Paper Submitted

So I submitted my paper to the Scholars Archive and the Wooden O Symposium in Cedar City Utah. I have to say that, like Nyssa, I found myself pretty nervous about the whole ordeal. However, afterward I felt really good about it. Whether they accept my proposal or not, it is a really fun feeling to have putting your work, and yourself, out there.

Here is my abstract:
This essay attempts to show how William Shakespeare reformed the age old constructs of the genre of tragedy by refocusing the emphasis of the tragedy away from the individual and placing it on society as a whole. Using Aristotle’s timeless definition of the genre as a foundation this essay explores his specific designation that states tragedy occurs within the individual. An in-depth analysis of  The Tragedy of Coriolanus shows that Shakespeare was moving away from that construct by portraying tragic flaws in virtually every part of Roman society. Paying particular attention to Coriolanus’ pride, this essay explores where exactly this fatal flaw was developed. Bringing in ideas grounded in the ‘nature vs. nurture’ conflict. A rigorous analysis of the primary text affirms that the title character’s downfall was not a trait wholly unique to his person but that it was cultivated in him through an overzealous mother, indulgent patricians, and a dependant proletariat. The nurturing aspect of these dominating societal forces naturally prescribe the plays fatal flaw not just to Coriolanus but to Roman society at large. Additional support for Shakespeare’s transcendence of the genre of tragedy is garnered from his negotiation of Plutarch’s Lives of the Nobel Greeks and Romans.  As this work was the basis for his Roman tragedies this essay argues that, as the bard’s Roman tragedies were among his last works, he was more than willing to toy with the classic constructs of the genre by placing his own distinct mark on the already existing stories.