--- product_id: 130897171 title: "- Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics" price: "375 DH" currency: MAD in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.ma/products/130897171-tyrant-shakespeare-on-politics store_origin: MA region: Morocco --- # - Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics **Price:** 375 DH **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** - Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics - **How much does it cost?** 375 DH with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ma](https://www.desertcart.ma/products/130897171-tyrant-shakespeare-on-politics) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics: 9780393356977: Greenblatt, Stephen: Books Review: Great Examination of Shakespeare's Tyrants - Tyrant is an examination of Shakespeare's exploration of government, society, and tyrannical figures throughout his plays. Chapters are sorted by topic (the influence of party politics on the rise of tyrants, the abuse for populism for political gain, the types and importance of enablers, the influence of personality and mental illness on tyrannical behavior, etcetera) and tend to examine one or two plays/characters at a time, complete with helpful quotations citing act, scene, and line. I only vaguely remember reading Hamlet and Macbeth in highschool, and was pleasantly surprised with how much I learned about the plays themselves over the course of Tyrant. I was also thankful that Greenblatt included so much information regarding the historical context of elizabethan England; it added a lot to my appreciation of the playwright's angled exploration of issues of power, something that weighed on everyone's mind, though it was something that could not be openly spoken of for fear of treason accusations. When a work is removed from its historical context, a vital part necessary for understanding the text is lost. The political landscape of near omnipotent kings and queens and the shifting tides of power between royal houses is an extremely important part of Shakespeare's plays that is only seen in its historical context, and that is something that most people do not stop to consider. Some other reviews complain that Tyrant is a thinly veiled criticism of Trump and the Trump administration, but that is not because Greenblatt wrote a criticism of Trump and called an examination of Shakespeare. It is because Greenblatt wrote about Shakespeare's criticism of tyrants. If you don't think Trump is a budding tyrant but still see the parallels to tyrannical characters, perhaps you should think about that connection more. All in all, Tyrant is a very well written work on Shakespeare's characters, plays, and the playwright's exploration of political power and I would recommend it. Review: An Exceptionally Fine Essay - One would have to be extraordinarily dense not to see at whom this wonderful little book is aimed. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful thoughtful treatment of issues that merit serious thought in America - and perhaps the Western World - today. I am skeptical that Shakespeare was the liberal Enlightenment figure that Greenblatt suggests, but this doesn’t in any way detract from his splendid observations. I heartily recommend this book for high IQ beach reading this summer and I feel enriched by the time and effort I spent with it. One point upon which I disagree with the author however is his reading of Coriolanus. To Greenblatt this is an essay in social democracy and a diatribe against authoritarianism. That approach overlooks the fact that the play is a tragedy, Shakespeare’s last and that it’s source is Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Romans. Coriolanus is no fascist because he is the essential anti-populist who eschews all of the sleazier tools of the tyrant. To the contrary, the Bard reserves - quite properly- his contempt for Coriolanus’s foils, the tribunes, who practice the sophistries and demagoguery so attacked in Richard and MacBeth. In that misdirection, Greenblatt abandons much of the high ground of his otherwise fine essay. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #96,643 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #30 in Shakespeare Literary Criticism #50 in Fascism (Books) #103 in Shakespeare Dramas & Plays | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (705) | | Dimensions | 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.3 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 0393356973 | | ISBN-13 | 978-0393356977 | | Item Weight | 2.31 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 224 pages | | Publication date | May 14, 2019 | | Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company | ## Images ![- Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/617MotK-ZGL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Examination of Shakespeare's Tyrants *by A***Y on June 14, 2018* Tyrant is an examination of Shakespeare's exploration of government, society, and tyrannical figures throughout his plays. Chapters are sorted by topic (the influence of party politics on the rise of tyrants, the abuse for populism for political gain, the types and importance of enablers, the influence of personality and mental illness on tyrannical behavior, etcetera) and tend to examine one or two plays/characters at a time, complete with helpful quotations citing act, scene, and line. I only vaguely remember reading Hamlet and Macbeth in highschool, and was pleasantly surprised with how much I learned about the plays themselves over the course of Tyrant. I was also thankful that Greenblatt included so much information regarding the historical context of elizabethan England; it added a lot to my appreciation of the playwright's angled exploration of issues of power, something that weighed on everyone's mind, though it was something that could not be openly spoken of for fear of treason accusations. When a work is removed from its historical context, a vital part necessary for understanding the text is lost. The political landscape of near omnipotent kings and queens and the shifting tides of power between royal houses is an extremely important part of Shakespeare's plays that is only seen in its historical context, and that is something that most people do not stop to consider. Some other reviews complain that Tyrant is a thinly veiled criticism of Trump and the Trump administration, but that is not because Greenblatt wrote a criticism of Trump and called an examination of Shakespeare. It is because Greenblatt wrote about Shakespeare's criticism of tyrants. If you don't think Trump is a budding tyrant but still see the parallels to tyrannical characters, perhaps you should think about that connection more. All in all, Tyrant is a very well written work on Shakespeare's characters, plays, and the playwright's exploration of political power and I would recommend it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Exceptionally Fine Essay *by S***K on July 4, 2018* One would have to be extraordinarily dense not to see at whom this wonderful little book is aimed. Nonetheless, it is a wonderful thoughtful treatment of issues that merit serious thought in America - and perhaps the Western World - today. I am skeptical that Shakespeare was the liberal Enlightenment figure that Greenblatt suggests, but this doesn’t in any way detract from his splendid observations. I heartily recommend this book for high IQ beach reading this summer and I feel enriched by the time and effort I spent with it. One point upon which I disagree with the author however is his reading of Coriolanus. To Greenblatt this is an essay in social democracy and a diatribe against authoritarianism. That approach overlooks the fact that the play is a tragedy, Shakespeare’s last and that it’s source is Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Romans. Coriolanus is no fascist because he is the essential anti-populist who eschews all of the sleazier tools of the tyrant. To the contrary, the Bard reserves - quite properly- his contempt for Coriolanus’s foils, the tribunes, who practice the sophistries and demagoguery so attacked in Richard and MacBeth. In that misdirection, Greenblatt abandons much of the high ground of his otherwise fine essay. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ autocrats everywhere. *by M***T on October 27, 2025* This is dense Shakespeare. I am not his scholar. It discusses the playwrights focus on people of power, how they got there, and finally what they do with it. To my judgement, it demonstrates after 400 years that humanity is up to the same old pathology on a more global stage. Autocrats everywhere. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ma/products/130897171-tyrant-shakespeare-on-politics](https://www.desertcart.ma/products/130897171-tyrant-shakespeare-on-politics) --- *Product available on Desertcart Morocco* *Store origin: MA* *Last updated: 2026-04-29*