ENGL 348 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Hubris, Incest, Lesson Learned
Document Summary
First performed by shakespeare"s company: thomas middleton & john ford collaborated w/ webster, explore theme of hubris (aristocratic arrogance, corruption at top of social ladder, looks at women"s liberty & arranged marriage as topic. Servant bosola kills aristocrats: audience wants them to die; play celebrates social rebellion, bosola is sacrificial character, his dirtiness means we can support him then disown him (just as webster does, powerful become powerless & powerless become powerful. Fantasizes about his sisters lovers & what kind of punishments he would give them: more like devil at end of play, looks in fish pool & sees hell where he is going (reflection is devil) In othello & much ado: revenge provides men way to assert themselves as powerful, commanding males (& as aristocrats) Jacobian court had much scandal: licentiousness, overspending, appropriation of liberties: webster shows how courts should be like.
