Shakespeare's Influence in the Gothic Literary Tradition Natalie A
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Claremont Colleges Scholarship @ Claremont CGU Theses & Dissertations CGU Student Scholarship 2013 "Something old and dark has got its way": Shakespeare's Influence in the Gothic Literary Tradition Natalie A. Hewitt Claremont Graduate University Recommended Citation Hewitt, Natalie A.. (2013). "Something old and dark has got its way": Shakespeare's Influence in the Gothic Literary Tradition. CGU Theses & Dissertations, 77. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgu_etd/77. doi: 10.5642/cguetd/77 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the CGU Student Scholarship at Scholarship @ Claremont. It has been accepted for inclusion in CGU Theses & Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholarship @ Claremont. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “Something old and dark has got its way”: Shakespeare’s Influence in the Gothic Literary Tradition by Natalie Ann Hewitt A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Claremont Graduate University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English. Claremont Graduate University 2013 © Natalie Ann Hewitt, 2013 All Rights Reserved APPROVAL OF THE DISSERTATION COMMITTEE We, the undersigned, certify that we have read, reviewed, and critiqued the dissertation of Natalie Hewitt and do hereby approve it as adequate in scope and quality for meriting the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English. Sarah Raff Professor of English Pomona College Jolene Zigarovich Research Assistant Professor of English School of Arts and Humanities Claremont Graduate University Lori Anne Ferrell Professor of English and History School of Arts and Humanities Claremont Graduate University Abstract “Something old and dark has got its way”: Shakespeare’s Influence in the Gothic Literary Tradition by Natalie Ann Hewitt Claremont Graduate University: 2013 This dissertation examines Shakespeare’s role as the most significant precursor to the Gothic author in Britain, suggesting that Shakespeare used the same literary conventions that Gothic writers embraced as they struggled to create a new subgenre of the novel. By borrowing from Shakespeare’s canon, these novelists aimed to persuade readers and critics that rather than undermining the novel’s emergent, still unassured status as an acceptable literary genre, the nontraditional aspects of their works paid homage to Shakespeare’s imaginative vision. Gothic novelists thereby legitimized their attempts at literary expression. Despite these efforts, Gothic writers did not instantly achieve the type of acceptance or admiration that they sought. The Gothic novel has consistently been viewed as a monstrous, immature literary form—either a poor experiment in the history of the novel or a guilty pleasure for those who might choose to read or to write works that fit within this mode. Writers of Gothic fictions often claim that their works emulate Shakespeare’s dramatic pathos, but they do not acknowledge that the playwright also had to navigate similar opposition to his own creative expression. While early Gothic novelists had to contend with skeptical readers and reviewers, Shakespeare had to negotiate the religious, political, and ideological limitations that members of the court, the church, and the patronage system imposed upon his craft. Interestingly, Shakespeare often succeeded in circumventing these limitations by employing the literary techniques and topoi that we recognize today as trademarks of Gothic fiction—spectacle, sublime, sepulcher, and the supernatural. Each of these concepts expresses subversive intentions toward authoritative power. For Shakespeare and the Gothic novelists, the dramatic potential of these elements corresponds directly to their ability to target the sociocultural fears and anxieties of their audience; the results are works that frighten as well as amuse. As my dissertation will show, these authors use similar imagery to surreptitiously challenge the authority figures and institutions that sought to prescribe what makes a work of fiction socially acceptable or worthy of critical acclaim. Dedicated to the memory of my father-in-law Gary Donald Hewitt Acknowledgments On a particularly difficult writing day, a dear friend of mine sent me an encouraging note, which included this reminder: “If the voices of the Muses don’t show up, hear the voices of those who support you.” Throughout the dissertation process, several friends, colleagues, family members, and mentors helped me remain focused and inspired when I was unable to stay motivated on my own. Among those individuals, I am happy to say, were many of my students and co-workers. I consider myself fortunate to be surrounded by such a strong support system. In particular, I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee: Sarah Raff, Jolene Zigarovich, and Lori Anne Ferrell for offering encouragement and instruction. As the dissertation chair, Sarah was a source of constant academic excellence and sincere human kindness. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with her. I am also indebted to the CGU Writing Center staff for creating the weeklong dissertation boot camp, where I learned how to make the discipline of writing less of a chore and more of an exhilarating challenge. I am honored that this process brought me a dear friend in Fay Ellwood. She painstakingly read every word, provided feedback, and took a great interest in me, as well as my scholarship. Lastly, I thank my loving husband, Jay Hewitt. This experience showed me that his confidence in me is unwavering and true. vi Table of Contents Introduction 1 I. The Sepulcher as the Site of Paternal Failure: Romeo and Juliet and The Castle of 14 Otranto II. Controversy and Appeal: Dramatic Spectacle in Titus Andronicus and The Monk 48 III. Education by Fear: Gothic Sublimity in The Tempest and Frankenstein 92 IV. Supernatural Intervention in Macbeth and Wuthering Heights 145 Conclusion 188 Bibliography 206 vii Introduction “We do not know how thoroughly pre-Gothic Shakespeare is…until we look back through the Gothic to his most similar motifs and tendencies.” Jerrold Hogle This dissertation examines Shakespeare’s role as the most significant precursor to the Gothic author in Britain, suggesting that Shakespeare used the same literary conventions that Gothic writers embraced as they struggled to create a new subgenre of the novel. Early Gothic novelists appropriated content from Shakespeare’s plays and aligned themselves with his reputation for literary greatness in an effort to ward off the criticism their controversial works encountered. By borrowing from Shakespeare’s canon, these novelists aimed to persuade readers and critics that rather than undermining the novel’s emergent, still unassured status as an acceptable literary genre, the nontraditional aspects of their works paid homage to Shakespeare’s imaginative vision. Gothic novelists thereby legitimized their attempts at literary expression. Despite these efforts, Gothic writers did not instantly achieve the type of acceptance or admiration that they sought. The Gothic novel has consistently been viewed as a monstrous, immature literary form—either a poor experiment in the history of the novel or a guilty pleasure for those who might choose to read or to write works that fit within this mode. Writers of Gothic fictions often claim that their works emulate Shakespeare’s dramatic pathos, but they do not acknowledge that the playwright also had to navigate similar opposition to his own creative expression. While early Gothic novelists had to contend with skeptical readers and reviewers, Shakespeare had to negotiate the religious, political, and ideological limitations that members of the court, the church, and the patronage system imposed upon his craft. Interestingly, Shakespeare often succeeded in 1 circumventing these limitations by employing the literary techniques and topoi that we recognize today as trademarks of Gothic fiction—spectacle, sublime, sepulcher, and the supernatural. Each of these concepts expresses subversive intentions toward authoritative power. For Shakespeare and the Gothic novelists, the dramatic potential of these elements corresponds directly to their ability to target the sociocultural fears and anxieties of their audience; the results are works that frighten as well as amuse. As my dissertation will show, these authors use similar imagery to surreptitiously challenge the authority figures and institutions that sought to prescribe what makes a work of fiction socially acceptable or worthy of critical acclaim. When friends, colleagues, and family members discover that my academic interests center on Shakespeare and the Gothic novel, the first question they pose is: “What exactly is a Gothic novel?” This situation, as well as my role as an undergraduate instructor, led me to develop a response using the following four words to explain the thematic and aesthetic elements that distinguish Gothic novels from other novelistic genres: sepulcher, spectacle, sublime, and supernatural. I arrived at these four terms while first studying the history of Gothic fiction, recognizing that these common identifying features fulfill a similar purpose for their authors—they provide a way for these writers to depict concerns about abuses of power while still seeming to submit to the culpable systems of authoritative rule. In my research, I discovered that many scholars have observed that Gothic authors rely on the influence of Shakespeare to create