Titular Cymbeline's stubborn and self-willed daughter Imogen embodies the spirit of feminism as she seeks simply to marry the man she loves. In the patriarchal society in which Cymbeline is set, Imogen is by law and in custom the king's property until she is wed. Essentially, Imogen is an object in every sense of the word. Posthumus Leonatus likewise views his beloved as an object of his own, albeit in a far different manner than that which Imogen's father recognizes her. An object, as Winnicott frames it, is something that has use or value in its utility for the subject. Given that Cymbeline enjoys the titular role in Shakespeare's play, it is safe to say that Imogen is suitably objectified and also that the playwright may be making deft commentary about the nature and consequences of objectification. An object is, after all, also empowered because of the power it has over the subject. The subject loses himself in the object, much as Cymbeline loses his power without Imogen's obedience and just as Posthumus Leonatus is bereft of his own intelligence until Imogen returns as Fidele. Shakespeare plays upon the subject-object duality in Cymbeline by adding a further symbolic dimension in the ring and bracelet. Imogen's ring becomes her surrogate, and likewise, Posthumus's bracelet symbolizes the man. When they exchange these objects, the two lovers objectify each other and therefore engage in a prenuptial game that closely follows the psychic evolution of objectified identification as it is described by Freud and Winnicott....
Winnicott's concept of objectified relating focuses on symbolic objects just like the ring and bracelet. The concept of objectification pertains largely to the evolution of the infant's fascination with the object, as the infant fixates on an object, identifies fully with it, links the object to certain qualities or states of mind, and especially to people like the mother. In the case of Imogen, her mother is absent in the play. The absence of the mother creates a dramatic psychic tension for the protagonist. Imogen will continually long for the union with the mother, and has no objective substitute for her. On the other hand, Imogen does have an objective substitute for her lover and fixates on that object, the bracelet.
William Shakespeare Should Shakespeare's Work Be Translated? Shakespeare has been the lord of writing for centuries. His work, full of wit and puns has not been replaced by any other writer so far. However, the language used in Shakespeare's work has been the reflection of the then literary language which was full of flavor and richness and suited the culture of Western world then. The question is whether Shakespeare retains its meaning
She declares that a man who snatches what he desires is actually a true man. Lady Macbeth burdens herself by seducing his husband into committing the murder afterall. Although, initially she has the strength and potential to deal with the task of abetting in a murder and thinks she will be able to forget all about it once she becomes the Scottish Queen but eventually conscience overpowers her vices. She
Shakespeare's Sonnets 18, 73, 97 Poets have often looked to nature for inspiration and as a vehicle for self-expression. Throughout his lifetime, William Shakespeare is known to have written 154 sonnets, which cover various topics such as love, mortality, and the passage of time. Of these sonnets, sonnet numbers 18, 73, and 97 incorporate seasonal symbols that allow Shakespeare to express his love, the passage of time and its effect on
Shakespeare Journal 9/14 Sonnets (1. I usually have to force myself to read poetry, especially sonnets about romance that seem contrived or sentimentalized. Also, I am not very good at understanding and explaining the various metaphors, hidden meanings and so on. Sonnet 18 is so famous that it has long since turned into a cliche ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?") and would simply not go over very well is
Shakespeare's Plays: Henry the IV Part I, Hamlet, a Midsummer Night's Dream Henry the IV, Part I Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 78-90. KING HENRY IV: Yea, there thou makest me sad and makest me sin In envy that my Lord Northumberland Should be the father to so blest a son, A son who is the theme of honour's tongue; Amongst a grove, the very straightest plant; Who is sweet Fortune's minion and
Shakespeare's Othello: Is it a tragedy according to Aristotle? Aristotle and tragedy Aristotle defines tragedy as imitation of an action that is serious and has a certain dramatic and complete magnitude. Tragedy to Aristotle is something that is: "A form of drama exciting the emotions of pity and fear. Its action should be single and complete, presenting a reversal of fortune, involving persons renowned and of superior attainments, and it should be written
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