안젤라 카터의 『현명한 아이들』에 나타난 셰익스피어 탈신화화 시도 (Demythologising Shakespeare in Angela Carter's Wise Children)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 세계문학비교학회
· 수록지 정보 : 세계문학비교연구 / 36호 / 105 ~ 130페이지
· 저자명 : 도해자

초록

A contemporary British novelist, Anglea Carter said, “I believe all myths are products of the human mind and reflect only aspects of material human practice. I'm in the demythologising business.” Carter demythologises Shakespeare, the English cultural hero in her last work, Wise Children, which is the story of Dora and Nora, the twin illegitimate daughters of Melchoir Hazard, “Mr Britain Theatre himself.” Wise Children criticizes the way in which British imperialism and patriarchy appropriated Shakespeare and cast him as a founding myth in their own image. In the novel, the founder of the 'Hazard dynasty', Ranulph, one of actor-managers of the Victorian era, assumes the mission of “taking Shakespeare where Shakespeare had never had before.” The description of tour draws a parallel between Ranulph's proselytising on behalf of England's imperial occupation of territories across the globe. Ranulph's son, Melchoir, who inherits his father's theatrical profession, also assumes a similar mission and ambition. They are never to succeed, though. Both of them turn out to be losers, and their family ruined. The collapse of this cultural imperialism is articulated with the fall of Ranulph and Melchior, representing bardolatry and ‘legitimate’ Shakespearean theatre. Wise Children challenges furthermore the long history in which the British have been obsessive in dividing British culture into high and low, and fashioning Shakespeare as a symbol of high culture. Carter's re-imagining of Shakespeare shows her affirmation of popular culture and the rude health of popular language and humor as a long-lasting, effective means of survival, many of which are found in Shakespeare.

영어초록

A contemporary British novelist, Anglea Carter said, “I believe all myths are products of the human mind and reflect only aspects of material human practice. I'm in the demythologising business.” Carter demythologises Shakespeare, the English cultural hero in her last work, Wise Children, which is the story of Dora and Nora, the twin illegitimate daughters of Melchoir Hazard, “Mr Britain Theatre himself.” Wise Children criticizes the way in which British imperialism and patriarchy appropriated Shakespeare and cast him as a founding myth in their own image. In the novel, the founder of the 'Hazard dynasty', Ranulph, one of actor-managers of the Victorian era, assumes the mission of “taking Shakespeare where Shakespeare had never had before.” The description of tour draws a parallel between Ranulph's proselytising on behalf of England's imperial occupation of territories across the globe. Ranulph's son, Melchoir, who inherits his father's theatrical profession, also assumes a similar mission and ambition. They are never to succeed, though. Both of them turn out to be losers, and their family ruined. The collapse of this cultural imperialism is articulated with the fall of Ranulph and Melchior, representing bardolatry and ‘legitimate’ Shakespearean theatre. Wise Children challenges furthermore the long history in which the British have been obsessive in dividing British culture into high and low, and fashioning Shakespeare as a symbol of high culture. Carter's re-imagining of Shakespeare shows her affirmation of popular culture and the rude health of popular language and humor as a long-lasting, effective means of survival, many of which are found in Shakespeare.

참고자료

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