31 | Leicester | BA (Hons.), MA in English Literature
Member of the British Shakespeare Association .
The culmination of my time as an undergraduate was a dissertation on whether the representations of race in Shakespeare's plays could be considered indicative of the playwright's own prejudices, a piece of work that was marked as First Class.
This extended piece will examine the treatment of race by Shakespeare through analysis of three d... more This extended piece will examine the treatment of race by Shakespeare through analysis of three different characters. Aaron from Titus Andronicus and the eponymous Othello are both moors, and the character of Shylock from The Merchant of Venice is Jewish. Aaron is the primary antagonist of Titus Andronicus and Shakespeare’s earliest Moor whereas Othello, created over a decade later,
can be seen to echo the anti-hero of classical tragedy. Both characters in some way subvert racial stereotypes, from Aaron’s rejection of white superiority to the honourable nature of Othello. The question of race is complicated further in Othello through Shakespeare’s creation of the villain Iago, the play’s whiteequivalent of Aaron. Much like Othello and Aaron, Shylock conforms to Jewish stereotypes, including his seemingly overwhelming desire for riches and wealth regardless of the moral cost. However, he does much to challenge such expectations. The rationale for his actions promotes sympathy for the character, and highlights the double standards present in the Elizabethan period. This paper will also consider the chronology of Shakespeare’s plays and the social conventions of the time regarding race, with the intention of
discerning how the playwright’s own racial prejudices, if any, evolved during his career.
A paper analysing the power obtained through rhetoric skill by the eponymous characters in Ben Jo... more A paper analysing the power obtained through rhetoric skill by the eponymous characters in Ben Jonson's 'Volpone' and William Shakespeare'sShakespeare's 'Richard III'.
A retelling of the play through the medium of the Shakespearean sonnet, with accompanying comment... more A retelling of the play through the medium of the Shakespearean sonnet, with accompanying commentary and rationale.
A paper discussing the differing opinions on what denotes a piece of writing as being "literary",... more A paper discussing the differing opinions on what denotes a piece of writing as being "literary", from a New Criticism perspective and that of reader-response theory. John Donne's 'Holy Sonnet XIV' and B. S. Johnson's 'A Few Selected Sentences' are used to demonstrate both sides of this much debated coin.
Using post-structuralist literary theory as a basis for the analysis, this paper seeks to demonst... more Using post-structuralist literary theory as a basis for the analysis, this paper seeks to demonstrate the ambiguity of the English language and how this in turn affects our perception of ourselves and the world in which we live.
A brief paper comparing the differing portrayals of magic and the supernatural in Marlowe's 'Doct... more A brief paper comparing the differing portrayals of magic and the supernatural in Marlowe's 'Doctor Faustus' and Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
This extended piece will examine the treatment of race by Shakespeare through analysis of three d... more This extended piece will examine the treatment of race by Shakespeare through analysis of three different characters. Aaron from Titus Andronicus and the eponymous Othello are both moors, and the character of Shylock from The Merchant of Venice is Jewish. Aaron is the primary antagonist of Titus Andronicus and Shakespeare’s earliest Moor whereas Othello, created over a decade later,
can be seen to echo the anti-hero of classical tragedy. Both characters in some way subvert racial stereotypes, from Aaron’s rejection of white superiority to the honourable nature of Othello. The question of race is complicated further in Othello through Shakespeare’s creation of the villain Iago, the play’s whiteequivalent of Aaron. Much like Othello and Aaron, Shylock conforms to Jewish stereotypes, including his seemingly overwhelming desire for riches and wealth regardless of the moral cost. However, he does much to challenge such expectations. The rationale for his actions promotes sympathy for the character, and highlights the double standards present in the Elizabethan period. This paper will also consider the chronology of Shakespeare’s plays and the social conventions of the time regarding race, with the intention of
discerning how the playwright’s own racial prejudices, if any, evolved during his career.
A paper analysing the power obtained through rhetoric skill by the eponymous characters in Ben Jo... more A paper analysing the power obtained through rhetoric skill by the eponymous characters in Ben Jonson's 'Volpone' and William Shakespeare'sShakespeare's 'Richard III'.
A retelling of the play through the medium of the Shakespearean sonnet, with accompanying comment... more A retelling of the play through the medium of the Shakespearean sonnet, with accompanying commentary and rationale.
A paper discussing the differing opinions on what denotes a piece of writing as being "literary",... more A paper discussing the differing opinions on what denotes a piece of writing as being "literary", from a New Criticism perspective and that of reader-response theory. John Donne's 'Holy Sonnet XIV' and B. S. Johnson's 'A Few Selected Sentences' are used to demonstrate both sides of this much debated coin.
Using post-structuralist literary theory as a basis for the analysis, this paper seeks to demonst... more Using post-structuralist literary theory as a basis for the analysis, this paper seeks to demonstrate the ambiguity of the English language and how this in turn affects our perception of ourselves and the world in which we live.
A brief paper comparing the differing portrayals of magic and the supernatural in Marlowe's 'Doct... more A brief paper comparing the differing portrayals of magic and the supernatural in Marlowe's 'Doctor Faustus' and Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'.
Uploads
Papers by Jon Cowling
can be seen to echo the anti-hero of classical tragedy. Both characters in some way subvert racial stereotypes, from Aaron’s rejection of white superiority to the honourable nature of Othello. The question of race is complicated further in Othello through Shakespeare’s creation of the villain Iago, the play’s whiteequivalent of Aaron. Much like Othello and Aaron, Shylock conforms to Jewish stereotypes, including his seemingly overwhelming desire for riches and wealth regardless of the moral cost. However, he does much to challenge such expectations. The rationale for his actions promotes sympathy for the character, and highlights the double standards present in the Elizabethan period. This paper will also consider the chronology of Shakespeare’s plays and the social conventions of the time regarding race, with the intention of
discerning how the playwright’s own racial prejudices, if any, evolved during his career.
can be seen to echo the anti-hero of classical tragedy. Both characters in some way subvert racial stereotypes, from Aaron’s rejection of white superiority to the honourable nature of Othello. The question of race is complicated further in Othello through Shakespeare’s creation of the villain Iago, the play’s whiteequivalent of Aaron. Much like Othello and Aaron, Shylock conforms to Jewish stereotypes, including his seemingly overwhelming desire for riches and wealth regardless of the moral cost. However, he does much to challenge such expectations. The rationale for his actions promotes sympathy for the character, and highlights the double standards present in the Elizabethan period. This paper will also consider the chronology of Shakespeare’s plays and the social conventions of the time regarding race, with the intention of
discerning how the playwright’s own racial prejudices, if any, evolved during his career.