This paper is concerned with the topical references included in Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night or What you will. Topicality in the context of this paper is defined as all facts included in the play that are supposed to have been of current interest in the Elizabethan Age. For this purpose, the paper will proceed in three steps. First of all, some topical references frequently named by the secondary literature will be presented with special attention to the link established between the play and the several facts. Secondly, it is interesting to ask why some references were included. Taking the facts mentioned above into account, one basic assumption for this step is that playwrights do not only unconsciously mirror reality but do it for special, recipient-oriented reasons. At least one interesting theory developed by Anthony Alridge in his monograph Shakespeare and the Prince of Love. The Feast of Misrule in the Middle Temple will be discussed in this chapter. Finally, the facts discussed until that point will be summarized and questioned once more under another aspect: can topicality be a problem and for whom? That is why some thoughts will be spent on topicality as a problem in Shakespeare’s times and for the recipient in our post-modern days. Even though especially the last question concerning the gap between the horizons of understanding of both periods could be of special note for teachers, e.g., theirs is only little space for this particular topic because of the limitations this paper naturally has to take into account. This is also the reason why only some of the most stressing topical references can be discussed in the course of the paper. A lot of details have to be excluded. So the paper can show only some examples and discuss possible reasons for them.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Topical references in Twelfth Night - a selection
- 2.1 Geographical references.
- 2.2 Telling names - Orsino and Olivia
- 2.3 Twelfth Night as a mirror of social concerns – gender and social mobility
- 3 Topicality as a link between play and audience
- 4 Conclusion - topicality as a problem
- 5 Bibliography
- 6 Appendix.
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the topical references in Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night or What you will, aiming to understand how these references reflect contemporary Elizabethan society and their impact on the play's reception. It investigates the relationship between topicality and the play's audience and explores the potential problems or challenges associated with topical references, particularly in our contemporary context.
- Topical references in Twelfth Night and their connection to Elizabethan society
- The role of topicality in shaping the play's audience engagement
- The impact of topical references on the play's reception and understanding across different historical periods
- The potential challenges of interpreting topical references in a post-modern context
- The influence of Elizabethan culture and events on Shakespeare's dramatic choices.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by introducing the concept of topicality in Shakespearean plays and its significance in understanding the relationship between the play and its audience. It then explores a selection of geographical references in Twelfth Night, highlighting their connection to contemporary events such as the Sherley expeditions and William Barents' Arctic voyage. The paper further discusses how these references were likely inserted for reasons of topicality, engaging the audience's interest and familiarity with current affairs. Subsequent chapters delve into the broader implications of topicality, examining how the play reflects social concerns like gender and social mobility, and how the presence of topical references facilitated a direct link between the play and its audience. The analysis culminates in a discussion of the potential problems associated with topicality, particularly in terms of its impact on the play's reception and understanding across different historical periods.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper explores key concepts such as topical references, Elizabethan culture, geographical exploration, social concerns, audience engagement, historical context, and the reception of Shakespearean plays across different time periods.
- Quote paper
- Peter Grube (Author), 2007, Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" - Topicality as a problem, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/83631
