shakespeare’s, King Lear where service, though more poignant, is more brittle and precarious, and Cymbeline, a play that revels in the necessity of collective service to establish an enduring peace.
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- Shakespeare and VirtueA Handbook, pp. 204 - 211Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023