The Reality Of Politics In W.Shakespeares Play

Introduction

Politics is universal & ubiquitous. It has its various outlet of expression. Literature is one of such outlets. And through literature politics has got its own language, own grammar and own poetics. And often the reading of Shakespearean drama means all a matter of a spasmodic interest in politics. The title of this thesis paper is vividly expressive of that politicized trend in Shakespeare. It (The title) is: “The reality of politics: Axis of Shakespeare’s Richard II and The Tempest”. Therefore the central area of concern is the political aspects of these two plays.

                                                          Objective

Politics largely corresponds and listens to the decree of reality while it has the power to create its own reality. Reality means a sense of time, place and consequence. Or in other words, reality means the true situation and problems that actually exist in life, in contrast to how one would like to think or imagine life would be. To be sure, this adherence to such a hard-nosed reality or a network between politics & reality is what makes a political reality. And such reality of politics is the prime concern of Shakespeare’s Richard II & The Tempest. In how many ways upon the canvas of these two plays Shakespeare portrays the language of a political reality is the central argument here. And to search how the political implication or message provided in these two plays makes new possibilities of meaning to be derived from politics is a motto set here.

                                                      Abstract & Findings

Both Richard II & The Tempest set a target to enact political realities. Both the two plays seem to show the politics of reprisal & retribution, the politics of valorizing the cruel means to political gains, and the politics of silence. This is a politics which is myopically one-eyed & disregarding. Shakespeare could have saved Richard’s life. But he didn’t. No deus ex machina comes to...