Shakespeare's Concept of Courage

Since 1970, Boston University's Institute for Philosophy and Religion has sponsored annual lecture series on topics of interdisciplinary interest where philosophy, theology, and religion meet. This academic year, the Institute's 32nd annual lecture series has been on the theme of courage. As part of this lecture series, Professor of Religion and Literature at Boston University, Geoffrey Hill, delivered a lecture on the Shakespearean concept of courage.

Professor Hill talked about some of the probable influences on Shakespeare's conception of courage, with special emphasis on the tension between competing presentations of the right and the good in two Italian sources: Castiglione's "The Courtier" and Machievelli's "The Prince."

Following Professor Hill's discussion, the director of Boston University's Institute for Philosophy and Religion, Leroy Rouner, talked about the relationship of courage to both philosophy and religion. He also explained his purposes in devising a series of lectures on the theme of courage.