Hy readers! This blog is a part of a thinking activity assigned by Dr.Dilip Barad Sir from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. In this blog, I will delve into Cultural Studies in practice, exploring a new perspective on the play 'Hamlet' and the novel 'Frankenstein'.
What is Cultural Studies?
Culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that characterize a group of people. It encompasses the ways of life and the products of human creativity that are passed down from generation to generation. Culture influences how individuals perceive the world, interact with one another, and make meaning out of their experiences.Cultural studies, on the other hand, is an academic discipline that explores and analyzes the various aspects of culture. It involves studying the production, distribution, consumption, and significance of cultural phenomena, including literature, art, media, language, and everyday practices. Cultural studies often takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on insights from sociology, anthropology, history, and other fields to understand how culture shapes and is shaped by society. The discipline also examines power dynamics, identities, and the ways in which different groups are represented in cultural texts.
Cultural Studies in Practice :
Cultural studies can be practiced in literary works through the application of various theoretical and analytical frameworks. Cultural studies, as an interdisciplinary field, explores how culture shapes and is shaped by various social, political, economic, and historical factors. When applied to literary works, cultural studies can provide insights into the ways in which literature reflects and influences culture. Here are some approaches to practicing cultural studies in literary analysis:
- Historical Context
- Social Class Analysis
- Gender Studies
- Race and Ethnicity Studies
- Postcolonial Theory
- Cultural Identity and Hybridity
- Reader Response Theory
- Cultural Materialism
- Language and Discourse Analysis
- Globalization Studies
'Hamlet':
Let's now examine Shakespeare's Hamlet with a focus on understanding power within its cultural context:
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor characters, exemplify the cultural and historical shift in power dynamics. Their marginalization and lack of agency underscore the play's exploration of power, politics, and societal structures.
The play's cultural context reflects the Elizabethan era's emphasis on power and hierarchy. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, devoid of personality and solely driven by the pursuit of favor, embody the subservient roles often assigned to marginalized groups. Their lack of individual identity and their willingness to comply with Claudius's manipulative schemes reinforce the concept of power as a tool to control and oppress those with less influence. Furthermore, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's marginalization extends to their names, which sound foreign and unfamiliar to English ears. This linguistic alienation further highlights their exclusion from the dominant social circles.
"garland of roses”
“golden star"
The jingling quality of their names gives them a lightness, blurring their individuality and highlighting their insignificance in the grander scheme of the play.
Two marginalized characters in Hamlet: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern:
In this play, Hamlet, two characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, along with King Claudius, wield power, and this may reflect political and cultural ideas in the text. Hamlet's true reality is that his friend, who holds a position of power, King Claudius, is plotting to send him to England, intertwining personal relationships with political ambitions. Responding to Claudius's plan, Rosencrantz delivers a speech that, when taken out of context, comprises both an excellent set of metaphors and a summary of the Elizabethan concepts of the role and power of kingship. When read out of context, Rosencrantz's speech is an excellent set of metaphors and a summation of the Elizabethan concepts of the role and power of kingship. His words reflect the complex interplay between personal relationships and political ambitions in the unfolding events of the play.
The singular and peculiar life is bound
With all the strength and armor of the mind
To keep itself from noyance but much more
That spirit upon whose weal depends and rests
The lives of many .the cease of majesty
Dies not alone, but like a gulf doth draw
What’s near it with it? It is a massy wheel
Fixed on the summit of the highest mount,
To whose huge spoken ten thousand lesser things
Are mortised and adjoined; which, when it falls,
Each small annexment, petty consequences,
Attends the boisterous ruin: never alone
Did the king sign but with a general groan.
Despite having excellent access, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find themselves marginalized, while Hamlet, despite being a hero from a wealthy royal family, is categorized as a moral hero, albeit with some flaws. The question arises: will people notice this distinction? The agreement they make is merely a reaffirmation of what they had told the king when they were first received at court. These two characters are distinctly plot-driven, lacking personality, being sycophantic in a sniveling way, and eager to curry favor with power even if it means spying on their former friend. They admit, without much skill at denial, that they "were sent for." They try unsuccessfully to play on Hamlet's metaphorical 'pipe' to know his 'stops,' admitting they couldn't even handle the literal musical instrument Hamlet shows them. Later, these nonentities meet their destined 'non - beingness' when Hamlet, who can play the pipe more efficiently, substitutes their names in the death warrant intended for him. In this context, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report back to King Claudius after their conversation with Hamlet. They have very little to tell the King, who opens the scene by asking. The only positive news they have is that Hamlet was greatly cheered to hear about the arrival of the traveling players and ordered them to put on a performance. Claudius is pleased to hear about this show of interest from his melancholy stepson. We also see Claudius's power over these two individuals, and Hamlet reflects on these ideas in his mind.
Death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern:
Stoppard presents a fascinating reimagining of their existence, emphasizing their lack of impact. In Stoppard's version, these characters are even more evidently portrayed as ineffectual pawns, constantly grappling with questions about their identity and purpose. The central theme of whether they truly "are" at all emerges as a fundamental question in this modern play.
Reading 'Frankenstein'
From 'Paradise Lost to Frank-N-Furter:
Revolutionary Birth:
Emerging during an era of revolution, Frankenstein, like its creator, defied the prevailing ideas of its time. In the face of its increasing assimilation into modern consumer culture, there's a question about whether its initial revolutionary essence and its critical exploration of scientific, philosophical, political, and gender issues have been overshadowed. Alternatively, the ongoing transformations might affirm its inherent oppositional nature. Today, George Levine notes that Frankenstein serves as "a vital metaphor, particularly fitting for a culture consumed by consumer technology, anxiously seeking its 'authentic self,' and apprehensive about its self-discoveries"
Allusions to and imagery from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein are ubiquitous in modern discourse, ranging from comparisons of figures like Saddam Hussein to an "American-made Frankenstein" on CNN to concerns about genetically engineered "Frankenfoods," test-tube babies, and cloning in magazine articles. This analysis explores the novel's examination of political and scientific themes, followed by a survey of its remarkable journey through various popular adaptations in fiction, drama, film, and television.
The Creature of Frankenstein as a Symbol of the Proletariat and the Legacy of Racism:
This title accurately reflects in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the Creature is depicted as a complex and multifaceted being, embodying both proletarian struggles and the societal fears surrounding them. Shelley's portrayal of the Creature reflects her own ambivalent views on radicalism and the plight of the marginalized. The Creature's monstrous form symbolizes the anxieties of the ruling class facing the threat of proletarian revolution. His creation defies the natural order and represents a challenge to established power structures. The Creature's desire for acceptance and belonging mirrors the yearning of the working class for social recognition and equality.
However, the Creature's actions, including his murderous acts, also evoke societal fears and prejudices. His monstrous appearance reinforces the notion of the 'Other' as something to be feared and rejected. Shelley's exploration of racial stereotypes is evident in the Creature's yellow skin, which aligns him with the marginalized and oppressed.
The Frankenpheme in popular culture:
In the Routledge Literary Sourcebook on Frankenstein, Timothy Morton uses the Term Frankenphemes, drawn from phoneme (sonic elements of language, as used in structural linguistics) and graphemes (visual elements), as 'elements of culture that are derived from Frankenstein." Either a separate work of art is inspired, or some kernel is derived from Shelley's novel and repeated in another medium. This word demonstrates the prevalence of novel's presence in world cultures. Thousands of retellings, parodies, other works have appeared in popular fiction, drama, film and television.
Examples of Film Adaptation:
 |
| Frankenstein film 1931 |
Words - 1,836
Images - 6
Video - 1
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