An Analysis of Five Shakespearean Characters, Richard Ii, Henry V, Coriolanus, Mark Antony, and Lear
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Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1990 Lessons in Leadership: An Analysis of Five Shakespearean Characters, Richard Ii, Henry V, Coriolanus, Mark Antony, and Lear James C. Lalley Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Lalley, James C., "Lessons in Leadership: An Analysis of Five Shakespearean Characters, Richard Ii, Henry V, Coriolanus, Mark Antony, and Lear" (1990). Dissertations. 2718. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/2718 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1990 James C. Lalley LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP: AN ANALYSIS OF FIVE SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS, RICHARD II, HENRY V, CORIOLANUS, MARK ANTONY, AND LEAR by James C. Lalley, Jr. A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Education of Loyola University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education April 1990 James c. Lalley, Jr. Loyola University of Chicago LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP: AN ANALYSIS OF FIVE SHAKESPEAREAN CHARACTERS, RICHARD II, HENRY V, CORIOLANUS, MARK ANTONY, AND LEAR This dissertation has used three lenses for focusing an analysis of leadership. The first lens looks to elements of effective leadership found in the behavior of Shakespearean characters. The author analyzed five leaders in Shakespeare's plays and deduced the five elements of character (call them "strategies," "areas of competency," "human handling skills," or "themes") that are the sine qua non of leadership: imagination, eloquence, popularity, activis• and tenacity. The degree to which an individual possesses and actuates all of these elements determines the level of his success,as a leader. The dissertation has shown that Henry V possesses all the elements in a high degree and is a model leader. The other characters possess some or all elements in varying degrees and are less successful, if not failed, leaders. The second lens used through which leadership in the plays of Shakespeare was analyzed was Getzels and Guba's Transactional Model of the Nomothetic and the Idiographic Dimensfons of Social Behavior. Using this model, the author identified roles defined by societal expectations and analysed the interaction between the individual personality and the role. The third lens used for the analysis of leade~ship behavior in the plays of Shakespeare was Hersey and Blanchard's Theory of Situational Leadership. The individuals who failed to match their style of leadership with the maturity level of their followers failed. When Richard II treats the peers of the realm as peons, when Coriolanus rails against the people of Roman calling them "scabs," when Lear treats his daughters to whom he is about to turn over his kingdom like children, they fail. Mark Antony, although he adjusts his style to meet the maturity level of his followers, fails because he does not keep his mind on the task at hand. Henry Valone is able to adjust his styles successfully with an entire range of followers- archbishops, dukes, soldiers. Finally, the analysis of characters was the basis for practical lessons for the student of leadership, a listing of "do's" and "don't's" gleaned from the analysis. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many individuals have contributed to the successful completion of this dissertation. The encouragement, challenge, and direction of the committee, Dr. Melvin P. Heller, Director, Dr. Max A. Bailey and Dr. Philip M. Carlin, committee members, gracefully moved the paper from the realm of concept to the arena of research and, ultimately, to publication. Loyola Academy's tuition reimbursement and Loyola University of Chicago's Sister Institution Program funded most of the tuition for my doctoral program. The careful proofreading, verification of Shakespearean citations, and corrections of Mr. Robert Hires, the doyen of the English Department at Loyola Academy, saved me from embarrassment. His critiques ci!1d our discussions of the characters of Shakespeare fine-tuned the analysis of these characters. Finally, the patience, encouragement, and support of my wife, Peggy, and my four children, Jim, Kathleen, Mary, and Sarah, helped me survive this process. ii VITA The author, James Clarence Lalley, Jr., is the son of James Clarence Lalley, Sr., and Sarah Ann (Walsh) Lalley. He was born October 2, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois. His elementary education was obtained at st. Vincent de Paul Grammar School in Chicago, Illinois. His secondary education began at De Paul Academy in Chicago; after his freshman year, he transferred to st. Vincent de Paul Seminary, Lemont, Illinois. He was graduated in 1959. In May of 1959, he joined the Congregation of the Missions (The Vincentian Fathers) and enrolled in Saint Mary's Seminary, Perryville, Missouri. He was graduated in June of 1964, receiving a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Scholastic Philosophy. After receiving his degree, he left the Congregation of the Missions. In 1964, he enrolled in DePaul University's graduate English program. He received his Master of Arts in English from DePaul in 1967. Attending Chicago State University, he completed courses necessary for the Administrative Certification for the State of Illinois in 1986. He enrolled in the School of Education of Loyola University of Chicago and completed the course work for a Doctorate in Education in 1989. iii In September of 1964, he began teaching at Brother Rice High School as a teacher of English and Latin. In 1966, he was named English Department Chair. In 1977, he was named English Department Chair at Loyola Academy. He continues to teach at Loyola Academy and is the English Department Chair and Director of Staff Development Programs. In 1977, he was elected to the Secondary Section steering Committee of the National Council of the Teachers of English. He has served on the Committee on Classroom Practices and the Committee on Reading and has been a presenter at Illinois Association of Teachers of English, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Catholic Education conferences. In 1983, he received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities/Council for Basic Education for independent study on American poets of the 1950's. He is the author of "Teaching Heart of Darkness," English Journal (1982), "Teaching Dated Junk" and "Bloom's Taxonomy for Evaluation and Assessment," both in English Teachers at Work: Ideas and Strategies, Boynton-Cook, 1986. He has been married to Margaret Judith Gallagher for over twenty years. She is a special education teacher in the Chicago Public School System. They have four children: iv James Clarence, Kathleen Ann, Mary Margaret, and Sarah Jane. He and his family live in the Beverly Hills neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. V TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . .. ii VITA iii CONTENTS OF APPENDICES . viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION: UNTIL PHILOSOPHERS ARE KINGS 1 Purpose. • . • . • . • 1 Definitions and Theories of Leadership 7 Format . • . • 11 II. RELATED LITERATURE 13 Shakespearean Criticism. • • . • . • 13 Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimensions of Social Behavior . • . • . • . 20 Situational Leadership • . 21 III. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS . ... 23 Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimensions of Social Behavior . • . 23 Situational Leadership • • . • . 32 Shakespearean Leadership . • • . • . 40 IV. RICHARD II: POSITIONAL POWER AND PERSONALITY. 48 summary of play. • . 48 Character Analysis: Shakespearean Leadership. • . • . 51 Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimensions. 64 Situational Leadership . • . • • . 72 Lessons in Leadership . • . 75 vi v. HENRY V: EDUCATION FOR LEADERSHIP 79 Summary of plays •...•.. 79 Character Analysis: Shakespearean Leadership . • . 81 Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimensions . 97 Situational Leadership ••.•.. 112 Lessons in Leadership .•...•.•.. 118 VI. CORIOLANUS: DESPISED AND DESPISING LEADER 122 summary of play ••.•.•..••••.. 122 Character Analysis: Shakespearean Leadership. • . • . • • . • • . 123 Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimensions .•• 135 Situational Leadership • • . • ••.. 143 Lessons in Leadership. • . • . • • • 152 VII. MARK ANTONY: PUBLIC LIFE AND PRIVATE LUST 155 summary of plays . • . • • 155 Character Analysis: Shakespearean Leadership •••..•.•.•..... 158 Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimensions. 169 Situational Leadership ..•...••.• 175 Lessons in Leadership. ••• 189 VIII. LEAR: THE GERIATRIC LEADER. 193 summary of play. • •••••.. 193 Character Analysis: Shakespearean Leadership •...•.•••.••.•• 196 Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimension ..• 205 Situational Leadership • • . • . 219 Lessons in Leadership . • 223 IX. DISCUSSION 228 Conclusions, Recommendations, and Suggestions for Further Study 228 REFERENCES 234 APPENDIX A: NOMOTHETIC AND IDIOGRAPHIC DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR ......... 242 APPENDIX B: SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP . 246 vii CONTENTS FOR APPENDICES PAGE APPENDIX A Getzels and Guba Model ..... • 242 I. Nomothetic and Idiographic Dimensions of Social Behavior .....•........• 243 II. Getzels and Guba Model of Social Behavior . 244 III. Varying Proportions of Role and Personality Components in Social Behavior . • . • . 245 APPENDIX B Hershey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership.