Genre and Ethics: The Education of an Eighteenth-century CriticUniversity of Delaware Press, 2002 - 284 pages "The study addresses the following kinds of questions: Why does genre need ethics? Why does ethics need genre? How is ethics related to and distinguished from ideology as currently used in cultural studies? How does a generic ethical method come to terms with history and historical change? How is a generic ethical method related to religion? Does genre reinforce the concept of the ethical agent? This book will therefore have a broad audience, including scholars whose fields range from the Renaissance to the present, theorists and philosophers whose interests include ethics, cultural studies, and ideologies, and educationists pursuing methods for graduates and undergraduates. The autobiographical introduction serves as the "hook," as our creative writers say, for this audience. Generically, it is experimental, being at once scholarly, pedagogical, and autobiographical."--BOOK JACKET. |
Contents
| 49 | |
| 70 | |
Critical Ideology in The Beaux and Belles Stratagem | 97 |
Critical Judgment in MacFlecknoe | 117 |
Ethical Agency in The Double Mistress | 137 |
History Genre and Ethics in The Life of Richard Savage | 162 |
Genre and Teleology The Faith of Criticism | 188 |
Literary History The Pastoral Elegy from Lycidas to the Present | 221 |
Pedagogical Postscript | 249 |
Notes | 265 |
Bibliography | 270 |
Index | 276 |
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Common terms and phrases
alternative analysis appearance aristocratic artistic assertion attempt beauty Beaux becomes beginning Behn Behn's believe called century chapter character clear comedy conception concern conclusion consider continues conventions critical culture death demonstrate discussion double drama Dryden editors eighteenth century element ethical Evelina explain face fact final genre genre and ethics goal helps human ideology Imoinda important indicates individual interest interpretation involves issue Johnson kind leads less literary literature London MacFlecknoe marriage Martin means mistress Mode moral narrative nature never novel Oroonoko Oxford particularly pastoral period play poem poet poetry political position present Press problem provides question reading reference relation relationship responsibility Restoration comedy Richard Savage romance satire Savage Savage's scene seen sense serves Shadwell shows social stage story Stratagem suggests takes tradition turn understand University writing young
Popular passages
Page 235 - Blind, old, and lonely, when his country's pride The priest, the slave, and the liberticide Trampled and mocked with many a loathed rite Of lust and blood; he went, unterrified, Into the gulf of death; but his clear Sprite Yet reigns o'er earth; the third among the sons of light.
Page 126 - ALL human things are subject to decay, And, when Fate summons, monarchs must obey. This Flecknoe found, who, like Augustus, young Was called to empire, and had governed long. In prose and verse was owned, without dispute, Through all the realms of Nonsense absolute.
Page 133 - In thy felonious heart though venom lies, It does but touch thy Irish pen, and dies. Thy genius calls thee not to purchase fame In keen iambics, but mild anagram. Leave writing plays, and choose for thy command Some peaceful province in acrostic land. There thou may'st wings display and altars raise, And torture one poor word ten thousand ways. Or, if thou wouldst thy different talents suit, Set thy own songs, and sing them to thy lute.
Page 167 - ... nothing will supply the want of prudence; and that negligence and irregularity, long continued, will make knowledge useless, wit ridiculous, and genius contemptible.
Page 224 - Thus sang the uncouth swain to the oaks and rills, While the still Morn went out with sandals gray ; He touched the tender stops of various quills, With eager thought warbling his Doric lay : And now the sun had stretched out all the hills, And now was dropt into the western bay ; At last he rose, and twitched his mantle blue ; To-morrow to fresh woods and pastures new.
Page 224 - Enow of such, as for their bellies' sake Creep and intrude and climb into the fold! Of other care they little reckoning make Than how to scramble at the shearers' feast, And shove away the worthy bidden guest; Blind mouths! that scarce themselves know how to hold A sheep-hook, or have learned aught else the least That to the faithful herdman's art belongs!
Page 138 - A perfect judge will read each work of wit With the same spirit that its author writ ; Survey the whole, nor seek slight faults to find Where nature moves, and rapture warms the mind ; Nor lose, for that malignant dull delight, The generous pleasure to be charm'd with wit.
Page 244 - Time that is intolerant Of the brave and innocent, And indifferent in a week To a beautiful physique, Worships language and forgives 50 Everyone by whom it lives; Pardons cowardice, conceit, Lays its honours at their feet.
Page 167 - This relation will not be wholly without its use, if those, who languish under any part of his sufferings, shall be enabled to fortify their patience, by reflecting that they feel only those afflictions from which the abilities of Savage did not exempt him ; or...