Skip to main content

Key Concepts and Figures in Shakespeare Studies, asked in UGC NET/JRF ENGLISH

Key Concepts and Figures in Shakespeare Studies (only the one's asked in UGC NET/JRF ENGLISH) 





🟥1. A.C. Bradley: Shakespearean Tragedy (1904) 
     * Overview: This seminal work analyzes four of Shakespeare's major tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Bradley examines these plays in terms of character development and psychological depth. 
    * Significance: Bradley's approach emphasizes the internal struggles and moral dilemmas of Shakespeare's characters, making them relatable and human. This marks a shift toward psychological criticism in Shakespeare studies. 

🟥2. T.S. Eliot: Hamlet and His Problems (1919) 
    * Overview: Eliot critiques Hamlet and introduces the concept of the "objective correlative," where emotions in art should be evoked by concrete situations rather than the artist's subjective feelings. 
    * Significance: Eliot controversially claimed that Hamlet was an "artistic failure" because its emotions were not justified by the plot, challenging earlier romantic and psychological interpretations. 

🟥3. Caroline Spurgeon: Shakespeare’s Imagery (1935) 
    * Overview: This book focuses on the imagery in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, identifying patterns and their meanings. 
    * Significance: Spurgeon argues that Shakespeare's imagery reflects his deep understanding of human nature and the world. For example, her analysis of Hamlet highlights imagery of disease and corruption, which symbolizes the moral decay in Denmark. 

🟥4. Stephen Greenblatt: On Poetics of Culture and the Interpretation of Shakespeare (1987) 
    * Overview: Greenblatt is a leading figure in New Historicism, which examines how Shakespeare's works reflect and interact with the cultural and political contexts of Elizabethan England. 
    * Significance: His essay links Shakespeare’s plays to issues of power, identity, and authority, emphasizing how texts are shaped by and shape historical forces. 

🟥5. First Folio (1623) 
    * Overview: The First Folio is the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays, compiled by his fellow actors John Heminges and Henry Condell, seven years after his death. 
    * Significance: It preserves 36 plays, including 18 that were unpublished during Shakespeare's lifetime (e.g., Macbeth, The Tempest). Without this collection, many of Shakespeare's works might have been lost. 

🟥6. The Jew of Malta and Machiavellian Heroes 
    * Connection to Shakespeare: Christopher Marlowe’s The Jew of Malta features Barabas, a Machiavellian hero characterized by cunning and manipulative behavior. Shakespeare drew on this archetype for characters like Iago in Othello and Richard III. 
    * Significance: The Machiavellian hero trope examines themes of power, ambition, and morality, often critiquing Renaissance politics. 

🟥7. Chronology of Plays 
    * Plays and Timeline: 
        Love's Labour's Lost (1594): A romantic comedy exploring wit and wordplay. 
        Twelfth Night(1599): A festive comedy about mistaken identity and love. 
        Othello (1604): A tragedy of jealousy and betrayal. 
        The Tempest (1611): A late romance blending themes of forgiveness and power. 
    * Significance: Understanding the timeline provides insight into Shakespeare's artistic development and thematic evolution, from early comedies to mature tragedies and late romances. 

🟥8. Shakespeare’s Sonnets (154 Total) 
    * Themes: 
        The passage of time: The inevitability of aging and mortality. 
        Beauty: The transience of physical beauty. 
        Love: Complex explorations of romantic, platonic, and unrequited love. 
    * Significance: Shakespeare’s sonnets are celebrated for their emotional depth and technical brilliance, offering a glimpse into his personal thoughts and cultural context. 

🟥9. Objective Correlative 
    * Concept: Introduced by T.S. Eliot, this literary theory suggests that emotions should be expressed through a set of objects, situations, or events that evoke the intended response in the audience. 
    * Application to Shakespeare: Eliot critiques Hamlet for lacking a precise "objective correlative," meaning the play’s emotional impact doesn’t arise naturally from its structure or events. 

🟥10. Mimetic Criticism 
    * Concept: Rooted in Aristotle’s Poetics, mimetic criticism views literature as an imitation of life and reality. 
    * Shakespeare’s Use: His works, like Hamlet and King Lear, are studied for their realistic portrayal of human emotions, conflicts, and societal structures. 

🟥11. Epic Theatre and Shakespeare 
    * Connection: Bertolt Brecht admired Shakespeare for his ability to mix entertainment with critical social and political messages. 
    * Significance: Brecht’s Epic Theatre draws from Shakespeare’s style, blending narrative and commentary to encourage audience reflection rather than passive consumption.

Visit  ✨  LITERARY SPHERE  ✨ for more 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summary and Analysis of The Girl Who Can by Ama Ata Aidoo

Summary and Analysis of "The Girl Who Can" by Ama Ata Aidoo "The Girl Who Can" by Ama Ata Aidoo Summary, Explanation, and Detailed Analysis Ama Ata Aidoo , one of Ghana’s most celebrated writers, explores gender, tradition, identity, and empowerment in her short story “The Girl Who Can.” This coming-of-age narrative is told through the voice of a young girl named Adjoa, whose seemingly thin legs become a symbol for society’s expectations of women. Set in postcolonial Ghana, the story weaves together humor, innocence, and subtle social commentary to deliver a powerful message about female agency. Plot Summary The story is narrated by a seven-year-old girl named Adjoa , who lives in a small village in Ghana with her mother and grandmother. From the beginning, Adjoa is aware of how adults talk about her “thin legs.” Her grandmother, Nana, is especially critical, believing that a proper woman must have thick, strong l...
Post a Comment
Read more

Draupadi by Mahashweta Devi : SUMMARY, THEMES AND CHARACTER ANALYSIS

Mahashweta Devi's 'Draupadi': A Cry Against Injustice Mahashweta Devi's powerful short story "Draupadi," expertly translated from Bengali by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, is a searing indictment of state violence, colonial legacies, and the brutalization of marginalized communities. Published in 1978, the story remains chillingly relevant, offering a raw and unflinching look at power dynamics, resistance, and the devastating impact of oppression. It takes the ancient myth of Draupadi from the Mahabharata and twists it into a modern, horrifying narrative to expose the systemic abuse faced by tribal women in post-colonial India. Story Summary "Draupadi" tells the story of Dopdi Mejhen, a tribal woman, specifically a Santhal, who is a revolutionary activist. She is part of an uprising against the oppressive state, which is brutally suppressing the tribal people, exploiting their land and resources. The story opens with the s...
Post a Comment
Read more

50 Important MCQs on The Anglo Saxon Age

This post is helpful in providing 50 Important MCQs on The Anglo Saxon Age of English Literature, moreover, this is helpful in the preparations of various entrance examinations and national examinations like UGC NET. The Anglo-Saxon age of English Literature begins from 410, and lasts till 1066 AD. This period is one of the most crucial period of English literary history since this is from where English Literature founded its roots from. 50 Important MCQs on The Anglo Saxon Age of English Literature 1 . In which period or age did the History of English Literature begin? a) The Medieval Period b) The Anglo Norman Period c) The Anglo Saxon Period d) The Neo-classical Period The Anglo Saxon Period 2. Beowulf, the only important piece of literature surviving since the Old English Period is a/an a) lyrical ballad b) Anglo Saxon epic c) prose narrative d) Classical epic Anglo Saxon epic 3. Which Germanic tribe came to England in the middle of 5th century? a) The Jutes b) The ...
Post a Comment
Read more