Many modern critics, among them T.S. Eliot and Hugh Grady, focus on Shakespeare's role as avant-gardist and precursor of modern literature. Thus, most of their critical notices are concerned with Shakespeare's influence on literature, theatre, and language. One particularly frequently chosen subject is the assessment of his various contributions to English culture and, concomitantly, the examination of new standards Shakespeare has set. Last but not least, they elucidate his role as a preeminent model, when dissecting the effect his works had on authors like Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf.
What these contemporary critics often do not emphasize strongly enough is the extent to which Shakespeare draws from tradition to compose his plays. This term paper will show the ascendancy of history in "Twelfth Night", where Shakespeare analyzes the various considerations of love present at that time, weighs up good and bad aspects, and, subsequently, develops an own theory on true love. In a first step, the paper reveals Elizabethan love concepts in the relationships between the main characters and points out how Shakespeare evaluates these various concepts. Finally, it makes a supposition on his understanding of true love.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Orsino as a Petrarchan: enacted feelings
- 3. Melancholic love: Olivia in a mood of depression
- 4. Congeniality: union of souls between Orsino and Cesario
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, analyzing how Shakespeare utilizes and evaluates Elizabethan love conventions within the play's relationships. It investigates Shakespeare's perspective on true love by exploring different love concepts present in the play.
- Petrarchan love and its enactment
- Melancholic love and its passive nature
- Congeniality and spiritual love as alternatives
- Shakespeare's critique of idealized love conventions
- The concept of "true love" in Elizabethan society and Shakespeare's interpretation
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper's analysis of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It highlights the tendency of modern critics to focus on Shakespeare's avant-garde aspects, often neglecting the extent to which he draws from tradition. The paper aims to demonstrate the significance of Elizabethan love conventions in Twelfth Night, analyzing how Shakespeare integrates these conventions and develops his own theory of true love. It outlines the methodology, focusing on Petrarchism, melancholic love, and congeniality as described by Pearson's Elizabethan Love Conventions, and prepares the ground for a critical evaluation of Shakespeare’s portrayal of these love concepts.
2. Orsino as a Petrarchan: enacted feelings: This chapter analyzes Orsino's character as a representation of Petrarchan love in Twelfth Night. It defines Petrarchism based on Pearson's work, highlighting adoration, passion, and the worship of beauty. However, the analysis reveals Orsino's love for Olivia to be largely performative, a self-constructed image rather than genuine emotion. Orsino's inconsistencies—his failure to meet his own standards of true love, his preoccupation with Cesario, and his use of intermediaries—expose the falsity of his Petrarchan facade. Shakespeare's portrayal of Orsino serves as a critique of Petrarchan love, highlighting its unrealistic and irrational aspects, particularly its passivity and failure to address genuine emotional needs. The chapter concludes by suggesting that Orsino's actions represent a distorted and ultimately negative representation of Petrarchism.
3. Melancholic love: Olivia in a mood of depression: This chapter shifts focus to Olivia's melancholic love, exploring her passive mourning for her brother. Olivia’s intense devotion to the memory of her brother is highlighted through symbolic imagery, such as the cypress and raven, representing her grief and emotional state. The chapter's analysis sets the stage for a further comparison with other forms of love depicted in the play and foreshadows a later examination of more genuine relationships. The depth of Olivia's grief is presented as a form of passive love, mirroring Orsino’s passivity but stemming from a different source, highlighting the contrast between active and passive expressions of love in the play. This sets the scene for examining other forms of love within the play.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Elizabethan love conventions, Petrarchism, melancholic love, congeniality, true love, passion, performance, passivity, gender roles, literary analysis.
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: A Comprehensive FAQ
What is this document about?
This document provides a comprehensive preview of a scholarly paper analyzing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It includes the table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords. The paper examines how Shakespeare uses and critiques Elizabethan love conventions within the play's relationships, focusing on Petrarchan love, melancholic love, and congeniality.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
The paper explores several key themes related to love in Elizabethan society and Shakespeare's portrayal of it. These include Petrarchan love and its enactment (particularly its performative aspects), melancholic love and its passive nature, congeniality and spiritual love as alternatives to idealized love, Shakespeare's critique of idealized love conventions, and the concept of "true love" as interpreted by Shakespeare.
What are the main chapters and their focus?
The paper is structured as follows:
- Chapter 1: Introduction: Sets the context, highlighting the paper's focus on Elizabethan love conventions within Twelfth Night and outlining the methodology.
- Chapter 2: Orsino as a Petrarchan: enacted feelings: Analyzes Orsino's character as a representation of Petrarchan love, revealing its performative and ultimately flawed nature.
- Chapter 3: Melancholic love: Olivia in a mood of depression: Explores Olivia's melancholic love as a form of passive love, contrasting it with other forms in the play.
How does the paper approach the analysis of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night?
The analysis draws heavily on Pearson's work on Elizabethan love conventions, using Petrarchism, melancholic love, and congeniality as frameworks for understanding the relationships in Twelfth Night. The paper aims to move beyond simply identifying avant-garde aspects of the play and delve into how Shakespeare utilizes and critiques established literary traditions.
What is the significance of Petrarchan love in the analysis?
The paper examines Orsino's character as an example of Petrarchan love, focusing on the idealized and often unrealistic aspects of this style of love. The analysis reveals how Shakespeare may be critiquing the performative and passive nature of Petrarchan love.
What role does melancholic love play in the analysis?
Olivia's melancholic love for her brother serves as a case study in passive love, contrasting with the performative love displayed by Orsino. It highlights the diversity of emotional responses within the play's exploration of love.
What are the keywords associated with the paper?
The keywords associated with the paper include: Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Elizabethan love conventions, Petrarchism, melancholic love, congeniality, true love, passion, performance, passivity, gender roles, and literary analysis.
What is the overall objective of the paper?
The overarching objective is to investigate Shakespeare's perspective on true love by exploring different love concepts within Twelfth Night and analyzing how he utilizes and evaluates Elizabethan love conventions.
- Quote paper
- Ann-Kathrin Latter (Author), 2014, Variety of love in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/354500
