DR MARY B. AIYETORO

' Tradition has its source in Latin 'tradere' literally meaning " to hand across", to surrender", this can also be found in Greek words that means or can be translated as "tradition". The two languages convey the idea of tradition as handling of customs, rituals, expectations and methods or ways of doing things outside of written document and a rejection of such customs or even a betrayal of them. This also can be traced through out the western literary canon.

Tradition connotes an appeal to stability, an unchanging order of expectation and events that makes human life possible because tradition presumes that tomorrow will be more or less like today. The critics are of the opinion that "If the breaking up of expectations is also part of ideas of tradition, then one may question when such rejection is warranted and when it will introduce chao into ordinary life. They concluded that the problem of tradition is ' knowing when to maintain it and when to reject it is a subject for political philosophy.

According to Plato, the statesman is the one who knows when to maintain a political order and when to initiate a change that will cause the city to more closely resemble it's ideal.

Thus, at the very beginnings of Western literature, in Gilgamesh and in The

Republic, the Idea of tradition contains both a thematic and a political meaning.

Therefore one can clearly state that literary tradition is accounting process of

handling their text to another generations (Future generations) African traditions

often involves a selective process whereby valuables works are single out as the one

each generation should know. Literary tradition is the passing down of stories or

narratives which gives meaning to human experiences. Literary tradition is the

constant production of new works added to the canon.

Literary Tradition- “Tradition” It contains both theatre and a political meaning.

Since Literary represent the culture and tradition offers language or the people,

though the definition of literature is constantly changing and evolving…

Every linguist group has a literary tradition which is transmitted orally or thought. Literary tradition can be categorized as formal of periodic -literary tradition has specific communalities as forms, subject matter (focus) themes and would view any factors.

The western literary tradition was largely influenced by the Bible and ancient Greek and Roman literature. It is a great privileged to have access to the literary works of these men and women who lived hundred of years before us, far away from us and those who may not share the same language with us. Thus literature helps transcend temporal as well as geographic( and even linguist discontinuities)

The literary works making up the literary traditions…(its is difficult to find a literary work which does not show in one way or another the influence of the text.

Literary traditions (Formation of Literary Conventions) that is, stylistic or formal or elements of subject matter which though being repeated in work after work have become makers of different kinds of genres writing.

He lived during the period/era when social structures and ideas in the middle Ages. Informed human thought and behavioural pattern, at a time when Queen Elizabeth I was described as next to God on earth(Deputy God on earth) She was in charge of everything- the high and mighty, lords even commoners were placed under her. She was in charge of order and she ruled and reigned over them. She exercised unquestionable authority. In the society.

William Shakespeare wrote tragedy, comedy and history and these plays are regarded as part of the greatest play performed in English and translated into major human language.

Shakespearean Works

Comedies

Mistaken identity

Lore/Obstacles/hindrances

Weddings and Reunions

Plot

Comedic language

Tragedy

Serious (Themes and motifs)

Death

Tragic hero with tragic flaw of a nobleman

Histories

Portrayal of real figure form

England’s history

Current events (Propagandas)

Embellishment of Shakespearean plot characters

WHAT IS COMEDY? Comedy is derived from then Greek word ‘komos’

meaning ‘revel’ or to have fun. Comedy can be described as an artistic imitation of

an inferior moral twisted, it aims at representing men as worse though seen as a mere improvisation.

Comedy is described as a form of which is concerned with man’s relationship with the society. It also deals with man’s experience as more suitable rather than questionable. Comedy as a form of drama can be different in term of mode, structure, technique and quality.

Comedy can be classified into two categories: High comedy: (Intense and characters suffer)

Low comedy: (Over exaggeration of characters to provoke laughter)

Comedy of manners, humours and intrigue.

High comedy makes use of mature effects of comedy of complex view of character and does not depend on ridiculous intrigue or any such situation as is common with low comedy.

Comedy of humour is a character informed comedy; humorous, such traits as greed, jealousy amongst others.

The English audience seemed to be warmer-hearted to the French, they empathise with the characters on the stage.

They laughed with or at them ( Though the audience ought to detach themselves from empathising with the actors in the play).

Comedy of manner is also linked with characters, “manners” means ethics, moral action. It also means comedy of characters. Comedy presents comedy of fashionable life.

The comic element is derived from the way the playwright express or

portray the peculiar traits of the actor and not from the characters. The

playwright laughs at humanity and urges his audience to do same, as

captured in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night Dream.

According to Richard Taylor (1981), in comedy, one expects a joyous

experience or a natural and life- affirming series of events.

Aristotle berated comedy as loner in quality of topicality and technical

details.

Aristophanes' contributions marked a significant turning point in the

development of the form in general. He imposed a more direct

sociological function on comedy and it became an instrument of attack

on social and political misconduct. It became an invective against

Athenian leaders and institutions that constituted themselves into agents

of oppression and corruption.

According to Christopher Anyokwu (2014), the component of comedy are ;

A state of social balance or equilibrium

A gradual process of incremental complications caused by the presence of unexpected obstacles

Climax: opposition forces come to a head

Falling action: resolution of conflict

Reconciliation and celebration of Life

A return to a state of social (cosmic) balance and beatitude. However, not all comic plays religiously follow the ingredient discussed above.

It is very important to point out some general elements that are central to comedy such as: food, wine, sex, and music/ dance.

Also, there are some other sub-genres of comedy, examples: Comedy of intrigue, Comedy of situation, Comedy of humours, Comedy of Manners, Romantic Comedy(The Pastoral), Burlesque and Parody, or Mock- Epic Comedy for example: The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope, Black Comedy, Comedia Dell’Arte, Melodrama, Murmmer’s Play, Sentimental Comedy, Masque and Pantomime/ Dumb-Show.

Several scholars consider Shakespeare as the greatest writer who ever lived, he had no college degree, contrary to several of his contemporaries. He is popularly referred to as “ country boy” with no college education but ironically he has outdistance his contemporaries in literary value that has outlived him and endured till date. William Shakespeare’s contributions to Elizabethan comedy has remained almost unequaled. His comedies are different from those of his contemporaries. It is obvious that he drew inspirations from within and outside his immediate society. His works are completely different, either comedy or tragedy. He is referred to as a great chronicler of history and some of this historical events are creatively captured in his plays.

Shakespearean comedy are often categorised as humorous with Pastoral romantic setting. The plots are almost unrealistic and the reader wonders if some of them are realisable or practicable on a modern stage.

However, this does not implies that Shakespeare was out of place or in touch with reality.

In his comedic cosmos “inferior” characters like servants, as well as “superior” or noble characters, such as highly placed men, like Dukes, Prince, princess, heroes and heroines.

Ademola Dasylva (1997) described Shakespeare’s subject of love as “engaged his

social vision in some of his tragedies is, again the main and dominating emotion

in most Shakespearian comedies”(16) Shakespeare presents his hero as a lover

and the arrangement of action is determined by the path of love which does not

run without complications especially when it is genuine.

The following features distinguish Shakespearian comedy:

Appropriate organising motifs

Catastrophe like; shipwreck, exile, suspense,

disguise and mistaken identity, music of exquisite lyric and generally a

sense of universal well-being amongst others.

The critics claimed that the dramatic shift in Shakespeare’s writing career from

tragedy to comedy did not in anyway affect his sense of the comedic. Dasylva

argued that his tragic-comedies are indeed tragedy in transition.

This type of tragedy focus on the power of the ruler and its abuse; for example Shakespeare’s King Lear, Richard III and Henry the IV, part II.

Textual Analysis

❖ Henry the IV, part II ( Discussions on English history and politics)

Critical analysis of the text; Twelfth Night’s

Comedy- Twelfth Night’s.

What is Tragedy?

Aristotle defines tragedy, “as an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, several kinds of being found in separate parts of the play; in form action… through pity and fear affecting proper purgation of these emotions” (Dukore 36)

Elements of Tragedy ( Qualities of a tragic hero)- Quiz

The Tragic Scheme are:

Act of shame

Consequences of intention suffering

Recognition or discovery of wrongdoing

Reversal of fortune

Resolution

Classical tragedy, the protagonist commits an act of shame such as incest, murder, and as result of this crime, calamities, misfortune descend on him and the entire community. In the process of searching for solution, the truth is uncovered, and that revelation leads to a reversal in the fortune of the people and the problem is resolved. Thus, unlike ritual drama, tragedy deals with the inner conflict between forces of Good and Evil.

Therefore, while comedy centres on situation, tragedy is concerned with character

Shakespeare wrote tragedies of various sub-types such as Chronicle, History, revenge or tragedy of blood and domestic tragedy. He combined verse and prose, he also, adopted the blank verse format. His tragedies were more realistic as he jettisoned the three unities of place, time and action or his interest for more realistic portrayal of social reality.

The hero in Shakespeare’s plays dies shortly before the end of the action and his demise seems to be the point towards which the whole drama derives (Morgan 60).

William Shakespeare was highly influenced by Seneca, he wrote

tragedies of various sub-types such as, Chronicles, History, revenge or

tragedy of blood and, domestic. In terms of language, he combined verse

and prose and in term of structure, he adopted the blank verse format. His

tragedies were more realistic as he jettisoned the so-called three unities of

place, time, and action or interest for a more realistic portrayal of social

reality. The hero in Shakespeare’s plays dies shortly before the end of the

action and his demise seems to be the point towards which the whole

drama derives (Morgan 60)

This is the English term for a kind of tragedy on neo-classical lines

written by 17th century French playwrights such Pierrce Corneille, author

of The Cid, Horace and other plays.

Christopher Anyokwu (2014) explained that Jean Racine, author of

Britannicus, Berenice and Predre, also wrote heroic tragedy, a form noted

for its stress on honour, personal integrity and duty. The authors of heroic

tragedies in England abandoned the blank verse for the heroic couplet

form, with the use of five-stress line rhyming in couplets. For example;

John Dryden’s All for Love, a version of Shakespeare’s Anthony and

Cleopatra.

Class Discussions

Shakespeare’s

Anthony and

This kind of tragedy took its material from the lives of ordinary people

and sometimes from contemporary crimes. Its focus is on ordinary

people, its language is correspondingly less elevated and poetic.

Shakespeare’s Othello is considered an example of a domestic tragedy

since it revolves around the loss of a handkerchief and focuses on the

passions of conjugal love and jealousy. Romeo and Juliet and The

Tempest can be classified as domestic tragedies.

Practical discussions-

❖ Othello- Race and the stranger in European society.(Tragedy)

❖ Hamlet- The tragedy of the thinker in a World of action.(European

society).

❖ Tragic situations

Prescribed Texts

❖ Comedy- Twelfth Night

❖ History- Henry the IV, part II

❖ Tragedy-Othello, Hamlet

❖ Romance-The Tempest

The responsibilities of leadership; royal wrong, and reconciliation; generations and succession; the myth of colonisation and the indigenes, and the theme of freedom.

Practical Questions

Revision

Examinations