LECTURE NOTES X

RENAISSANCE LITERATURE IN ENGLAND [3]

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE [1]
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.<., A History of English Literature (-oston! -adger, %44: ["#"#]&, pp. "771":/
9ood8, W.=., ovett, R. 9., History of English Literature (>e? @ork! S)ri6ner, "#"$&, pp. "%/1
"/%
A. General carac!er"#!"c# $% Sa&e#'earean !ea!re
1 ShakespeareAs stud8 is diffi)ult given the )om6ination of histori)al and universal dimensions. Bf
one of these is studied to the detriment of the other, then his ?orks )annot 6e full8 understood
The threefold fun)tion of the EliCa6ethan theatre! to inform, tea)h and entertain )an 6e seen at
?ork in Shakespeare's drama.
1 The )omple+ poeti) language ?as meant to hold together the variousl8 different elements of the
pla8 (song, dan)e, fen)ing, )lo?ning&.
1 The a)ta6le and the theatri)al are as important as the poeti)al.
1 The pla8 starts ?ith a situation and lets the )hara)ter unfold
1 Through the intri)ate relation of drama and poetr8, a simple stor8 ma8 present terri6le things
1 S. addresses an e+tremel8 heterogeneous, predominantl8 male audien)e
I. Sa&e#'eare(# )"*ra'+ an, l"!erar+ ac!"-"!+.
1. William Shakespeares life:
1 ?as 6orn in Stratford1upon1Avon in "07/
1 son of Dohn Shakespeare and 9ar8 Arden (tree&
1 studied at the lo)al grammar s)hool
1 married Ann <atha?a8 and had three )hildren! Susana, <amnet and Dudith (t?ins& [the 6o8 died
?hen still an adoles)ent]
1 left Stratford and settled in ondon ("0$$E& ?here he held several Fo6s in the theatre
1 6egan to ?rite for stage around "0#41"0#%
1 made a )areer as a poet and a pla8?right
1 68 "7"" he retired to Stratford, ?here he died in "7"7
2. Shakespeares poetic activity:
(a) Poems:
Venus and Adonis (1!")
#he $a%e of Lucrece (1!&)
#he Passionate Pilgrim (1!!)
#he Phoenix and the #urtle(1'"1)
#he Sonnets (1'"!)
3. Shakespeares dramatic activity:
1 Although a lot of pla8s appear in Guarto, most of his pla8s ?ere )olle)ted in the volume printed
after his death kno?n as #he (irst (olio! Shakespeare's Comedies) Histories) * #ragedies ("7%3&
+ #y%ological classification:
(omedies [lo? romanti)2 high romanti)2 golden]
(hroni)le (histor8& pla8s dealing ?ith -ritish histor8
Roman pla8s [Roman histor8]
Tragedies
Pro6lem pla8s [skepti)al, ?ith an am6iguous ending]
4. Chronological and thematic description:
/"0 Te Earl+ Per"$,. 1123 !$ 1433
The earl8 period sho?s
1 his interest in a variet8 of EliCa6ethan traditions and
1 his desire to e+periment
a! "he early plays:
Sources: atin traged8 (Sene)a&2 Hreek and atin )omedies2 Btalian and Spanish roman)es and
)omedies2 English )hroni)les2 )ontemporar8 English authors (9arlo?e&
#he early ex%eriments:
+ #itus Andronicus! a I6lood and thunderI traged8 in Sene)an st8le
+ Henry V, (3 parts&! )hroni)le pla8 (alread8 popular form of drama&
+ $ichard ,,,! traged8 )entred on a main villain (influen)ed 68 9arlo?e&
+ #he Comedy of Errors! ela6orates on the standard devi)es of Hreek and atin theatre
+ #he #aming of the Shre-: lo? romanti) )omed8, a humorous displa8 of romanti) love
1 $omeo and .uliet: rather formal traged8 of unhapp8 lovers trapped 68 )ir)umstan)es into death,
it refle)ts on e+isten)e in a l8ri)al and de)lamator8 ?a8
#! "he history or chronicle plays
Sources:
1 S. dra?s upon the )hroni)les on the War of the Roses and the <undred @ears War
Ed?ard <all! #he /nion of the 0o1le and ,llustre (amelies of Lancastre and 2or3 ("0/%&,?hi)h
)overs the period 6et?een the a))ession of <enr8 B= up to <enr8 =BBB.
Raphael <olinshed, #he Chronicles of England) Scotland) and ,reland ("0::& ?hi)h ?as
apparentl8 part of a larger proFe)t of the ?orld histor8.
Pol8dore =ergil, Historia Anglica ("03/&, ?hi)h deals ?ith the histor8 of England up to <enr8
=BBB
Historical (chronological) se4uence:
1 the reign and deposition of Ri)hard BB
1 the unGuiet time of <enr8 B=
1 the temporar8 militar8 glor8 of <enr8 = in ;ran)e ("44 @ears War&
1 the disaster of the an)asterians under <enr8 =B
1 the short, violent rule of Ri)hard BBB
1 the a))ession of the ne? Tudor d8nast8.
Structural se4uence [grouping of S's pla8s a))ording to their ela6oration]!
1 T?o seGuen)es of / pla8s!
3 Henry V, and $ichard ,,,
$ichard ,, and % Henry ,V and Henry V
apart from this seGuen)e! 5ing .ohn 1 different6 Henry V,,, (unfinished&
7ain characteristics:
Through his galler8 of monar)hs, making use of elements of moralit8 pla8s, S. tries
1 to offer his vie? on the ideal king and
1 to propose a Tudor m8th meant to support the d8nast8
1 Bn follo?ing the histori)al dimension Shakespeare is al?a8s primaril8 interested in the human
)ondition!
1 IShakespeare reGuires Romans or .ings, 6ut he thinks onl8 on menI (S. Dohnson&
$ichard ,, :
1 more )omple+ than RBBB, deli6eratel8 ritualisti)
1 suggests the EliCa6ethan vie? on the 9iddle Ages
1 the deposition of R BB is thought of in modern terms, in a )om6ination of a?e, m8ster8 and
pathos
1 the ro8al status is poetiCed
R! a more ela6orate )hara)ter! )hildish and self1indulgent, in)apa6le of asserting his authorit8
Henry ,V (8 %arts)
1 sho?s the struggle of the English to )ontrol the state during the earl8 modern age
1 alternate forms of heroi) and non1heroi) egotism
Henry V
1 )on)ludes the histori)al series
1 the main )hara)ter, on)e a ?itt8 and aloof prin)e has 6e)ome the model for a )onGuering prin)e
1 is a eulog8 of the Renaissan)e prin)e
5ing .ohn
1 stands apart in the )hroni)le series
1 is marked 68 stru)tural defi)ien)ies
1 adopts a moderate anti1(atholi) tone
1 the limits of the )hroni)le pla8 are )hallenged 68 a livel8 approa)h
c! "he comedies
Sources:
1 S. graduall8 learns to handle ?ith assuran)e different elements deriving from Hreek, atin and
English )omed8, ?hi)h he mi+es ?ith elements of Btalian and Spanish pastoral roman)e
7ain characteristics:
Classification of comedies:
(i& The lo? romanti) )omedies
#he Comedy of Errors (see a6ove&
#he #aming of the Shre- (see a6ove&
(ii& The high romanti) )omedies
#-o 9entlemen of Verona
Lo:es; La1ours Lost
A 7idsummer 0ight;s <ream
#he 7erchant of Venice
(iii& The golden )omedies
7uch Ado a1out 0othing
As 2ou Li3e ,t
#-elfth 0ight
The )omedies
1 make use of stories of love intrigue
1 appeal to a m8stiGue of friendship that opposes heterose+ual love
1 emplo8 4ui %ro 4uo (mistaken identit8&, the heroine is often disguised as a 6o8
1 o))asionall8 the8 resort to elements of fair81tale
1 language is e+tremel8 )omple+, dialogues are real ver6al fire?orks
1 masGues (allegori)al forms of pla8 ?ithin the pla8& are also used
The golden )omedies
1 several plots (and su6plots& ?hi)h interlo)k and reinfor)e ea)h other emotionall8
1 the )omi) aspe)t is )omplemented 68 serious, often rather pessimisti) statements on life in
general
1 the fool (Fester& a)Guires a different role, ?hi)h is transforms him from a mere Fester into a
philosopher
C. TEXTS
W.Shakespeare! Henry V
/4 This da8 is )alled the feast of (rispian!
<e that outlives this da8, and )omes safe home,
Will stand a tip1toe ?hen this da8 is named,
And rouse him at the name of (rispian.
<e that shall see this da8, and live old age,
Will 8earl8 on the vigil feast his neigh6ours,
And sa8, ITo1morro? is Saint (rispian.I
Then ?ill he strip his sleeve, and sho? his s)ars,
And sa8, IThese ?ounds B had on (rispinAs da8.I
*ld men forget2 8et all shall 6e forgot,
04 -ut heAll remem6er, ?ith advantages,
What feats he did that da8. Then shall our names,
;amiliar in his mouth as household ?ords,
<arr8 the king, -edford and E+eter,
War?i)k and Tal6ot, Salis6ur8 and Hlou)ester,
-e in their flo?ing )ups freshl8 remem6ered.
This stor8 shall the good man tea)h his son!
And (rispin (rispian shall neAer go 68,
;rom this da8 to the ending of the ?orld,
-ut ?e in it shall 6e remem6ered2
74 We fe?, ?e happ8 fe?, ?e 6and of 6rothers!
;or he to1da8 that sheds his 6lood ?ith me
Shall 6e m8 6rother! 6e he neAer so vile,
This da8 shall gentle his )ondition.
And gentlemen in England, no? a16ed,
Shall think themselves a))ursed the8 ?ere not here2
And hold their manhoods )heap, ?hiles an8 speaks
That fought ?ith us upon Saint (rispinAs da8. [B=, 3]
Sour)e! W.Shakespeare, .ing <enr8 =, ed.D.5over Wilson ((am6ridge! (,P, %44#&