Classic to Modern English Literature

Venice Preserv'd is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was first premiered in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera. The play was soon printed and enjoyed many revivals through to the 1830s. It tells the story of Jaffeir, who becomes embroiled in a conspiracy to overthrow the corrupt Senate of Venice. This decision leads to conflicts with his lover Belvidera and his friend Pierre's complicated relationship with a courtesan. In 2019, the Royal Shakespeare Company staged a modern adaptation, Venice Preserved, at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. The story of "Venice Preserved" is partly founded upon St. Real's History of the Conspiracy of the Spaniards against the Republic of Venice, in 1618. Thomas Otway's Restoration revenge tragedy draws on motifs of sexual perversion and political corruption. In Prasanna Puwanarajah's fast-paced

↓ Introduction of New Criticism   New Criticism is a literary theory movement that originated in the first half of the 20th century in the United States and Great Britain. It is a formalist style of criticism that focuses on analyzing the text itself, without considering any external factors. New Criticism emphasizes close reading of a work of literature, particularly poetry, to discover how it functions as a self-contained, self-referential aesthetic object.  ↓ Founder of New Criticism   This theory arose in America and Great Britain in the first half of the 20th century. The movement derived its name from John Crowe Ransom's 1941 book The New Criticism. The works of Cambridge scholar I. A. Richards, especially his Practical Criticism, The Principles of Literary Criticism, and The Meaning of Meaning, which offered what was claimed to be an empirical scientific approach, were important to the development of a New Critical methodology.  Cleanth Brooks, John Crowe Ransom, and W. K. W

Poetics by Aristotle  Question : What is the main subject of Aristotle's "Poetics"? Answer : The main subject of Aristotle's "Poetics" is the theory of tragedy, its structure, components, and the principles underlying it. Question : According to Aristotle, what are the six components of tragedy? Answer : The six components of tragedy, according to Aristotle, are Plot, Character, Thought, Diction, Melody, and Spectacle. Question : What does Aristotle consider the most important element of tragedy? Answer : Aristotle considers the plot (mythos) the most important element of tragedy. Question : Define 'catharsis' as per Aristotle's "Poetics". Answer : 'Catharsis' in Aristotle's "Poetics" refers to the purification or purgation of emotions, particularly pity and fear, which the audience experiences through the events of the tragedy. Question : What is the concept of 'hamartia' in Aristotle's "Poetics&q

* Tragic Hero:  tragic hero heroes are the protagonists of tragedies, an old drama genre that originated in Ancient Greece. Tragedies contemplate the deeds and inevitable downfall of great individuals, typically caused by a significant flaw in that great individual. As a result, the tragic hero is the essential element of any classic tragedy. *A tragic hero is a type of character in a tragedy , and is usually the protagonist . Tragic heroes typically have heroic traits that earn them the sympathy of the audience, but also have flaws or make mistakes that ultimately lead to their own downfall. *The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to define a “tragic hero .” *The idea of the tragic hero was first defined by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle based on his study of Greek drama. *Despite the term “ tragic hero ,” it’s sometimes the case that tragic heroes are not really heroes at all in the typical sense—and in a few cases, antagonists may even be des

Elizabethan to Jacobean Drama ★ Elizabethan to Jacobean Drama ↓↓↓ Introduction of Elizabethan Age The name of the Elizabethan age was derived from the Tudor Monarch of England, Queen Elizabeth I, whose reign lasted from 1558 to 1603. During this age, several important dramatists emerged, including William Shakespeare ("Hamlet"), Christopher Marlowe ("Doctor Faustus"), Ben Jonson ("Volpone"), Thomas Kyd ("The Spanish Tragedy"), and John Webster ("The Duchess of Malfi"). This period is renowned for significant accomplishments such as those by Sir Francis Drake. Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake (circa 1540–1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, and privateer. He is best known for his circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, making him the second person to complete this journey, after Ferdinand Magellan. Drake

Collapsible Sections Introduction Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) was an Irish playwright, wrote ‘Waiting for Godot’ (or, En Attendant Godot) in the mid twentieth century. It was a tragicomedy in two acts which was composed between 1948 to 1949. It was first published in 1952. The play was a true innovation in drama and The theatre of Absurd’s first theatrical success. It ensues mainly two characters Vladimir and Estragon, they wait to meet an unarrival character “Godot”. In a nutshell, the play has been praised for its “humour and humanity”. Furthermore, a Canadian Literary critic Hugh Kenner comments on the name of “Godot”; which was come from the French slang word “godillot,” means, “a cheap, poorly-made shoe.” Summary At the beginning of the play, two chief character, Vladimir and Estragon wait near a tree and consenting “nothing to be done” today. In this regard, Vladimir asks Estragon abou

Collapsible Sections Introduction One of Mahasweta Devi’s short stories ‘Draupadi’ was first published in 1978 in her collection, “Agnigarbha”. It was translated into English by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, she came out in the Critical Inquiry journal in 1981 and later in her collection Breast Stories in 1997. And in the story, we know about a woman, Dopdi Mehjen, the protagonist of the story, who belongs to the Santhal tribe of West Bengal. She was a character like English folklore “Robin hood”. We see Draupadi and her husband, Dulna murder a wealthy landlords, surja sahu. Summary At the beginning of the story, we see Draupadi or Dopdi as her name appears in dialect, is a “Santhal tribe girl”, who is “vulnerable to injustice but resist the burnt of social oppression and violence with strong will and courage and, even try to deconstruct the age old structures of racial and gender discriminat

Robert Browning (1812-1889)was one of the most influential poets of all time. His dramatic monologue was so famous. He often used in his poetry, "Irony, Characterization, Dark Humour, and Social Commentary." However, our poem, "Porphyria's Lover" was first published in the issue of, "Monthly Repository." Browning has used his writing style, dramatic monologue.  In his monologue, he often uses voiced by eccentrics, lunatics, or people under emotional stress. In both "Porphyria's Lover" and "My Last Duchess", he shows a woman who has killed her before. He is telling us about his beloved that how postion, situation, and other, she has taken.  summary:      • THE rain set early in to-night,  ★ The poet here expresses about the rainy season's night.   • The sullen wind was soon awake, ★ He shows an intolerable storm like wind has come to them.  • It tore the elm-tops down for spite, ★He expresses that the storm has broken "e

  English Literature MCQs 10 Most Important Multiple Choice Questions Regarding UGC NET in English Who is the writer of "Pride and Prejudice"? A) Charles Dickens B) Emily Brontë C) Jane Austen D) Mark Twain Show Answer Answer: C) Jane Austen Which play shows the character Prospero? A) Macbeth B) The Tempest C) Hamlet D) King Lear Show Answer Answer: B) The Tempest What is the name of the monster in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"? A) Dracula B) The Creature C) Mr. Hyde D) Grendel Show Answer

The Tyger by William Blake line by line Explanation: First Stanza    1) Tyger Tyger, burning bright,  (Tiger tiger, resplendent with bright light,)  2) In the forests of the night;    (In the deep forest of night;)  3) What immortal hand or eye ,    (no eternal power or vision,)  4) Could frame thy fearful symmetry?  (Could your scary Sushma create?)   Second stanza :  5) In what distant deeps or skies.    (in some distant abyss or firmament,)  6) Burnt the fire of thine eyes?  (Did your eyes light up?)  7) On what wings dare he aspire?  (On what fin does he dare to be ambitious?)  8) What the hand, dare seize the fire?  (Which hand dares to take that fire?)   Third Stanza :  9) And what shoulder, & what art ,  (No power, no skill,)  10) Could twist the sinews of thy heart?  (Can your heart get on the nerves?)  11) And when thy heart began to beat.  (And when your heart starts pounding,)  12) What dread hand? & what dread feet?  (Any scary hands? Any scary feet?)   Fourth Stan