LIFE AND LITERATURE

  ON THE PRINCIPLES OF SHAKESPEAREAN INTERPRETATION             The following essays present an interpretation of Shakespeare’s work which may tend at first to confuse and perhaps even repel the reader: therefore I here try to clarify the points at issue. In this essay I outline what I believe to be the main hindrances to a proper understanding of Shakespeare; I also suggest the path which I think a sound interpretation should pursue. My remarks are, however, to be read as a counsel of perfection. Yet, though I cannot claim to follow them throughout in practice, this preliminary discussion, in showing what I have been at pains to do and to avoid, will serve to indicate the direction of my attempt. THE SHAKESPEAREAN METAPHYSIC        Two groups must be contrasted: first, plays of the hate-theme, that is: Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida, Othello, King Lear, Timon of Athens; second, plays analysing evil in the human mind: the Brutus-theme in Julius Caesar, Hamlet, and Macbeth. The divisi

                                                             THE RIVALS                                                                                    -SHERIDAN  Summary       “The Rivals” is a Comedy of Manners by Irish-born dramatist and statesman Richard Brinsley Sheridan. The five-act play first premiered in 1775, marking Sheridan’s work as a standout piece of eighteenth-century theatre. The comedy was not always so well-received, however. After its initial premiere, it was roundly criticized and dismissed as subpar craft. Needing funds and intent on his writing, Sheridan learned from his mistakes with the initial premiere.       He cut the work by an hour, strengthened the characters and premiered a practically new comedy, which was well-received, and which is the version now performed and read. Comedies such as “The Rivals” are a product of their time, often infused with the prevailing thought of the day. As such, one would expect Sheridan’s play to be filled with the moraliz

                                                                 RIP VAN WINKLE                                                                         -WASINGTON IRVING        Rip Van Winkle" is a short story written by the American author Washington Irving and published in 1819. The story was originally published as part of a collection called "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent". The story was written while Irving was living in Birmingham, England. The story was one of the biggest successes of the collection and has since been adapted into plays, operettas, concerts, poems, comic books, cartoons, TV shows, claymation, web series and films.      The story tells the tale of a kindly but lazy man named Rip Van Winkle, who lives in a small village at the foot of the Kaatskill mountain in New York. Rip is constantly henpecked by his nagging wife and takes to hunting with his dog all day in the mountains in order to avoid her.      One day, Rip realizes that

    Characteristics of Language Introduction Language is essentially a human phenomenon. It is one form of communication but it is the most frequently used and mostly highly developed form of Human communication. Language distinguishes Human and Animal. Human language has certain characteristics. Characteristics of Language  Means of communication  Arbitrary  Systems of system  Primary vocal  Social Behaviour  Symbol System  Productivity  Interchange ability Means of communication: Language is an important tool for communication. One can communicate one felling idea and belief to the other by means of a language other means of communication like gestures, nods, smiles, mathematics symbol, maps, etc. Arbitrary: Language is arbitrary there is no inherent relationship between the words of a language and the meaning or idea conveyed by them. Example:  There is no reason for why four leg animals are called Dog in English and Nai in Tamil. The meaning of these words is based on rando

  THE DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE           The dramatic monologue’s primary advantage lies in its masking of the author through the subjective speaker. As Ralph W. Rader points out, the mask lyric resolves the poet’s sophisticated attempt to express, while at the same time objectifying and limiting, an aspect of his own subjective situation” . Because the poet’s voice is “masked,” he cannot be accused of making repugnant statements, hence in “Porphyria’s Lover,” the reader is drawn into the speaker’s mind and even fascinated by the rationale of his madness. At no time does it occur to the reader’s conscious mind that Browning is speaking (or even writing), yet there is an awareness that this text is a written poem, created by a specific individual. The merging of the poet and the speaker in the mind of the reader occurs without any conscious effort on the part of the reader. Rader explains this merging of duality: “this dual effect is based on our in-built capacity to empathize with the innern

  OBSTACLES TO PRESENTATION Why is it important to present in clear English? In your verbal and written presentations, the aim is to communicate effectively-not to confuse or belittle the audience. Politicians are notorious for twisting the English language and avoiding speaking clearly. At all times the aim should be clarity. Research indicates that even the most educated would prefer clear English to academic jargon-they may not admit it-but it is true! In the famous movie 'My Fair Lady', the importance of clear English is demonstrated when Eliza Doolittle tries to impress a crowd at the Ascot Races with the comment "The shallow depression over the west of the continent is likely to move slowly in an easterly direction." No-one had any idea what she was talking about. What she meant to say was 'I think we are in for cold weather.  Similarly when the Melbourne zoo in Australia, many years ago, refurbished the zoo they placed the most important sign at the ent

  WAITING FOR GODOT                                                                                     -SAMUEL BECKETT        It is tempting to view Samuel Beckett‘s “Waiting for Godot‘ as a play of nothingness, with no value or meaning but that of two men waiting for something or someone to arrive. However, the companionship that the two protagonist characters portray underneath the humour and bleakness of Beckett‘s two part tragi-comedy, clearly offers us something elevating amongst the emptiness of the bleak world that the characters are staged within. As the play progresses and we begin to learn about these two character‘s lives, it becomes clear that they share a companionship, caring deeply for one another and in many ways a need for each other in order to survive the hostile place in which they are living in.        From the very start of the play we become aware of the companionship of Vladimir and Estragon. As the play opens