G wilson knight biography

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The essay is sort of a troll.

G wilson knight biography: George Richard Wilson Knight (–)

He argues that but for Hamlet himself, Denmark is a happy, lively place under the wise, gentle rule of Claudius. Hamlet is the sick, deranged soul who drags down a healthy world. Now, Wilson Knight has some very keen points to make that go against the standard interpretation, but the essay is written in a gallivanting style that makes it clear that Wilson Knight knows he is being provocative.

Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is—strange as it may seem—a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet, and all would have been well. They are forced on him. As King, he could scarcely beexpected to do otherwise.

Like Stavrogin, he is feared by those around him. They cannot understand him. He is a creature of another world. As King of Denmark he would have been a thousand times more dangerous than Claudius. They are manifest. So are his faults—his original crime, his skill in the less admirable kind of policy, treachery, and intrigue. He argues that character is merely a role that we play, not our true nature.

Shakespeare goes deeper than character, and depicts our true self, our fundamental nature. According to Knight, Shakespeare removes the mask, goes deeper than personality, and describes the fundamental drives that all people share. Hence we must relate each play to this sequence.

G wilson knight biography: George Richard Wilson Knight was

Special notice also should be given to the Hate-theme, which runs through most of these plays. Applied to specific plays, these principles evolve a pattern. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikidata item.

G wilson knight biography: George Richard Wilson Knight ( –

English literary critic and academic. For other people with the same name, see George Knight disambiguation. Early life and education [ edit ]. Academic career [ edit ].