ENGL 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Samuel Pepys, Cultural Capital, Hamlet Q1

• School: Queen's University
• Department: English
• Course: ENGL 100
• Professor: John Pierce

Document Summary

Traditionalist approach: the artistic or aesthetic worth of shakespeare"s plays, shakespeare is great writing , the values taught by shakespeare"s plays, moral teaching in shakespeare, the universal appeal of shakespeare"s plays. Samuel pepys in shakespeare (1622: wrote a diary on shakespeare"s plays shortly after they were produced, negative reviews on his plays, question the universal appeal , plays were rewritten to make it more appealing for the audience. Conservative position: implies transcendent court of judgment, decision too include works based on intrinsic worth or ideal aesthetic value, absolute aesthetic value. Liberal position: implies scene of conspiracy, decision to include works by elite groups, male writers, upper class, white, european. In what social circumstances does reading and writing take place: literature as cultural capital , shakespeare adapted to different cultural moments better then most writers, has a cultural capital - transformed and adapted. Tragedy: serious actions which eventuate in a disastrous conclusion for the protagonist (abrams 405)