Whose critical maxim states that in Shakespearean drama, “Character is not Destiny” but rather “character and Destiny” ?
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Answer: A. Bradley
Explanation
A.C. Bradley argued that Shakespearean tragedy stems from the intricate interplay of character and destiny. He maintained that tragic outcomes are driven by the specific flaws and choices of the protagonists. This critical maxim defines his influential approach to analyzing Shakespearean drama and character. A.C. Bradley published his lectures on Shakespearean tragedy in 1904 to great academic acclaim. His critical philosophy emphasized psychological realism and moral responsibility in tragic heroes. Shakespearean criticism has long debated the extent to which fate versus free will determines tragic downfalls.
Bradley maxim helps students evaluate how character flaws contribute to catastrophe in plays like Macbeth. Understanding critical maxims allows readers to engage with centuries of scholarly debate on drama. Character analysis remains a cornerstone of how Shakespeare is interpreted on stage and in classrooms. Dr. Samuel Johnson was an eighteenth-century critic known for his own famous prefaces to Shakespeare. Nicoll was a later theater historian rather than the author of this specific tragic maxim. Option A is correct, making the none of these choice incorrect since Bradley is the right author.
- Subject
- English
- Category
- English Literature
- Topic
- —
- Difficulty
- medium
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