Year 12 IB Extended Essays 2017

Introduction

It is said that madness is a sickness of the civilisations, and that despairing conditions can cause

sickness and festering in any man. By this statement, it is inferable that the nature of man

himself is not the contributor to madness and mentality that we, as a society, have long

assumed. The plays, Macbeth and King Lear , are set in vastly different civilisations, from

Scotland in the Dark Ages, to Ancient Britain. Shakespeare’s variance in landscape creates the

need for audiences to include socio-cultural contexts in any scrutiny of his works; but

Shakespeare’s calibre of tragic hero invites madness in their very disposition. The

characteristics of lunacy and insanity that manifest in the characters of King Lear and Macbeth

are enhanced by Shakespeare’s implementation of literary devices, characterisation, and the

themes: love as a negative force, characteristics of madness, and the absence of paternal power.

William Shakespeare was a renowned 17 th -century poet and playwright, famous for his

comedies, dramas, and tragedies that defined the Elizabethan era of the written word.

Shakespeare is widely regarded in the literary community as one of the greatest writers in

history; and has inspired generations of artists in literature, art, and the dramatics.

Shakespeare’s influence has dominated in theatre, philosophy, and even the English language

itself; and his works and neologisms are among the most commonly quoted in the English-

speaking world (Foakes & Foakes, 1998). There is a dynamic duality to Shakespeare’s work

in that he is entrenched in Elizabethan society, a pinnacular figure of 17 th -century literature –

yet to this day, Shakespeare remains an icon of English society, his works influencing the

creative abilities of “not [just] an age, but for all of time.” (Jonson, 1623) Shakespeare’s

illumination of the complex nature of human emotion and function is a major component of

the universality of his works. This observatory and emphatic quality transcends the physical

barriers – whether it be the setting Shakespeare determines, or the setting at which the audience

exists: a conception which allows the full spectrum of his characters to be revealed.

Extended Essay

ENGLISH A1

3