🟥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* Significance: It preserves 36 plays, including 18 that were unpublished during Shakespeare's lifetime (e.g., Macbeth, The Tempest).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.
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