This thesis examines the theme of gender hierarchy in William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Taming of the Shrew (1592). The gender relations in the play are complex: its title, referring to the...Show moreThis thesis examines the theme of gender hierarchy in William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy The Taming of the Shrew (1592). The gender relations in the play are complex: its title, referring to the taming of Kate by her husband-to-be Petruchio, already suggests that women are going to be put down as the inferior sex. However, it is not as simple as that. Throughout the play, the question remains of whether Petruchio actually does tame Katherine. If he does, moreover, it is worth examining the precise meaning of this ‘taming’, and the ‘taming’ methods which Petruchio employs. In addition, the meaning of the play depends to a significant extent on the staging decisions made by the director. For example, different stagings may invite different responses to the wager, in the closing scene, on who has the most obedient wife. All of this has caused scholars and directors alike to interpret this play in very different ways, attributing widely divergent labels to it, ranging from ‘patriarchal’ or even ‘misogynistic’, to ‘satirical’ and ‘pre-feminist’. I have studied commentaries by scholars with interpretations on both ends of the spectrum to identify the foundation for their particular analyses. I also offer a close-reading of the play, focusing especially on those scenes which have drawn attention with regard to gender relations. Thus I shed light on how the play allows for such different readings. In chapter 2, I have applied this knowledge to a recent Globe production of the Taming of the Shrew, directed by Toby Frow. There I examine how this staging interprets the questions surrounding gender hierarchy that are so central to The Shrew.Show less
Anxieties about writing and privacy are often at the heart of Edith Wharton’s fiction. In the two works discussed in this thesis, Wharton’s early novels The Touchstone (1900) and The House of Mirth...Show moreAnxieties about writing and privacy are often at the heart of Edith Wharton’s fiction. In the two works discussed in this thesis, Wharton’s early novels The Touchstone (1900) and The House of Mirth (1905), private letters written by women acting outside the domestic sphere, a woman writer and an adulterous wife, play a central role. Wharton uses these letters to explore the boundaries between the private and public spheres and to ask questions about the position of woman writers at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, whether they can function in the public realm and make themselves heard, or are destined to remain in the private sphere and be silent. The principal female characters in The Touchstone and The House of Mirth are, in a sense, both “authors” who are unable to break free from the limitations of their lives. In spite of their moral superiority, they remain subordinate to men who misread their writing, with disastrous consequences. Although Wharton criticises the male-dominated society of early twentieth-century America, she suggests that woman writers had better stayed within their domestic confinement, and, as a consequence, that private letters by women had better be burnt than published.Show less
While much scholarly work has been done on American Cold-War science fiction, John Wyndham’s work has received relatively little attention from literary scholars. Only a handful of sustained...Show moreWhile much scholarly work has been done on American Cold-War science fiction, John Wyndham’s work has received relatively little attention from literary scholars. Only a handful of sustained literary discussions of his work have been published. An unfortunate event, since many of his books give a representation of post-war developments in the form of (post)-apocalyptic stories, and these narratives reflect the society’s fear of what humankind was able to invent, and how these inventions could be harmful to its very existence on a global scale. By embedding non-fictional post-war developments in his science fiction, Wyndham created stories that – even today – can be read as warnings against such dangers. This thesis examines the ways in which post-war social, political and economic developments are embedded in Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids (1951), The Kraken Wakes (1953), The Chrysalids (1955), and The Outward Urge (1959), and what rhetorical force his stories have. Moreover, the thesis concentrates on how the science fiction genre enabled Wyndham to warn his readership for the possible fatal consequences of the Cold War parties’ behaviour and how the genre facilitated Wyndham in expressing criticism of these two power blocs. Furthermore, it focuses especially on Cold War elements that affected British society, such as the nuclear threat, the Space Race, and the changing social position of women.Show less
In 2010 the BBC launched a new series called Sherlock, a contemporary adaption of the Holmes stories. In this recent adaption created by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gattis, the original characters are...Show moreIn 2010 the BBC launched a new series called Sherlock, a contemporary adaption of the Holmes stories. In this recent adaption created by Stephen Moffat and Mark Gattis, the original characters are presented with a modern twist. Gattis and Moffat are known for their work on the BBC series Dr Who, a programme with a central character himself notably indebted to Holmes. The villains in the BBC series Sherlock challenge Sherlock to commit wicked deeds, and therefore perhaps to become a villain himself. This thesis will argue that in this way the show sets out to destabilize and call into question notions of an essential distinction between heroism and villainy.Show less
