ENGL 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Protestantism, Elizabethan Literature, Petrarchan Sonnet
13 Jun 2016
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Nostalgia for monastic communities to be broken up in england following the reformation. Egalitarian facade of utopia, there"s a strong authoritative figure behind it. Equality is achieved by unrealistic or inhuman methods. Dangers of imposing ideas too rigidly, without taking into account human nature. We contain emotions too, which should be taken into account. Presented as ideal because relatively easy working situation - no one works more than 6 hours a day, no idle clergy or aristocracy. Ancient greece - birthplace of democracy was also a slave society. Slaves are there to do the unpleasant work. Instead they get the slaves to kill things and eat them quite happily without anxiety. Utopians will not fight battles, but they hire mercenaries to that. If the savages win that"s great, if they lose that"s great too because we can exterminate savages. Disturbing elements in utopia that undermine the ideal that moore presents us with.
