Dynamism of Character in Shakespeare's Mature TragediesDynamism of Character in Shakespeare's Mature Tragedies applies the systems theory of character to the analysis of the psychological and dramatic consistency of the main characters of Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. The theory considers human behavior in terms of functional equilibrium between the stable properties of the mind, independent of the pressures of the sociocultural environment and the immediate situational context. What we call character thus denotes an autonomous configuration of psychological elements, which ensure the consistency and continuity of individual identity, despite the influence of the changing external circumstances. intuitive, and impressionistic approaches to character criticism, to the New Critical aesthetic readings of Shakespeare's plays which often ignore psychology as a valid interpretive perspective, and to the more recent cultural materialist readings that consider dramatic characters solely as functions of external, sociocultural forces. Piotr Sadowski teaches English literature at the American College Dublin, Dublin Business School, and Trinity College Dublin. |
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Contents
| 7 | |
| 13 | |
Toward Systems Theory of Character | 26 |
Dynamism of Character | 49 |
Characters in Action | 81 |
Hamlet | 98 |
Othello | 164 |
King Lear | 219 |
Macbeth | 273 |
| 300 | |
| 318 | |
| 324 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accept action appear attitude balance becomes behavior called Cassio cause character Claudius completely concern consistent Cordelia critics daughters death decision dependent Desdemona dramatic duty dynamic Edgar effect Emilia emotional endodynamic endostatic example exodynamic exostatic external fact father feelings figure final finds follow given gives Gloucester Goneril Hamlet hand human husband Iago Iago's Imagination important individual initial interest interpreted involved justice killing king King Lear Lady Laertes lago Lear Lear's less literary live Macbeth mature means mental mind moral motives murder nature needs Ophelia opposite Othello personality play plot political Polonius position possible practical present principles probably psychological reaction reason regard relations remains respect responsible result revenge role rules scene sense Shakespeare's situation social speak stage static static character things tion traditional Tragedies tragic turn types wife women
References to this book
Hamlet, Protestantism, and the Mourning of Contingency: Not to be John E. Curran No preview available - 2006 |
Bibliographic information
| Title | Dynamism of Character in Shakespeare's Mature Tragedies |
| Author | Piotr Sadowski |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | University of Delaware Press, 2003 |
| ISBN | 0874138469, 9780874138467 |
| Length | 327 pages |
| Subjects | › Literary Criticism / Shakespeare |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |