The fascination of evil: mental malpractice in Shakespearean tragedy

[摘要] The first part of this thesis offers a study of the phenomenon of fascination as it was understood in early modern England—specifically in its relation to magic, demonology and witchcraft.It examines fascination’s place within cultural traditions, and its operation within perception theory and the psychophysiology of the early modern medical understanding.It also examines some ways in which fascination operates within a theatrical context, and encounters the discourse of early modern “anti-theatricalists.”The second part of the thesis is an analysis of the Shakespearean tragic hero’s encounter with elements of fascinating bewitchment, and the problems of discerning reality through the mesmeric pull of misperception.The specific subjects of the dramatic analysis are Othello and Macbeth.

[发布机构] University:University of Birmingham;Department:School of English, Drama and American & Canadian Studies, The Shakespeare Institute

[关键词] P Language and Literature;PN Literature (General);PN2000 Dramatic representation. The Theater