The ambition of this short literary essay is two-fold. Firstly, it aims to briefly explore some of the literary sources used to shape and create Herman Melville’s 1851 novel, Moby Dick. A multitude of literary sources could be suggested to influence Melville’s work but the principle works focused upon in this discussion are William Shakespeare’s tragic play Macbeth and John Milton’s epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’. By drawing upon linguistic and symbolic parallels present between Moby Dick and these two works, the essay aims to show how Melville alludes to classical sources to create a refreshingly modern piece of work. The second goal of the essay is to explore in greater detail Melville’s use of language in ‘Moby Dick.’ Several critics have noted in past discussion that Moby Dick’s triumph lies embedded in its sophisticated verse, with Richard Brodhead crediting a large portion of the novel’s greatness to be owed to the author’s powerful command on the English language. With this view in mind, the essay examines some of Melville’s own linguistic accomplishments in order to decide whether “more persistently than anything else – more persistently than it is the heroic, or philosophic, or whatever – Moby-Dick is a book in love with language” (Brodhead, 1986).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- ABSTRACT
- Chapter 31: Queen Mab
- Chapter 19: The Prophet
- Stubb’s Supper
- The Candles
- Cetology
- The Tail
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay aims to explore the literary sources that influenced Herman Melville's 1851 novel, "Moby Dick," particularly the works of William Shakespeare and John Milton. It will examine how Melville utilizes language in the novel to create a complex and multifaceted narrative.
- The Influence of Shakespeare and Milton on Melville's Writing Style
- The Use of Language as a Tool for Creation and Destruction of Meaning in Moby Dick
- The Relationship Between Classic and Modern Literary Elements in Moby Dick
- The Power and Limitations of Language in Capturing Reality and Truth
- The Role of Humor and Satire in Melville's Narrative
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
Chapter 31, "Queen Mab," draws a clear connection to Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" through its title and content. Melville's use of Shakespeare's dramatic rhetoric and poetic language is further explored in Chapter 19, "The Prophet," which echoes the opening scene of Shakespeare's "Macbeth." The chapter "Stubb's Supper" demonstrates Melville's adoption of comedic interludes to balance the dramatic action in the novel, mirroring Shakespeare's use of this technique.
The essay then turns to Melville's use of language in the complex chapter "Cetology." This chapter, while appearing to offer a scientific account of whales, utilizes language as a powerful tool to deconstruct the whale's grandeur through humor and satire, ultimately highlighting the limitations of language to fully capture reality.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of this essay are: Herman Melville, Moby Dick, William Shakespeare, John Milton, literary influences, language, symbolism, satire, humor, and the nature of reality.
- Quote paper
- Lindsey McIntosh (Author), 2014, 'Old Antiquities and New Features'. Melville's Style and Literary Influences in 'Moby Dick', Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/306203
