Neo – classical Literature,

Name: Savani Manisha R,

Paper:  (102) Neo – classical Literature,

Topic: satirical exposure of fictional illusion,

Roll no: 15

M.A: 2

Year -2012-13

                               Submitted To,

Dr, Dilip Barad.

English department,

M.K Bhavnagar University

‘’Gulliver’s Travels ‘’ is a great work of social satire.

                              Swift‘s age was an age of smug complacency. Corruption was rampant and the people were still satisfied. Thus Jonathan Swift tears the veil of smug complacency off which had blinded the to realities. In ‘’ Gulliver‘s Travels’’ there is a satire on politics’ human physiognomy, intellect manners and morality.

             Satire in the first voyage of Lilliput:

                 

           Swift satirizes on politics and political tactics practiced in England through Lilliputians, the, the dwarf’s of six inches height. He satirizes the manner in which political offices were awarded by English king in his time. Flimnap, the treasurer, represents Sir Robert Walpole who was the prime minister of England, Dancing on tight ropes symbolizes Walpole’ skill in parliamentary tactics and political intrigues . The ancient temple, in which Gulliver is housed in Lilliput ‘refers to Westminster Hall in which Charles I was condemned to death. The three fine silk threads awarded as prizes to his favorites. The Lilliputians were highly superstitious.

                ‘’They bury their dead with their head directly downwards because they hold an opinion that after eleven thousand moons they are all to rise again’’

                                 Gulliver’s account of the annoyance of the Empress of Lilliput on extinguishing fire in her apartment is Swift’s satirical way of describing Queen Anne ‘s annoyance with him on writing’’ A Tale of  a Tub ‘’  Swift ‘s satire becomes  amusing when Gulliver speaks of the conflict between the Big Indians and the Little Indians. In this account Swift is ridiculing the conflicts between the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. High Heel and Low Heel represent Whig and Tory – two political parties in England

    Satire in the second voyage of Brobdingnag:

                                There is a general satire on human body human talents and human limitations. Gulliver gives us his reaction to the coarseness and ugliness of human body. When Gulliver gives an account , to the king of Brobdingnag,  of the life in his own country, the trade , the wars , the conflicts in religion, the political parties, the king remarks that the history of Gulliver ‘s country seems to be series of conspiracies, rebellions, murders , revolutions and banishment etc..King condemns the fatal use of gunpowder and the books written on the act of governing. King mocks at th3e human race of which Gulliver is the agent.

‘’The most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the truth’’

                      

                     Swift here ridicules human pride and pretension. The sight is, indeed, horrible and disgusting. Among the beggars is a woman with a cancer in her breast.

‘ I t stood prominent six feet, and could not be less than sixteen in circumference … spots and pimples that nothing could appear more nauseous.’’

                             There is man with a huge tumor in his neck; author beggar has wooden legs but the most hateful sight is that of the lice crawling on their clothes. This d3escription reinforces swift views of the ugliness and foulness of the human body.

In the third voyage to Luputa:

                      There is a satire on human intellect, human mind and on science, philosophy and mathematics. However, his satire is not very bitter. We are greatly amused by the useless experiments and researches, which are going on at the academy of projectors in Lagado. Here scientists wants to extract sunbeams out of cucumbers ,to convert human excrement into its original food , to build house from the roof downward to the foundation, to obtain silk from cobwebs and to produce books on various subjects by the use of machine without having to exert one’s brain.

‘’Their heads were inclined either to the right or to left , one of their eyes turned inward , and the other directly up to Zenith.’

’

                 Swift amuses us by making a fun of the people whose sole interests are music and geometry.

‘’They made a lot of theories but practically nil.’’

                                Swift here ridicules scientists, academics, planers, intellectual, in fact, all people who proceed only according to theory which are useless when they come to actual practice. He satirizes historian and literary critics though Gulliver‘s interviews with the ghosts of famous dead. The point satire vies that historian often distorts facts and literary critics often misinterpret great authors like Homer and Aristotle.

In the forth voyage:

                        There is a bitter poignant satire on human moral shortcomings. Voyage contains some of the most corrosive and offensive satire on mankind. The description of the Yahoos given to us by Gulliver is regrettable.

‘’ Yet I confess I never say any sensitive being so detestable on all accounts: and the more I came near them, the more hateful they grew.’’

By contrast, the Houyhnhnm's are nobleman benevolent horses who are governed by resonant lead an ordered life. It is indeed a bitter criticism on the human race to be compared by the Houyhnhnms. The satire deepens when Gulliver gives an account, to the master Houyhnhnms.The satire deepens when Gulliver gives an account to the master Houyhnhnms. The satire deepens when Gulliver gives Houyhnhnms of the events in his country. He tells him that war in Europe countries was sometimes due to the ambition of the kings and sometimes due to the corruption of the ministers. He speaks of the numerous deadly weapons employed by European nations for destructive purposes. Many people in his country ruin themselves by drinking, gambling and debauchery and many are guilty of murders theft, robbery, forgery and rape. The master speaks of the master the Houyhnhnms are excellent beings.

‘’Here was neither physician to destroy my body not lawyer to ruin my fortune : no informer to my words and action .. here were no backbiters , pickpockets, highway men, house- breakers… politicians, wits murders ,robbers, no cheating shop keeper or mechanics, no pride vanity or affection.’’

                              Thus, Gulliver’s travels as full of satirical novel by Jonathan swift. The satire is the symbolic significance of novel and swift do the satire in England society.

Litrery theory and criticism,

                                     

Name: Savani Manisha R,

Paper: Literary theory and criticism,

Topic: Aristotle, the theory of mimeses

Roll no: 15

M.A: 2

Year -2012-13

                               Submitted To,

Dr, Dilip Barad.

English department,

M.K Bhavnagar University

                                               Aristotle belongs to the 1^st century b.c he was the displine of Plato .but he was not impressed by the extreme point of view of his master reading contributed to all the branch of study through his deep neutral thinking. He expresses his view on poets and poetry in his famous book the’ poetic’. His comments on poetry are answer to Plato objection to poetry and poets . Unlike Plato, Aristotle looks at poetry without any prejudice criticize all the major literary forms like epics, lyric , tragedy and comedy in his book . He observes that all fine arts essentially included imitation. He emphasis es the view that the chief  function and not to teach moral lesson .Aristotle had the Greek models on hand when  he commented upon poetry. He distinguishes of the human mind. He says that any work of art included three elements . They are the object, imitation ,the medium in which the object is presented and the way in which the object is treated . Aristotle at length, discusses the tragedy in ‘The poetics ‘ and gives the definition of tragedy that ‘’if the poet imitates something less than life ‘he also gives something more. He further observes that any work of art is not the exact imitation of the object proper. In other words , art is not the carbon copy of life. He says that the artistcreates something more than the physical object through his imagination . In that case the part is greater than the whole.

                        Aristotle shows the importance of the poetics, truth and comments on poetry solely from aesthetic point of view. He told about the design or the format of work of art. He says that any work of art offers an organic whole , Moreover, he observes that the artist presents probable impossibilities rather than possible improbability in a work of art . It means the artist tells about the probability of the actual events. The things of the actual events. The things that may not have happened in real life, may take place in poetry . the artist is not interested  in the events of life only sometimes the events might have happened in real life but if they look improbable or unconvincing in poetry, the poet would avoided to depict such events in a work of art . Through the term probable impossibilities Aristotle gives answer to the tragedy , Aristotle gives the term ‘Katharina means purgation of emotions . Kathasis is a Greek word and it refers to the purification of the passions of our minds . When we watch the stage , we, as avoidance, identity ourselves with the hero of the tragedy and through pity and fear we sympathies with the hero. We may not be put in the same condition in real life . our evil through are purified by watching the tragedy . Aristotle believes that art should not be necessarily didactic and art is not a slavish imitation of reality .  

                          Aristotle did not invent the term ‘’imitation’’ Plato was the first use the word in connection with poetry but Aristotle breathes into its new and definite meaning ,so that poetic imitation no longer remains mere mimicry a mere act of servile copying but becomes an act of imaginative creation by makes something new out of it.

                           In Aristotle’s view it is the principle of imitation which unites poetry with the other fine arts. Imitation is the common basis of all the fine arts, and it is this fact of imitation which difference the fine arts from the other category of arts of Example the useful arts . While plato has equated poetry with painting , Aristotle equates it with music. It no longer remains a mere servile representation of the surface or the appearance of things ,but in his theory it becomes a representation of the surface or the appearance of things ,but in his theory it becomes  a representation of the passions and emotions men, which are also imitated by music Thus Aristotle   by his theory enlarged the scope of imitated by music.

       In plato we have seen the ancient quarrel between philosophy and poetry ,As against that Aristotle examines the nature and qualities of imaginative literature with a view to justify that . It is true serious and useful wheres plato says that it is falls trivicol and harmful.

      All kinds of poetry for example epic, tragic ,comic etc or presentation . All kinds of poetry are distinguish by their medium the aspects of life they represent and the way in which it is repress for ex The painter and poet.

   Aristotle examines the nature and different qualities of imagination literature with a view to established that it is true serious and useful where as plato says that it is false trivial and harmful Aristotle examine . The books with which he was familiar . He describes what he literature is rather then what it should be he describes the nature and function of literature and the value that emerges from its functions.

           He defiance of poetry Aristotle says that the poet does not merely imitated or represent particular event or situation which he happens to have noted .

           He handles OT in such way that he brings out its universal characteristic elements. Thus he makes the thing batter irrespective of it’s historical truth . According to Aristotle the poet works ‘’According to the lock of probability or necessity’’not according to the chance observation. Thus he is more scientific and serious then the historian . Historian is restartable to they range of actual happenings only. He can not depict the think what is more probable according to the human physiology.

       The poet creates his own self officiant  word in which the happening of his story are probable.Because his world is based on the elements of real world .There for his world is an illumination of the accepts of the real world. Thus he goes very nearer to truth.

            For example in paradise lost Satan is a villain but he is described by poet such a way that we fed it is hero through he is villain his qualities makes him great.

         Thus this is a difference between art and craft technique Pius vision but only craft can not produce . All art implies craftsmanship but all craftsmanship does not necessarily produce art. This leads as to the philosophical question of the nature and value of poetry.

            Thus Aristotle reject all the objections of plato to poetry and thereby defends poets from the attack of plato  

The Renaissance Literature

Name: Savani Manisha R,

Paper:  (101) Renaissance Literature

Topic: Dr; Faustus as tragedy

Roll no: 15

M.A: 2

Year -2012-13

                               Submitted To,

Dr, Dilip Barad.

English department,

M.K Bhavnagar University

Dr; Faustus as tragedy

                                                

Introduction:

            The tragically history of Dr Faustus normally known simply as Doctor Faustus, is a play by Christopher Marlowe, based on the Faustus story, in which a men sells his soul to the devil for power and knowledge . Dr Faustus was first published in 1604, eleven years after Marlowe’s death and at least twelve years after the first performance of the play.

      ‘’No Elizabethan play outside the Shakespeare canon has raised more controversy than Doctor Faustus there is no argument concerning the nature of the text and the date of composition and centrality of the western world precludes any definitive agreement on the imperpretation of the play.

 Dr, Faustus as a tragic hero:

               A tragic hero has the potential for greatness but is doomed to fail. He is trapped in a situation where he cannot win. He makes some sort of tragic flaw, and this causes his fall from greatness, even through he is fallen hero, he still wins a moral victory and his spirit lives on.

             ‘Doctor Faustus ‘ is the tragic hero of Marlow’s famous play and he meets his inevitable doom due to the tragic flaw in hi9s character. Marlowe has modeled this character on the conception of the Greek hero of the classical tragedy that is always dignified possessing an important social status. So is the case with Dr, Faustus as a tragic hero he feels the compulsion to realize himself fully in the face of all the ode and the test of his heroism is the degree of the risk he is willing to take. Thus the cause of the fall of the hero does not lie without but it is within, Dr Faustus action is sinful because he has selected the study of necromancy putting aside all other studies with this wrong decision and wrong choice the cause of his tragic fall begins. Dr, Faustus represents himself as a man of flesh and blood and takes the risk to face the consequences of his action. The meaning of the play refer to the total yield of the situation into which Faustus work of his own free wit then onwards in the pursuit of knowledge and power he exhibits arrogance and power impatience . Marlowe sets his hero’s mind completes free to range forbidden realms. Thus Dr Faustus becomes unscrupulous the design of the almighty god. His risky, hasty nature and his fearlessness could be identified as the cause of his tragedy. He offers his soul to Lucifer for 24 year for of his heart’s desire and this single error deviates.Dr, Faustus from the right path of life. He lives out 24 years as the first modern tragic man, part delivered part undelivered, wavering between independence and dependence upon god. Now arrogant and confident, now anxious and worried justified yet horribly unjustified. All these contradictions found in the personality of Dr Faustus lead him to his tragic fall. He is forced constantly to renew his chase between two alternatives for the tragedy of Dr Faustus his small weakness as well as his inevitable fate is responsible. He is a strong character with a small weakness destined to meet his tragic doom Dr; Faustus represents the conflict or the peculiar dilemma of modern times. In other words on the one hand is human limitation and on the other is the compulsion of the modern man to deny his limitation Dr Faustus attitude towards life is that of an extremist. He wants to conquer time space and ignorance. He wants all knowledge and his total desire to explore the mysteries of the universe is some how evil and it may bring not only the present suffering but the harass of eternity.  Thus, Dr Faustus through his inquiring mind violates the limited laid down by the almighty god and his over stepping proves to be the cause of his tragedy.

  

    Aristotelian his famous book ‘’the poetics’’ defines the tragedy and at length enumerates the different components of the tragedy. Among them he talks about the attributes about the tragic hero.

  

                              He says that the hero of the tragedy possesses a dignified social status. He should either be a king a prince or a noble man man coming from the royal family .Moreover he must be a man having strong character. The hero must have many merits. Aristotle then talks about the hero of the tragedy. He says that the hero is the strong character with a small weakness. And that small weakness becomes the cause of his tragic fall. The hero of the tragedy is caught unaware and way words from the right of life. As the play progresses his small weakness develops and ultimately it shatters the personality of the hero. This weakness or the tragic flaw may seem insignificant at the outset but is proves to be a genuine cause for his tragedy. When the hero meets his tragic doom, all his merits are ignored and he becomes the victim of his weakness. Aristotle observes that only fate is not for the tragic fall of the hero. On the contrary the hero himself is responsible for inviting his ruin.

          Looking at the requirements mentioned above, the character of Dr, Faustus fulfills all the demands of Aristotle needed for the tragic hero. It is true that Dr Faustus is not noble by birth and does not belong to the royal family but through his hard work and studies nature he has succeeded in gaining a dignified social status. The very fact that he is Doctor by profession.

         He is entitled to receive respect from the people. The character of Dr, Faustus is not devoid of merits and his intension is also not trivial. In his speeches he expresses his objectives for the pursuit of knowledge and power. He says that he would act for the welfare of mankind. He wants to build up bridge in the moving our to link up the earth with the heaven, he wants to know the mysteries of the universe. He wants to remove the poverty of the people and he wishes that man kind should prosper through his knowledge a power. Thus, Dr Faustus has noble intensions in his mind. Moreover he is capable of pursuing knowledge patiently. Dr Faustus is a delight man and for hours together he can work hard. The tragic flaw in the character of Dr Faustus is this that he fails to take the right decision and he makes a wrong choice. He avoidesall the studies and except the study of black magic. Dr, Faustus becomes victim of fatal temptations. He was not aware of fatal temptations. He was not aware of the consequences of being carried away by these of being temptations. His logic or intellect falls short t6o see the thing as it is. He is blinded by his passion for getting knowledge and power. The only weakness of Dr Faustus is his over ambition in the pursuit of knowledge. His merits are misused and in a subtle way he deviates in his life. Upton the end he dose not realize that he committed a gross mistake in choosing the path of the evil.Dr Faustus holds a daring personality. He is fearless or bold and adventurous by nature. These qualities are normally considered positive qualities in a person. Dr Faustus does not hesitate to take any risk while undertaking any work perhaps his risky nature proved fatal to him. He hastily stepped in the forbidden areas of the nature .He becomes unscrupulous and also reject the idea of hell. That is why Dr Faustus bargains his soul for the sensuous pleasures for 24year and in doing so he over looks the supremacy of God. Thus, Dr Faustus character is appropriately the tragic hero Aristotelian terms.

       Thus Dr Faustus one weakness fall him tragic doom.