'My Flame to qualify' : the friendship tradition and The Merchant of Venice

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dc.contributor.advisorDachslager, Earl L.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberThomas, Helen S.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberCollins, Anthony R.
dc.creatorBrisack, Janice Kraus
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-17T17:02:35Z
dc.date.available2023-01-17T17:02:35Z
dc.date.issued1976
dc.description.abstractFriendship is of major thematic importance in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Classical friendship theories are the antecedents upon which the devoted ideal friendship of Antonio and Bassanio is based. This study examines the language, imagery, and precepts of amity doctrine from its Greek and Roman origins to its peak embellishment in the sixteenth century. Full understanding and appreciation of MV requires such background knowledge. The critics, reflecting their times, have promulgated new emphases and illuminations of the play, and the friendship theme has recently been obscured by critical disenchantment with or ignorance of amity tenets. Psychoanalytic interpretations, holding the friendship to be a homosexual liaison, have distorted the play's meaning. This study examines representative criticism of all schools pertinent to the play's friendship theme, from Shakespeare's time to the present. A close analysis of all of the friendship passages and elements of the text of MV is made with emphasis grounded in the classical amity ideas. The conclusion reached is that friendship is a still- viable intellectual and artistic concept and ideal. In MV, as in the modern world, friendship is a valuable and essential facet of the comic festive celebration of the full life.
dc.description.departmentEnglish, Department of
dc.format.digitalOriginreformatted digital
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.other3013484
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10657/13378
dc.language.isoen
dc.rightsThis item is protected by copyright but is made available here under a claim of fair use (17 U.S.C. Section 107) for non-profit research and educational purposes. Users of this work assume the responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing, or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires express permission of the copyright holder.
dc.title'My Flame to qualify' : the friendship tradition and The Merchant of Venice
dc.type.dcmiText
dc.type.genreThesis
thesis.degree.collegeCollege of Humanities and Fine Arts
thesis.degree.departmentEnglish, Department of
thesis.degree.disciplineEnglish
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Houston
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts

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