prologues to shakespeare'splays
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Presentation by Prof. Raquel Lothringer at the Tucumán 2011 Conference for "A Room of One's Own"TRANSCRIPT
The prologues to Shakespeare’s The prologues to Shakespeare’s plays. Do they “make all well”?plays. Do they “make all well”?
Raquel Lothringer Raquel Lothringer
[email protected] [email protected]
XXXVI Faapi ConferenceXXXVI Faapi ConferenceTucumán- 2011Tucumán- 2011
A Room of One’s OwnA Room of One’s Own
The context where it all began…Hamlet: Is this a prologue or the posy of a ring?
Licenciatura en Inglés (UNL)
Seminario “Literatura en Lengua Inglesa I”.
Contenidos Mínimos
Shakespeare y la posmodernidad: selección de una obra de Shakespeare para su discusión desde aproximaciones teóricas diversas.
AimsAims
To explore Shakespeare’s prologues to determine their features and functions.
To interpret them in the light of the English dramatic tradition and Elizabethan stage conventions.
The Prologue as a GenreThe Prologue as a Genre
Labels: prologue, preface, foreword, introduction. prologue, preface, foreword, introduction.
Types: authorial, editorial, by a delegate. authorial, editorial, by a delegate.
Functions: inform, interpret, give coherence, cater inform, interpret, give coherence, cater for readers.for readers.
Features: metatextual, peripheral and ancillary. metatextual, peripheral and ancillary.
Authorial Prologues to Literary Authorial Prologues to Literary TextsTexts
Prologues to Narrative Fiction
Tend to make text genre clear.Tend to make text genre clear.
Introduce characters before the story proper begins.Introduce characters before the story proper begins.
Contribute to suspend disbelief.Contribute to suspend disbelief.
Prologues to Dramatic TextsPrologues to Dramatic Texts
Two types:Two types:
Not aimed at performance.Not aimed at performance.
Meant for stage presentation.Meant for stage presentation.
The Prologue in the English The Prologue in the English TraditionsTraditions
PeriodPeriod Plays with ProloguesPlays with Prologues
1560-16391560-1639 40%40%
1580- 15891580- 1589 64%64%
1590-15991590-1599 31%31%
Bruster and Weimann (2004Bruster and Weimann (2004) )
Shakespeare’s Prologues Shakespeare’s Prologues (1)(1)
Prefatory role
Voiced by a single performer.
Deprived of character status.
Addressed to the audience.
Shakespeare’s Prologues Shakespeare’s Prologues (2)(2)
Functions To inform.
To involve the audience.
Shakespeare’s Prologues Shakespeare’s Prologues (3)(3)
Power relationshipsPower relationships
Asymmetrical dyads instantiated by the prefatory role
Prologue empowered to guide the audience.
Prologue disempowered humbly begging attention and promising to please the audience.
The Enigma of Shakespeare’s The Enigma of Shakespeare’s ProloguesPrologues
Do they make all well?Do they make all well?
oror
Are they mere posies of rings?Are they mere posies of rings?