Roycean loyalty in William Shakespeare’s timon of Athens
The study focuses on the master-servant relationship shared by the Steward and Timon in Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens (1605). The paper begins with a brief overview on the notion of loyalty and moves towards reviewing some master-servant relationships found in Shakespeare’s plays. While most stud...
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Main Authors: | , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Penerbit UKM
2012
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Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/4908/1/pp%2520343_358.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/4908/ http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~ppbl/Gema/gemahome.html |
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Institution: | Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
Language: | English |
Summary: | The study focuses on the master-servant relationship shared by the Steward and Timon in
Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens (1605). The paper begins with a brief overview on the
notion of loyalty and moves towards reviewing some master-servant relationships found
in Shakespeare’s plays. While most studies highlight the comical nature and bearings of
the servant class, the study centers its analysis on the serious nature of loyalty displayed
by the Steward towards Timon. The social establishment pertaining to the practice of
loyalty within the Elizabethan servant class is also presented. Following the literature
review on the Steward is an account which explains Josiah Royce’s concepts of loyalty
forwarded in his work The Philosophy of Loyalty (1908). The discussion of the study
highlights the Steward’s loyalty in truth speaking, minimizing conflicts and idealizing the
lost cause which enhances his self-will and forgoes his self-gratification. The paper
concludes with an emphasis on the eminent role and nobility of the Steward in serving his
master, Timon. Through the instances and extent of loyalty examined, the study aims to
instigate new textual interpretations in the area of master-servant relationships within
Shakespeare’s playtexts. |
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