Colonialist discourse in The Tempest: Fact or myth

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British
Cover of the book Colonialist discourse in The Tempest: Fact or myth by Jenny Roch, GRIN Verlag
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jenny Roch ISBN: 9783638376785
Publisher: GRIN Verlag Publication: May 11, 2005
Imprint: GRIN Verlag Language: English
Author: Jenny Roch
ISBN: 9783638376785
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
Publication: May 11, 2005
Imprint: GRIN Verlag
Language: English

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 15/20, University of Glasgow (Department of English Literature), course: Shakespeare/module11/ University of Glasgow, 9 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Ever since its publication in 1609 (?), The Tempest has been a hugely appreciated play, most probably on account of its ability to satisfy everyone's taste: music and dancing, action, suspense, comedy and love, The Tempest has got it all. But just as the play is enjoyable, it is also complicated, multilayered. Recent criticism of the play, especially since the 1950s, has focused on the colonial discourse supposedly underlying the play. Stephen Greenblatt for instance, on the sub ject of Caliban, argues that he 'is anything but a Noble Savage'. For James Smith, he is 'one of the most obviously nightmarish figures in the play'. I have in the past six months seen two productions of The Tempest, and never did it strike me as being a play infused with colonial discourse. Although Shakespeare's interest in other cultures and exploring the 'exotic', the 'other' pervades the entire corpus of his work, one should be careful about freely associating this curiosity of the unknown with colonial discourse- whether deliberate or unintentional on Shakespeare's part- or race-writing. 'In discussion of value, Shakespeare is, of course, invariably treated as a special case, having come to serve as something like the gold standard of English Literature'. Although this is a contestable statement in itself, the aim of this essay is not to discuss the authority and reliability of Shakespeare as a playwright, but to question the views which label The Tempest as a colonial, post-colonial, proto - colonial play. There is no need to discuss the existence of othering in the play, as this would be stating the obvious. Rather, I would like to show that, although many incidents in the play may invite a reader to a colonial reading of the text, they can just as well be over- interpretations and fall victim to a subjugation of a discourse foreign to Shakespeare's intentions.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 15/20, University of Glasgow (Department of English Literature), course: Shakespeare/module11/ University of Glasgow, 9 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: Ever since its publication in 1609 (?), The Tempest has been a hugely appreciated play, most probably on account of its ability to satisfy everyone's taste: music and dancing, action, suspense, comedy and love, The Tempest has got it all. But just as the play is enjoyable, it is also complicated, multilayered. Recent criticism of the play, especially since the 1950s, has focused on the colonial discourse supposedly underlying the play. Stephen Greenblatt for instance, on the sub ject of Caliban, argues that he 'is anything but a Noble Savage'. For James Smith, he is 'one of the most obviously nightmarish figures in the play'. I have in the past six months seen two productions of The Tempest, and never did it strike me as being a play infused with colonial discourse. Although Shakespeare's interest in other cultures and exploring the 'exotic', the 'other' pervades the entire corpus of his work, one should be careful about freely associating this curiosity of the unknown with colonial discourse- whether deliberate or unintentional on Shakespeare's part- or race-writing. 'In discussion of value, Shakespeare is, of course, invariably treated as a special case, having come to serve as something like the gold standard of English Literature'. Although this is a contestable statement in itself, the aim of this essay is not to discuss the authority and reliability of Shakespeare as a playwright, but to question the views which label The Tempest as a colonial, post-colonial, proto - colonial play. There is no need to discuss the existence of othering in the play, as this would be stating the obvious. Rather, I would like to show that, although many incidents in the play may invite a reader to a colonial reading of the text, they can just as well be over- interpretations and fall victim to a subjugation of a discourse foreign to Shakespeare's intentions.

More books from GRIN Verlag

Cover of the book Unterschiedliche Auswirkungen der intensiven und extensiven Intervallmethode auf die Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Le Sahara - Entre Reverberation Post Colonial et conflit d'interets by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Schutz und Schranken des Eigentums in der verfassungsmäßigen Ordnung von China by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Funktion der Schule und ihre Sozialisationseffekte by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Raum und Bedarf von Begabtenförderung in der 'neuen Bildungsdebatte' by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Die Änderungskündigung - Definition, Formen und Verfahren by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Immanuel Kants 'Idee zu einer allgemeinen Geschichte in weltbürgerlicher Absicht': Völkerbund und Teleologie? by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Legal Highs: Ein neuer Trend auf dem deutschen Drogenmarkt? by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Journalismus als Beruf - Modelle der Journalismusforschung by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Eine Einführung in die Phonetik by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Server im Internet und ihre Dienste by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Bildungsprozesse durch Weblogs by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Governance und Gouvernementalität. Chancen und Perspektiven der Analyse internationaler Politik by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Customer Lifetime Value. Was ist ein Kunde wert? by Jenny Roch
Cover of the book Trends in der Automobilindustrie by Jenny Roch
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy