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Cultural Dominance In The Winter's Tale

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Cultural Dominance in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale This paper tries to explore how culture, society and their belief influenced the text produced in that time with reference to William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. The Winter Tale was produced in Renaissance period so, we can see the features of Renaissance period in the drama. Breaking the notion of theocentric world of Dark Age, the concept of “Humanism” is developed in Renaissance period then man came into the power and women were regarded as weaker sex and assigned to submissive role. Therefore, Shakespeare in his drama The Winter’s Tale tries to visualizes the contemporary renaissance society which is full of cultural dominance.
As in The Winter’s Tale Shakespeare suggests the …show more content…

When the Apollo’s Oracle from Delphi says “Hermeone is chaste; Polixenes blameless; Camello a true subject; Leontes a jealous tyrant, his innocent babe truly begotten, and the king shall live without an heir, if that which is lost be not found” (3.2.60). Here, Apollo’s Oracle proves that Hermeone, Polixenes, Camillo and the baby are innocent and Leontes is a jealous tyrant but Leontes denies Apollo and regards himself as a most powerful and keeps himself at the center as he says, “ there is no truth at all in the oracle”(3.2.60). He says that the oracle is false; hence Hermeone and the baby should be killed. By denying Apollo’s oracle revelation, he tries to keep himself at the center of the universe. As M.H. Abhrams mentions, “ Renaissance humanism assumed the dignity and central position of human beings in the universe; emphasized the importance in education of studying classical imaginative and philosophical literature, although with emphasis on its moral and practical rather than its aesthetic values; and insisted as the primary in ordering human life” (116-17). Here, Leontes also keeps himself at the center of the universe and gives priority to his dignity. He opines that Hermeone has harmed on his dignity, so she should be punished. Renaissance period glorifies man centric point of view and we can see the influence of Renaissance Humanism in this drama

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