Myths and Heroes - publié le 29/07/2020

Résumé du document

How can we say William Shakespeare is a myth? His persona and his character, to see whether this literature giant and writer of myths was a hero in his own terms, by comparing him to the very heroes he created and that populate his myths.

Extraits

[...] In order to do that, I will base upon several specific readings. Regarding the analysis of his characters, I will use the extracts from "Julius Caesar" and "Romeo and Juliet", both showcasing Shakespeare's character-building and his skill at creating tense situations for a brave hero to solve. For what concerns the analysis of Shakespeare personally, as well as the significant impact he had on world literature, art and culture, I will quote the extracts from "tonight, tonight", part of a musical composition significantly inspired by Shakespeare's work, as well as the several, different documents analyzing his writing style and lasting impact. [...]

[...] His characters are said to "transcend the work in which they appear" because of their capacity to make readers feel what they feel. For this reason I would argue that Shakespeare is at the same time a myth maker and a hero himself. Although he did no heroic deed that put his persona at risk to achieve a great task, such as a traditional hero should do, his actions inspired millions, his verses often being reused as a reference point by new generations of authors. [...]

[...] Myths and Heroes Myths and heroes have populated the imagination of countless people throughout history, inspiring to act justly and bravely. They have had a significant role in shaping human culture, and they seem to be omnipresent, with each cultural group having their own. This year we have looked at different ways to define these key concepts. According to my understanding, myths can be two distinct things. First of all, myths can be a legend transmitted, either in written or oral form, from generation to generations, with invented characters representing the human condition and their struggles, realistic in a fantastic setting. [...]

[...] And that will be for a long time still. [...]

[...] His characters are heroes for the actions they perform fearlessly and for their reality. Shakespeare is a hero not for his actions, he was well paid and never put himself personally at risk, such as other authors did, but for the consequences of his actions. He deserves to be remembered and treated as a hero because his actions inspired millions to act in a positive way and because, as a myth-maker, he will remain with humanity as long as his myths will. [...]