War, Peace and Knowledge in William Shakespeare’s Drama
Loading...
Date
2009
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mouloud MAMMERI University of Tizi Ouzou
Abstract
This dissertation deals with three representative plays by William
Shakespeare with reference to the themes of war, peace, love and knowledge. The
three plays are Henry VI, Coriolanus, and The Tempest, written respectively in
1594, 1607 and in 1611. One of the arguments developed in the dissertation is that
Shakespeare’s position concerning these themes was determined to a large extent
by the intellectual and socio-political contexts in which they were produced. For
example, the analysis shows that Henry VI was produced at a time of political
turmoil and fear of political instability due to intrigue both at home and abroad, and
that Shakespeare observed an ambiguous position towards war and peace. He
praised the ideal of peace, he put more emphasis on the danger of war which can
lead the country back to the chaos of the War of the Roses. War remained in the
background, but it did not disappear completely as Elizabeth I and Henry VI were
depicted as royals in love with knowledge. In Coriolanus, Shakespeare did not fail
to poke fun at the war mongers. The times changed with the ascension to power
by King James known for his pacifism. As he moved to the writing of The Tempest,
Shakespeare depicted the Renaissance man par excellence in the shape of
Prospero. The latter introduced revolutionary ideals in the practice of politics.
Prospero was regarded as the best representative of this Renaissance man also
who linked up the practice of politics with that of ethics. Knowledge became the
best means to impose power and ensure political stability. The study is carried
from the new-historicist perspective since it pays attention to the political and
intellectual contexts of their production and consumption.
Description
124p.:ill;30cm.(+cd)
Keywords
Citation
Literature.