Other examples of socio-historical contextual information being used less effectively

Example 1

Essay question: 'Dr. Faustus is a morality play without a moral.' Discuss.

This is an extract from a student essay on the above question:

'I feel that there can be no true moral and no real reason why Marlowe would want to make people conform to God's good path because by looking at his own life I have come to the conclusion that he himself was corrupt. At the time when this play was written I feel that he was trying instead to create a little uproar in the society. He wanted to shake people’s faith by saying that there is no hell so do not be scared.

I think that an atheist is a good way to portray Marlowe but because of his religious studies in his earlier life he was able to portray the play as one of morality, whereas when it actually came to be shown to all of the public there was outrage and he was eventually murdered because of his works.'

Q. How could this be improved?

TUTOR'S REPLY

Biographical information about Marlowe is used by the essayist to come to a conclusion about whether or not Dr. Faustus is 'a morality play without a moral'. It is not advisable to do this, as the relationship between what is in the text and the life of the author (and historical events in general) is a very complex one. Cause and effect are not straightforward, and it does not necessarily follow that the text is a direct reflection of the values that the author appears to hold in their personal life (if indeed we know what those are: there is a lot of controversy about Marlowe’s life and his beliefs, and whether or not these were significant in his murder). It is best to focus primarily on what is in the text itself as a means of coming to a conclusion about it. Use knowledge of the context to inform your textual analysis, rather than as a substitute for it.

Example 2

Essay question: Discuss the presentation of Eve in Paradise Lost.

This extract comes from a student essay, answering the question quoted above:

'The superiority of Adam is thus taken for granted from the beginning of their creation. However, in the book of Genesis, Eve is not given the subservient role until after the fall as punishment for her disobedience: 'thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee'. Therefore it would seem that Milton's alteration of this part of the scripture must reflect his own views and that of his contemporaries.'


Q. How could this be improved?

TUTOR'S REPLY

The student writing this essay makes a sweeping statement about how male poets of the seventeenth century regarded women. However, it does not follow just that because Milton appears to view women in a certain way that all of his contemporaries must have shared exactly the same outlook. Generalisations of this kind which are not supported by specific evidence should be avoided.

Example 3

Essay question: 'The introduction of the players and the discussion of the theatre reflect a major thematic concern of Hamlet.' Discuss.

This is an extract from a student essay, responding to the above question:

'The major theme of Hamlet would appear to be Hamlet's state of mind, his failure to act, until finally he reacts and is forced into taking action. This concept of consciousness was reflective of the time, when people started to question and seek knowledge. Previously it was considered a sin to wish to acquire knowledge and people were supposed to be content with whatever knowledge they were given, usually by the priest, but increasingly, influenced by the theatre, people started to question and would be encouraged to do so whilst watching a tragedy play.'

Q. How could this be improved?

TUTOR'S REPLY

The role of the theatre during this social period is over-estimated here. It would be an overstatement to claim that the questioning of the existing order which is associated with the Renaissance was due to the role of tragic drama. It would be more appropriate to say that some plays of the period appear to reflect and may have contributed, in some way, to this idea of questioning and seeking knowledge, but not to claim that they were solely or even significantly responsible for this cultural shift.

Click here to return to the first set of examples