The Apostle and the Machiavel

Abstract

Abstract This chapter and Chapter 3 explore how Shakespeare imitates different aspects of Paul’s style in his plays. Shakespeare is exceptional among Renaissance artists for the extent to which he engages with Paul’s style and rhetoric in his work; and for the subtlety and daring with which he uses Pauline imitations to encourage a range of non-traditional, and sometimes decidedly unorthodox, perspectives on Paul’s style, character, and theology. This chapter shows that Shakespeare imitates Paul’s apologetic rhetoric in 2 Corinthians to develop Richard’s manipulative self-justifying speeches in Richard III; that Shakespeare uses Richard’s Pauline style to highlight a controversial aspect of Paul’s character, specifically his craftiness and cunning; and, finally, that his imitation of Paul’s apologetic rhetoric conforms and contributes to the development of major themes in the play, particularly those related to conscience, human freedom, and divine providence.