SHAKESPEARE'S "TIMON OF ATHENS": PROBLEMS OF ATTRIBUTION, TEXT, SOURCES, CHRONOLOGY AND INTERPRETATION.
Item
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Title
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SHAKESPEARE'S "TIMON OF ATHENS": PROBLEMS OF ATTRIBUTION, TEXT, SOURCES, CHRONOLOGY AND INTERPRETATION.
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Identifier
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AAI8423095
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identifier
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8423095
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Creator
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RAUCHUT, EDWARD A.
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Date
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1984
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Literature, English
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Abstract
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The aim of this dissertation is to survey criticism on five problems of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens: problems of attribution, text, sources, chronology, and interpretation. The following critical surveys are based on the format of the New Variorum Shakespeare edition of the plays. (The Variorum Shakespeare of course attempts to present complete variant reading of the plays' texts, as well as notes of critical comment and interpretation on the text.) This dissertation will be submitted for publication as the critical appendices of the New Variorum Timon of Athens, which I am now co-editing. Because Timon has never before appeared in a Variorum edition, this survey provides for the first time an extensive overview of Timon criticism. Commentary from the play's major editions, from Rowe (1709-10) to the Riverside Shakespeare (1974), is recorded in chronological order, as is commentary in minor editions and other criticism.;Seen for the first time in the light of the history of its commentary, this study suggests that Timon, one of Shakespeare's most puzzling plays, remains today a rich source of critical inquiry. Written, in all probability, at the height of Shakespeare's dramatic career, Timon nevertheless remains an enigmatical presence among the last great tragedies. In addition to indicating the present state of Timon criticism, then, this study also suggests directions for future investigation, with possible application to Shakespeare's final tragedies.;With regard to problems surveyed, critical controversy still surrounds the mysterious circumstances of Timon's initial publication in the first Folio (1623). The state of the copy text, moreover, also remains unknown. Indeed, Shakespeare's authorship of the play has been consistently debated during the past 150 years. A critical consensus on Timon's sources has never been reached. Recently, moreover, sources traditionally associated with the play have been brought into doubt, while works identified in the past as minor influences have been elevated to the status of primary sources. The data of Timon's composition has never been determined, while suggested dates cover Shakespeare's entire career, from 1594 to 1610. Finally, critical interpretation of Timon, including the play's genre, occasion, and characters, is distinguished by divergent and contradictory opinion. Shakespeare's Timon of Athens remains, in short, a perplexing critical enigma.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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English
