Arboreal Tradition and Subversion: An Ecocritical Reading of Shakespeare’s Portrayal of Trees, Woods and Forests

Andoni Cossio; Martin Simonson

doi:10.18778/2083-8530.21.06

Autor

Andoni Cossio University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain
Martin Simonson University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2083-8530.21.06

Słowa kluczowe:

Shakespeare, trees, woods, forests, ecocriticism, tradition, subversion

Abstrakt

This paper analyses from an ecocritical standpoint the role of trees, woods and forests and their symbolism in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II and The Tempest. The analysis begins with an outline of the representation of trees on stage to continue with a ‘close reading’ of the mentioned plays, clearly distinguishing individual trees from woods and forests. Individual types of trees may represent death, sadness, sorcery and premonitions, or serve as meeting places, while forests and woods are frequently portrayed as settings which create an atmosphere of confusion, false appearances, danger and magic. This reflects a long-standing historical connection between trees and forests and the supernatural in literature and culture. However, while individual trees largely reflect traditional symbology, conventional interpretations are often subverted in Shakespeare’s treatment of forests and woods. From all this we may infer that Shakespeare was not only familiar with the traditions associated to individual tree species and forests in general, but also that he made conscious and active use of these in order to enhance the meaning of an action, reinforce character traits, further the plot and create a specific atmosphere. More subtly, the collective arboreal environments can also be interpreted as spaces in which superstitions and older societal models are questioned in favour of a more rational and reasonable understanding of the world.

Pobrania

Brak dostępnych danych do wyświetlenia.

Biogramy autorów

Andoni Cossio - University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain

Andoni Cossio (UPV/EHU) is working on a PhD dissertation on the role of trees and forests in Tolkien’s works. He is sponsored by the Pre-doctoral Funding (PRE_2017_1_0210 MOD.:A), awarded by the Basque Government, and by the research group REWEST, funded by the Basque Government (IT-1026-16) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). His publications focus on nature in Tolkien’s works, and he has organized six international conferences on the Inklings in Spain.

Martin Simonson - University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain

Martin Simonson received his PhD from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) with a dissertation on the narrative dynamics of The Lord of the Rings. He is the author three monographs on the literature of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S Lewis and Stephen King respectively. He has also edited several volumes on Western American Literature and German Romanticism, and he is the translator of several works by J.R.R. Tolkien into Spanish, among others Beowulf (2014), The Story of Kullervo (2015), Beren and Lúthien (2018), and The Fall of Gondolin (2019). He currently teaches 19th and 20th century English literature in the BA program of English Studies, and an introductory course on fantasy, horror and science fiction at the MA program of comparative literature offered by the University of the Basque Country.

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