"THE SECOND BEST BED" OF SHAKESPEARE AS A POSSIBLE ALLUSION TO PLATO
Burova Irina Igorevna
Saint Petersburg University
Abstract. The article deals with the problem of the perception of the expression "the second best bed" from Shakespeare’s will both in Shakespeare studies and in fiction. Sharing the thought that the interpretation of this expression determines the treatment of the image of Shakespeare’s wife in scientific works and works of fiction the author suggests the reading of the strange phrase as an allusion to the text of "The Republic" by Plato that allows considering "the second best bed" as a metaphor of Shakespeare’s handwritten heritage.
Key words and phrases: завещание Шекспира, интерпретации завещания, "вторая по качеству кровать", рукописи Шекспира, шекспировский вопрос, Shakespeare’s will, interpretation of will, "the second best bed", Shakespeare’s manuscripts, Shakespearian issue
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