Life and Career of Mr. Micawber in Dickens’ "David Copperfield": Great Comic Character Second Only to Shakespeare’s Falstaff


Mr. Micawber, one of the outstanding characters in Charles Dickens David Copperfield is a man of kindly, genial nature. Some critics say that he is a pen-portrait of Dickens’ own father. However it may be, there can be no denying the fact that he “is the type of a whole race of men who will not vanish from the earth as long as the hope which lives eternal in the human breast is only temporarily suspended by the laws of debtors and creditors.” A kindlier and merrier a more humorous and more generous character was never conceived than this.

He is one of these optimistic souls who are always waiting for something to turn up, and who are able to maintain their cheerfulness and good spirits despite poverty, debt and imprisonment. Mr. Micawber is typical of those good-for-nothing fellows who are never able to make anything in life, but still manage to live, largely as result of the bounty and generosity of friends, secured for them by their genial and generous temperament.

Mr. Micawber is an immense figure of fun, a great comic character second only to Shakespeare’s Falstaff. As G. K Chesterton says, “If Falstaff is the greatest comic character in literature, Mr. Micawber is the best but one.” One cannot help laughing at the way in which he would make motions at himself, when some creditor would abuse and threaten him, but a moment later would go out cheerfully whistling a merry tune, with an air of greater respectability than ever’ before. The comicality of his character is further heightened by the wife of his bosom, always with a twin at her breast, and always determined never to desert her husband. His sense of humour comes to his rescue even in most trying circumstances. He never loses hope and cheerfulness and radiates joy and happiness around. He carries with him a perpetual sunshine and all those who come in contact with him, bask in it.

Mr. Micawber is a man kindly, sympathetic, and helpful. During his first meeting with David at the warehouse of Murdstone and Grimsby, he offers to come again and take David to his residence, for he knows that David has not been long in London and might forget his way. It is the company of Mr. Micawber, and that of his family, which makes David bear his wretched life in London. Even though he was himself in great financial difficulties, he tried to make David comfort bid in every possible way, and while shifting to prison, took care to make suitable arrangements for lodging.

Charles Dickens by Daniel Maclise
Mr. Micawber is honest to the core and he retains his honesty, despite grinding poverty and crushing weight of debt. Though he lives on debt and borrows money whenever he can— he borrows even from David— he tries his best to repay his creditors. There is never an attempt on his part to cheat them, or to deny his debts. He could unearth all the wicked schemes of Uriah Heep, he could find out that he had cheated Betsy Trotwood by forging the signatures of Mr. Wickfield on certain documents. Had he liked, he could have packed cards with Uriah Heep and thus make much profit for himself, but he does never think in these terms. No thought of personal aggrandizement ever crosses his mind. Rather, he comes to the aid of Betsy Trotwood, exposes Uriah Heep and has him brought to book. He acts nobly, selflessly, and brings hope and comfort not only to Miss Trotwood, but also to Agnes and her wretched father — all helpless victims of the poisonous Heep.

In the end, Mr. Micawber’s virtue and goodness is suitably rewarded and he becomes a successful Magistrate in Australia. Critic after critic has criticized this sudden conversion of Micawber as inconsistent with his previous character and, therefore unconvincing and a serious fault. There is no doubt that till now he had been a lazy, good for nothing fellow who could not earn an honest penny. But this was largely owing to the fact that he never got a suitable opening in life. That he had the necessary intelligence and resourcefulness is clearly shown, by the clever way in which he precedes in the Uriah Heep affairs. He goes through the documents and collects all the relevant evidence under the very nose of Heep, without exciting the least suspicion. He denounces him with great tact and boldness, does not permit him sent to the lock-up. No wonder that he could become successful as a magistrate in Australia.

πŸ‘ŠPoints to Remember:
πŸ‘‰Mr. Micawber is a character in Charles Dickens' novel "David Copperfield," known for his humorous and memorable personality.
πŸ‘‰He is a dear friend of the protagonist, David Copperfield, and serves as a father figure in David's life.

πŸ‘ŠKey points about Mr. Micawber's life and career include:

Financial Struggles: Mr. Micawber faces numerous financial difficulties throughout the novel, often finding himself in debt and facing the threat of imprisonment due to his inability to manage his finances.
Optimistic Outlook: Despite his troubles, Mr. Micawber maintains an unwavering optimism, frequently reciting his famous mantra: "Something will turn up."
Legal Career: He aspires to be a successful legal professional, but his career ambitions are often thwarted by his financial troubles.
Loyalty and Friendship: Mr. Micawber's loyalty to David Copperfield is evident as he constantly offers support and advice, even in his own challenging circumstances.
Comic Relief: His humorous and eccentric behavior provides comic relief throughout the novel, endearing him to readers.
Symbol of Resilience: Mr. Micawber's ability to stay positive in the face of adversity makes him an enduring and beloved character in literature.

πŸ‘‰Mr. Micawber is often regarded as one of the greatest comic characters in English literature, second only to Shakespeare's iconic creation, Falstaff.
πŸ‘‰His memorable catchphrases and unique personality have made him an enduring and influential figure in the world of literature.


Ref:
1. David Copperfield - Wikipedia. (2015, March 24). David Copperfield - Wikipedia. Retrieved November 21, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copperfield
2. David Copperfield | Summary, Analysis, Adaptations, & Facts. (2016, November 4). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved November 21, 2016, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/David-Copperfield-novel
3. The Project Gutenberg eBook of David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. (n.d.). The Project Gutenberg eBook of David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens. Retrieved November 21, 2016, from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/766/766-h/766-h.htm

Rise to an Unprecedented Spirit of Satire in the Augustan Age: From John Dryden to Dr. Johnson


“We must beat the iron while it is hot, but we may polish it at leisure.”
John Dryden (1631 - 1700)
English poet, playwright, and literary critic.
Aeneis

Various causes gave rise to an unprecedented spirit of satire in the Augustan age, from John Dryden (1631-1700) to Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). It is a materialistic age in which certain fashions and modes of behaving and taste hold away.

 (1) What is considered “genteel taste” is vigorously upheld, and any deviation from it is satirized.
(2) “Correctness” and “good sense” are the order of the day. Emphasis is on reason and correct observation of certain rules both in literature and social life. Rationalism develops clear thinking and the temptation to pronounce judgment is strong. This accounts for the rise both social and literary satire.
 (3) The restoration witnessed a revolt against Puritan austerity. There was also a reaction against religious hypocrisy. The religious and the devout were criticized as hypocrites. The Puritans were the special targets of satire. The devout, on the other hand, satirized the court and the courtly circles as immoral.
(4) Political strife also accounts for the growth of the spirit of satire. The age witnessed the rise of the two political parties. Whigs and Tories and each tried to enlist the support of the leading writers of the day. Much satire, often virulent and abusive, was hurled at one’s political opponents.
(5) The imitation of the classics also did much to promote the growth of satire. Horace (65-8 bc), Juvenal (65?-128?) and Persius (34-62) were translated and widely read and enjoyed. They inspired the poets of the age to take to satire and to encourage folly as they had done in age gone by. Classical tradition had consecrated satire, and the poets of the age followed this tradition. Satire is, — therefore, everywhere, and the poets, the dramatists and prose-writers all alike indulge in it.

Satire bulks large in the works of Dryden and Alexander Pope (1688-1744). John Dryden began his satiric career quite early in life. He made his mark as a satirist with the publication of Absalom and Achitophel in 1651. It was followed in quick succession by the Medal; Mac Fleckone; and Absalom and Achitophel in part II, written in collaboration with Nahum Tate.

‘The Work of Dryden fixed for several generations the course of English satire” (Hugh Walker). Dryden perfected the Heroic Couplet. Dryden gave to his followers a fitting medium for satire and in his satirical portraits he set an example which was followed by all those who took part in political controversies. The satires put him at the head and front of the English men of letters. From this time forward there could be no doubt at all of his position, with no second at any moderate distance” (Saintsbury). He began with writing a Toy pamphlet and within a very short time became the supreme satirist of England. He imparted epic grandeur and sublimity to political satire which in the hands of his contemporaries was coarse and brutal.

Next in order of merit among Restoration satirists is Samuel Butler (1612-1680). He was a Royalist and in his powerful satire Hudibras, he has satirized Puritanism in what may be called doggerel verse, largely on the pattern of the comic doggerel of Skelton. The learned author of Hudibras modeled his style very largely upon Skelton, whose methods and spirit contribute much to the making of Hudibras.

Alexander Pope is another great satirist. The Rape of the Lock is Pope’s first satire. It is a social satire as well as a mock epic. It is a mocking poem in which Pope mocks not only at the “little unguarded follies” of the fair sex, but at the artificial social life of 18th century London as a whole. The fashion, the artificiality, the vanity and frivolity of the age is exposed and ridiculed. The pierce sparkles in every line. The touch is never too heavy; an air of gay good humour is preserved throughout.

The Moral Essays and Satires and Epistles are the final and crowing efforts of the poet’s satiric genius. They contain his finest workmanship as satirist and will be ever read with more pleasure than the Dunciad. In the Epistle to Mr. Fortesque, Pope boldly satirizes corruption in high places. We know that Pope never flattered, like Dryden, and that he was much more independent “Unplaced, unpensioned, no mans heir or slave, he was never afraid to write with exemplary fearlessness; he lashes vice and fosters virtue.”

The greatest of prose satire in the English language belongs to this age. Satire is all-pervasive in the Spectator Papers of Joseph Addison (1672-1719) and Richard Steele (1672-1729). Their satire is mild and gentle. A number of follies and frivolities of the day are held up to ridicule by Addison, his purpose always being to reform and improve. Like Steele, he deals mainly with fashions in dress and with feminine frivolities and probably nowhere does he pass judgment as stern as that of Steele on the coquette. But neither does he show that warmth of admiration which is so conspicuous in Steele. For him the trivialities are the very soul of woman. Patches, the towering headdress, the hoop-petticoat, the fan and other things of that sort take up a far larger share of Addison’s treatment of women than that of Steele. “An empty life directed by an empty head and a shallow heart” such is the impression he leaves.

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) is the greatest of prose satirists in the English language. Although Swift was something provoked into exposing the individual, his satire is more often general than personal. A Tale of a Tub is one of those books which it is more fun to write than to read. It is obviously characteristic of the Rabelaisian side of Swift, but it is not at all typical of his satire as a whole, Compared with the Argument against Abolishing of Christianity or Gulliver’s Travels or the Modest Proposal where Swift holds to his theme with an undeviating sense of relevance. A Tale of a Tub is an undisciplined and self-indulgent work. It does however, by its very waywardness and provocative individuality, bring home to us the distinctive nature of Swift’s humour.

In the Battle of the Books the satire is both general and personal. This is a highly successful exercise in belittlement, effectively ridiculing a literary controversy. Swift’s aim here is almost purely destructive; his intention is much more to expose Bentley and Wotten than to take sides with the Ancients against the Moderns. He does, it is true, pronounce upon the issue In the fable of the spider and the bee but his essential purpose is to make the whole controversy appear trivial, a mere battle of the books.

Swift’s best satire is Gulliver’s Travels which is, on its face; a book of travels to strange lands of pygmies, giants, and horses, Swift’s purpose was to expose the vices and follies of mankind by ridiculing them. Man is reduced to the shortness of the Lilliputians or magnified into the gross Brondlingangians, or contrasted with the equine virtue of the Honyhnhnms. The effectiveness of such a satire depends on the invention with which these strange worlds are made plausible and the precision with which the irony makes evident the likeness between the real world and the imaginary. So successful was Swift’s invention that ever since the book was published, children have read the voyages to Lilliput and Brobdingnag as fairy stories, without worrying about the satire. So effective is the irony that Gulliver’s Travels remains one of the most appealing exposures of human weaknesses.

πŸ’…Recap
The Augustan Age (18th century) in English literature witnessed a significant rise in the spirit of satire, characterized by sharp criticism and wit, aiming to reform society's vices and follies.

πŸ’…Key points of the rise of satire from John Dryden to Dr. Johnson include:

πŸ‘‰John Dryden (1631-1700):

Pioneered satire in the Restoration period, focusing on political and social issues.
His satirical works, like "Absalom and Achitophel," targeted political figures and exposed corruption.
Employed allegory and irony to convey his messages effectively.
πŸ‘‰Alexander Pope (1688-1744):

Mastered the use of the heroic couplet in satire, providing a smooth and impactful reading experience.
His "The Rape of the Lock" humorously mocked the frivolous society of his time.
Employed wit and mock-heroic elements to highlight the vanity and shallowness of the aristocracy.
πŸ‘‰Jonathan Swift (1667-1745):

Known for his savage and biting satire, he used allegory to criticize political and societal issues.
"Gulliver's Travels" remains a classic satirical work, mocking human nature and institutions through imaginative voyages.
πŸ‘‰Samuel Johnson (1709-1784):

Contributed to the development of moral and ethical satire in the later Augustan period.
"The Vanity of Human Wishes" satirized human desires and ambitions, showcasing the imperfections of humanity.
His periodical "The Rambler" contained moral essays laced with satire, reflecting his moralistic views.

πŸ‘‰The Augustan Age witnessed satire's evolution into a powerful tool for social commentary, aiming to reform society's shortcomings.
πŸ‘‰Satirical works from this era continue to be appreciated for their wit, humor, and insight into human behavior and society's flaws.

Ref:
1. A history of English literature : Buchan, John, 1875-1940 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00buch
2. A history of English literature : Compton-Rickett, Arthur, 1869-1937 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. Retrieved March 21, 2017, from https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00comp
3. A Short History Of English Literature : E Legouis : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.182574

William Wordsworth Reacted Sharply and Sought to Increase the Range Of English Poetry through Rustic Characters and Their Language



The poetry of the Pseudo-classical school was very artificial and unnatural. It was extremely limited in its themes. It was confined exclusively to the city of London and in that city to the artificial and unnatural life of the fashionable lords and ladies. It did not care for the beauties of nature or for the humanity-farmers shepherds, wood cutters etc. Who live its simple life in the lap of nature? Wordsworth reacted sharply and sought to increase the range of English poetry by taking his themes from humble and rustic life, himself living in the lap of nature, was well familiar with the life of the humble people, and he has rendered it in his poetry, realistically and accurately.

Justifying Emergence of Poetic Drama in the 20th Century: A Critical Overview



After the Restoration dramatists drama in English seems to have gone into hibernation, if it had not died altogether. There were at least two dramatists of great calibre in the closing years of the 19th century. Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde, but both of them steadfastly choose prose as the medium of their plays. The 20th century saw some powerful influence that exerted themselves on the drama, the influence of the great continental dramatists, and that of the Irish dramatic movement. It was, however, left to T. S. Eliot to rehabilitate poetic drama and place it on a sound footing.

There were several considerations which contributed to the emergence of poetic drama in the 20th century. There were at least a dozen factors which cumulatively worked in this direction. In the first place the prejudice against theatre going began to disappear. There was also, some relaxation in the rigour of censorship. Also there was a steady rise in the standards of judgment, due to the spread of education an increasing margin of leisure in the life of ordinary man and woman; a deepening conviction that a certain amount of recreation is the natural right of every human being. But the greatest factor of all is undoubtedly the change in the dramatist himself. The modern dramatist takes the drama seriously. His purpose is interpretation of life, and play-writing has become an art as well as a craft, of course all these factors worked for the revival of drama as a whole and not of poetic drama exclusively.

Poetic drama was a genre which evolved rather slowly. The first dramatists to make an impact were those who wrote prose. The writers, avoided poetic drama because it was unsuited to their temperament, but partly also because it did not accord with the themes they wanted to exploit, mainly the themes of social and economic import. They patronized a drama which was mainly a drama of wit. This also went well with the public demand for greater realism in treatment. However this over insistences on reality was bound to create its own creation in course of time and it was this reaction which was one of the factors which were conducive to the growth and evolution of poetic drama in England. Although there is a deep infusion of poetry in the plays of Ibsen, especially in his later plays, the qualities of dramas which were to influence other writers were not these, but his employment of greater realism and directness in the exploration of social problems. It was T. S. Eliot who argued that poetic drama is capable of being, used for exploring a large variety of themes which are outside of the scope of prose drama. 

The first to be explored was the reason why poetic drama could not meet with success in the 19th century attempted writing poetic drama, including such great names as Shelley, Browning and Tennyson, Eliot pointed out the fact that 19th century dramatists were either poets without any knowledge of the stage and its requirements, or men well-versed in stage craft but without a grain of poetry in them. In addition to this fundamental drawback, there was also the fact that 19th century drama tended to be of a miscellaneous character. Moreover, as Eliot and others pointed out convincingly, the failure of these dramatists was also assuredly the fact that they copied a wrong model.

Shakespeare, The most baneful aspect of the influence of Shakespeare was blank, verse, all whose possibilities were almost exhausted by him, so that those who wrote in blank verse at best produced pale imitations of his style.

19th century drama also failed because of the fact that dramatist were in most cases obsessed with the idea producing a great tragedy of the magnitude of King Lear. Both by percept and by example T. S. Eliot established the superiority of poetic drama over his prose counterpart.

Poetic drama is that kind of drama which generally written in poetry, but night be written in prose the prose which reads like poetry. It is not the medium of expression, but the spirit of the play which is the differential of poetic drama. Thus Synge’s ‘Riders to the Sea’, one of the best poetic dramas of modern times is written in prose. Let us now look at some of the characteristics of poetic drama.

Poetic drama deals with the essence of life-unchanging spiritual reality of life, in contradiction to prose drama which deals with the outermost reality prose drama gives an initiation of -the ready-made boot of existence as exactly as it can while the poetic drama speaks to intimate the core of life. Milton’s ‘Samson Agonistes’ records the essence of the religious thought of the century. Macbeth dramatizes the essence of human experience which is “sin recoils on the sinner.”
Poetic drama does not seek to diagnose the disease of life, and suggest cures: At least it does not attempt of satire the hesitancy of minds distracted by the problems that beset human life. Rather it is characterized by an escape from the problems of the contemporary society. Modern poetic drama arose out of the reaction against the obsession of the so-called problem plays with the problems of society. The great plays of Shakespeare, John Drinkwater, W. B. Yeats, Synge and T. S. Eliot have nothing to do with the ills - the rich, hurry and divided aims of modern life. The poetic plays generally deal with the themes distant in time and space. ‘Riders to the Sea’ treats the tragic life of the fisherman and peasants who live far-away from the vicious current of modern civilization. Yeats’ ‘The Countess Cathleen’ gives a poetical treatment of peasant life and the world of spiritual presences.

The characters of poetic dramas are themselves poetry. They are characters which, compared with ours hence undergone a certain powerful simplification and exaggeration So that primary impulse and being are more evident in what they do and say there in   speech and action of actuality’s affairs. In other words, in the characters of the poetic drama such promo vial traits of human being as motherly sentiment courage, nobility, ambition, emotional intensity and the like are described exaggeratedly. The characters of the poetic drama are much more vehement, emotional and impressive than the persons we come across in everyday life. The whole effect of the presence of such characters is obviously to give an exhibition of life intensified, life supposed at a higher pressure than actuality. In Macbeth ambition becomes predominant as to swallow up all other human traits such as pity, mercy and sense of duty. His whole being is actuated by ambition which becomes a master passion with him. In Synge’s ‘Riders to the Sea’ Maurya is the very embodiment of motherly feeling. She left no stone unturned to secure her sons against the all devouring teeth of sea but un fortunately she is ultimately left with no son living. When all is over with her, when Bartley, her last surviving son is dead, she remains grand and heroic like Macbeth. She says: “No man at all can be living for ever, and we must be satisfied.” Maurya like Macbeth and Eliot’s Becket or Shaw’s Joan may be rightly said to live an intensified life-life supposed at a higher pressure than actuality.

Emotion predominates in the life of the characters of poetic drama. It is the emotion which stirs their whole being, and shapes their utterance. Even when they talk on day-to-day affair or describe an ordinary object of nature they were emotional.

A sharp controversy rages as to the medium of expression in poetic drama, and this controversy will continue till the doomsday despite all the titanic efforts of T. S. Eliot to solve the controversy. Letting the controversy alone we might say that poetry is the best medium of expression for a poetic play, the very nature of the poetry. The characters are conceived on a highly emotional plane, and the primary impulses of being are strongly marked in their life such characters hardly help speaking in poetry.

The intensified life which Shakespeare’s Macbeth or Eliot’s Beckett lives can be expressed adequately in poetry. But the modern age in not so fully prepared to welcome poetry as the medium of the dramatic expression as had been the age of Shakespeare. J. M. Synge is great and perhaps the best of the modern poetic playwrights by virtue of his evolving new medium which, is prose, but has all the emotional intensity and imagination colouring of poetry and which is more closely in accord with the spirit of his age.

πŸ’ͺKey points justifying the emergence of poetic drama in the 20th century include:

πŸ‘‰Rebellion against Realism: Poetic drama challenged the dominance of realism in theater, offering a departure from mundane representations of everyday life.
πŸ‘‰Symbolism and Subjectivity: Poetic drama allowed playwrights to explore deeper psychological and emotional themes, employing symbolism and subjective experiences.
πŸ‘‰Experimentation with Language: Playwrights experimented with language, creating rich and evocative poetic dialogues that heightened the theatrical experience.
πŸ‘‰Spiritual and Metaphysical Themes: Poetic drama delved into spiritual and metaphysical questions, exploring existential dilemmas and philosophical concepts.
πŸ‘‰Influence of Symbolist Movement: The Symbolist movement in literature inspired many playwrights to infuse their works with symbolism and evocative imagery.
πŸ‘‰Reimagining Classical Elements: Poetic drama often drew inspiration from ancient Greek and Shakespearean works, reimagining classical elements in modern contexts.
πŸ‘‰Expression of Inner Realities: This form of drama allowed for a deeper exploration of characters' inner worlds and emotions, transcending the limitations of realistic representation.
πŸ‘‰Breaking Theatrical Conventions: Poetic drama challenged traditional theatrical norms, incorporating elements of music, dance, and visual arts to create a more immersive experience.

πŸ‘ŒThe emergence of poetic drama in the 20th century marked a significant shift in theatrical aesthetics, encouraging experimentation, and fostering a deeper connection between language, emotion, and the human experience.

πŸ‘ŒPlaywrights like T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, and Federico GarcΓ­a Lorca were instrumental in popularizing poetic drama, leaving a lasting impact on the evolution of theater.


References

A history of English literature : Buchan, John, 1875-1940 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/historyofenglish00buch

An outline history of English literature : Hudson, William Henry, 1862-1918 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive. (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/outlinehistoryof00hudsuoft

William Wordsworth Not Only Democratized But Revolutionized English Poetry: Critical Overview of Preface to "Lyrical Ballads"


"Every great and original writer, in proportion as he is great and original, must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished."
William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)

Wordsworth was the chief spokesman of the Romantic Movement. His Preface to Lyrical Ballads says M.H. Abraham has been one of the most discussed and influential of all critical essays. “In the preface Wordsworth tried to overflow the basic theory, as well as the practice of non-classical poetry and also sought to defend and justify the new kind of poetry that he himself and Coleridge were writing.”

Post Chaucerian Barrenness in English Literature



The literature of the fifteenth century is comparatively barren in production, and there are no any poets or prose-writer in consequence. There is a steep decline in poetry even in the hands of the English and Scottish Chaucereans. By that time that freshness of Chaucer, in the fields of characterization; narration and versification was come to an end. Chaucer’s great name and fame disciples like Lydgate, Langland, Dunbar, Skelton, Occleve, Barclay, Hawes etc. were also unable to keep the freshness of poetry   of their master. There is a marked decadence in style. In Chaucer’s great disciples the spirit of poetic imagination and phrasings always lacked. Their metres were merely decrial: Compared with master, their works seemed sheer childish. In the sphere of prose there is a little progress, though the prose of the fifteenth century is better man the prose of the preceding age. Several factors are responsible for the barrenness of literary production in this age.

William Shakespeare’s “Measure For Measure” as a Dark Comedy With The Deus Ex Machina Dramatic Functionary Of Duke



Measure for Measure is one of the dark comedies or problem plays of Shakespeare. In this group of plays, we find Shakespeare confronted with some practical problems of life— generally with the problem of evil in daily life—and we find him also trying for a comic solution but not often getting it. As a result, the comedy gets rather dark and an atmosphere of cynicism seems to emerge. In the present play, the thesis seems to build up around the problem of combining authority with mercy and justice for the purpose of eradicating the evils of a corrupt society.

Buy My Books

Buy My Books
Objective Questions from English Literature

Recent Posts