Epilogue

The final chapter summarises the main lessons learned from our study of Shakespeare’s plays in inspiring empathy in clinical care. The decline of humane medicine is in part a result of the current dominant biomedical model of medicine. Incorporating the humanities into the medical undergraduate curriculum would be a way of reversing this trend, acknowledging the importance of psychosocial care. The ways in which Shakespeare’s plays demonstrate differing aspects of the empathic relationship are explored in the book. Suggestions of ways to include the humanities are provided and may act as a helpful resource to medical teachers. The book concludes by deriving and discussing a model of medical ethics based on empathy.