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LECTURE NOTES XI

RENAISSANCE LITERATURE IN ENGLAND [3]

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE [2]

Sources:

Primary Sources:Shakespeare,W.Plays [individual] in The Arden Shakespeare Third Serie,gen.Eds .R.Proudfoot

and A.Thompson (ondon! Routledge, "#$%&

Shakespeare, W.,Plays[individual] in the World's lassi)s series, gen.ed.S.Wells (*+ford! *P&

Secondary Sources:

-augh, A., ed.,A Literary History of England(ondon! Routledge, egan Paul, "#/$&, pp. 0"#1

0%#2 03310/4

5ai)hes, 5.,A Critical History of English Literature, vol.% (ondon! Se)ker and War6urg, "#7#&,

%/7134$

5a8, 9.S., 5a8, 9.S.,A History of English Literature to Sixteen Sixty (5ou6leda8, "#73&, pp.

%::13%0

;let)her, R.e? @ork! S)ri6ner, "#"$&, pp. "%/1

"/%

(ii) The Main Pei!" (#$%&'###)

(a) The great tragedies

Julius Caesar

Sour)es! >orths translation of Plutar)hs The Lives of the Nole !recians and "omans

Themes!1 tragi)al relation 6et?een personal moralit8 and politi)al effi)ien)8

1 sho?s Bho? a man )an 6e destro8ed 68 his o?n virtueB

1 ?ell arti)ulated pla8, in fluid 6lank verse

Hamlet

Sour)es! Sa+o Crammati)us,History of the #anesand ;. -elleforest,Histories tragi$ues%

the original

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)ing Lear

Sour)es! elti) m8tholog8 and folk tradition

Themes!

1 most elemental and primeval of Shakespeares pla8s

1 sho?s ho? the road to true humilit8 passes through 6itter insight

1 it makes use of ar)het8pal images to produ)e a )osmi) vie? of individual traged8 and destin81 a )om6ination of ps8)hologi)al and s8m6oli) des)riptions

1 e+isten)e as determined 68 the )onfusion 6et?een

true and false visions

self1kno?ledge and self16lindness1 the Fuestion of ?hat is natural and unnatural

1 the ;ool a)Fuires a different, tragi) ke8

1 ;oll8 is assimilated to revealing the truth and )ontri6utes to the tragi) dimension

1 sho?s a )on)ern for impersonal usti)e ! B>one does offend none2 all are guilt8 and in need not

of usti)e 6ut forgivenessB

*aceth

Sour)es! R. orths Plutar)h! The Lives of nole !recians and "omans

Themes!

1 )ontrast 6et?een t?o ?orlds,

the Roman ?orld, marked 68 order, stru)ture, lo8alt8, reason

the Eastern magi) of Eg8pt, )hara)teriGed 68 disorder, 6etra8al, passion

)onfli)t 6et?een pu6li) dut8 and private passion

1 leopatra! one of S.s most )omple+ female )hara)ters! Fueenl8, 6eautiful, skilful, no6le,

generous, 6ut also domineering, h8steri)al, ealous, )o?ard,

1 Anton8! heroi), generous, no6le, lo8al to his friends, 6ut selfish and immature

(b) The problem plays

1 are neither )omedies nor tragedies1 have no )heerfulness 6ut sho? human 6ehaviour as gross and despi)a6le

Timon of Athens

Themes!1 human ingratitude and h8po)ris8

1 man living in a ?orld of 6easts

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Troilus and Cressida

Themes!

1 a dou6le perspe)tive! the )onte+t of the moment and the larger )onte+t of past and future

1 the English (Renaissan)e& vision of the Tro8 tradition

1 the Creek represent the realisti), uns)rupulous modern man (l8sses&

1 the Troans represent the old1fashioned, traditional ?orld (

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C*TEXTS

W.Shakespeare, io6e, all tears, ?h8 she, even she 1

* Cod, a 6east that ?ants dis)ourse of reason "04

Would have mourned longer 1 married ?ith m8 un)le,

98 fathers 6rother, 6ut no more like m8 fatherThan D to