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The Ironic Narrator in Christopher Marlowe's Hero and Leander

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The Ironic Narrator in Christopher Marlowe's Hero and Leander THE IRONIC NARRATOR IN CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S HERO AND LEANDER by KYLIE LEMON A THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in The Department of English to The School of Graduate Studies of The University of Alabama in Huntsville HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 2013 i In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master's degree from The University of Alabama in Huntsville, I agree that the Library of this University shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for extensive copying for scholarly purposes may be granted by my advisor or, in his/her absence, by the Chair of the Department or the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to The University of Alabama in Huntsville in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in this thesis. ii THESIS APPROVAL FORM Submitted by Kylie Lemon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English and accepted on behalf of the Faculty of the School of Graduate Studies by the thesis committee. We, the undersigned members of the Graduate Faculty of The University of Alabama in Huntsville, certify that we have advised and/or supervised the candidate on the work described in this thesis. We further certify that we have reviewed the thesis manuscript and approve it in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English. iii ABSTRACT The School of Graduate Studies The University of Alabama in Huntsville Degree: Master of Arts College/Dept: Liberal Arts/English Name of Candidate: Kylie Lemon Title: The Ironic Narrator in Christopher Marlowe’s Hero and Leander In his minor-epic poem Hero and Leander, Christopher Marlowe creates a narrator whose distinctive narrative presence and unique personality make him impossible for the reader to ignore. Existing scholarship often dismisses this narrator as an unintelligent and inept storyteller who is used by Marlowe to achieve a comedic effect; however, this study argues for a reevaluation of Marlowe’s narrator as one who uses a sophisticated form of irony to achieve an alternative purpose. A close-reading of this narrator-character in light of Wayne Booth’s and Linda Hutcheon’s discussions of irony reveals a narrator whose use of seemingly contradictory statements, less-than- flattering descriptions of Hero and Leander, and ironic interjections enable him to alert his readers to a flaw in the relationship between the poem’s title characters. In this way, Marlowe not only establishes a unique narrative voice, but he also uses his narrator as a vehicle to challenge the traditional reading of a popular mythological story. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project could not have been accomplished without the help of the many individuals who have served as my teachers, mentors, and colleagues throughout my time at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. First of all, I would like to thank those directly involved in this project. Dr. Jeffrey Nelson, thank you for initially encouraging me to pursue my thesis, and for serving as the director of my project; your constant support and regular feedback was a vital factor in the success of my project. Dr. Chad Thomas, thank you for serving on my committee and for offering valuable feedback for revisions; your suggestions went a long way to strengthen the overall quality of my project. Dr. Eric Smith, thank you for serving on my committee and for challenging me to consider aspects of my argument that I never would have considered without your insight and guidance. Your feedback helped me to see my project in a new light and forced me to think about the greater importance of my work. I would also like to thank Dr. Alanna Frost for all of the support and guidance she has given me in the past two years. You have taught me so much about teaching writing, and I am grateful for all of the opportunities you have given me to continue improving as a teacher. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Introduction………………………………………………………………………..1 II. A New Perspective Regarding Marlowe’s Perplexing Narrator…………………..4 III. Textual Clues and the “Scene” of Irony in Marlowe’s Work……………………13 IV. The Ironic Purpose of Marlowe’s Narrator………………………………………29 V. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………….40 WORKS CITED…………………………………………………………………………44 vi INTRODUCTION Since it was first published in the late sixteenth century, Christopher Marlowe’s Hero and Leander, a unique translation of the famous poem written by Musaeus, has achieved considerable attention from readers and critics a like; however, the poem seems to have enjoyed a return to the spotlight by scholars in the later half of the twentieth century. Critics such as Robert E. Knoll, and W.L. Godshalk are specifically interested in the outspoken storyteller and creative personality that Marlowe crafted to narrate the well-known mythical tale. Through two separate textual analyses of Marlowe’s work, these authors trace the narrator’s thoughts and actions throughout the poem in order to expose the narrator as an unintelligent, long-winded, and inept storyteller. In a sense, these scholars, along with others, argue that the narrator is simply a satirical tool used by Marlowe for comedic purposes. It wasn’t until the turn of the century that John Leonard suggested an alternative reading. Although the focus of Leonard’s work is not on the narrator, in the midst of his discussion he offers the view that perhaps Marlowe’s narrator is being consciously ironic and thus using his seemingly inept statements and behaviors to manipulate his readers. Although a new and interesting idea, the scope of Leonard’s project prevents him from fully developing this discussion. It is this suggestion by Leonard that served as the seed for my study and the following discussion of Marlowe’s narrator. This study seeks to explore the possibility that Marlowe’s narrator can be read 1 as a reliable source of information and that he uses a sophisticated form of irony to alert readers to a new understanding of Musaeus’s original poem. Through a close textual analysis of the statements made by the narrator, along with a comparative analysis of Marlowe’s work with that of his contemporaries, I will argue that not only can the narrator’s statements and comments be interpreted as ironic, but the historical and cultural context in which Marlowe was writing supports the use and attribution of this irony. Considering the broader cultural context of Marlowe’s work and the popular trend of literary translation that was taking place during the Renaissance, reading Marlowe’s narrator as ironic may actually make more sense than the alternative reading. In the introduction to her collection, Elizabethan Minor Epics, Elizabeth Donno explains that during the Renaissance, “it was the young poet[s] then, intoxicated with the rimes of ‘sweet-lipt Ovid,’ who popularized the erotic epyllion. Utilizing some well- known myth for the core of their narrative, these poets stressed originality not of subject matter but of treatment” (18). In creating an ironic narrator, Marlowe achieves this “originally” in a way that a simple unreliable narrator does not. Indeed, when read ironically, Marlowe’s narrator is not only unique but his ironic statements support a reading of the poem that challenges the traditional reading of the classical myth. The narrator’s careful language choice casts judgment on the characters in the poem, and his seemingly contradictory statements lead the reader to question the sincerity of the love between Hero and Leander; in this way, Marlowe is able to offer a reading of the tragic tale of Hero and Leander unlike anyone else’s. In order to fully grasp the argument that I propose, it is imperative that readers understand the critical conversation regarding Marlowe’s narrator to which I am 2 responding; thus, the first chapter of this study offers a detailed discussion of this debate and its pertinence to my project. In addition, a basic understanding of both the concept of irony (specifically in relation to the theories of Wayne Booth and Linda Hutcheon) and the historical and cultural context in which Marlowe was writing is essential to my argument; chapter two, therefore, contrasts Marlowe’s work with the work of his contemporaries and also discusses how this context informs an ironic reading of the text. Finally, chapter three offers a close textual analysis of the poem with a focus on how the statements made and language used by the narrator can be read as ironic and thus alert the reader to an alternative reading of Musaeus’s tragic tale of Hero and Leander. 3 CHAPTER ONE A New Perspective Regarding Marlowe’s Perplexing Narrator In Hero and Leander, Marlowe creates a distinct narrator; rather than accept the role of reserved storyteller, the narrator freely comments on the events unfolding around him, often interjecting his own thoughts and opinions directly into the narration of the myth. In this way, Marlowe introduces a narrative voice that is distinct from Marlowe’s own and impossible for the reader to ignore. This narrator has gained a considerable amount of attention by scholars because many of his comments influence the way that the reader interprets (or misinterprets) the events of the poem. Despite the narrator’s sophisticated language and intellectual persona, most critics question the reliability of Marlowe’s narrator on account of the contradictory nature of his statements. W.L. Godshalk and Robert Knoll1 are two of the most prominent examples of this view, and they argue that Marlowe uses the narrator’s incompetence for comic purposes.
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