Lecture Summary on Literary Theory and Adaptations of Macbeth

A series of questions and answers focusing on key concepts from the lecture, including Jauss's literary theories, interpretations of Macbeth, and modern adaptations.

What central claim does Hans Robert Jauss make in his essay 'Literary History as a Challenge to Literary Theory'?

Literary history must be reconstructed through the changing reception of works by readers across time, rather than solely through authors and texts.

What limitation do both Marxist and formalist literary theories share, according to Jauss?

Both treat the reader as passive and ignore the audience, which leads to a misunderstanding of literature's historical significance.

What is the 'Triangle' of Author–Work–Audience proposed by Jauss?

Literature exists within a dynamic relationship between the author (production), the work (text), and the audience (reception).

How does Jauss define 'Horizon of Expectations'?

It refers to the set of expectations every reader brings to a new work, shaped by familiar genres, prior literary experience, and cultural norms.

What does Jauss suggest about the literary history narrative?

Literary history should be rewritten as a history of changing receptions rather than a mere chronology of texts.

What significance does Jauss attach to the concept of 'Aesthetic Distance'?

It measures the artistic value of a work by the distance between what readers expect and what the work actually delivers.

How does Jauss view the role of the reader in canon formation?

He believes that works become classics because of continual reinterpretation by readers, indicating that 'timelessness' is a constructed illusion.

What cultural discourse is exposed by Macbeth's insult towards the English as 'epicures'?

It highlights the contrast between perceived English excess and Scottish restraint, revealing deeper fears about corruption and external influences.

What concept does Mary Floyd-Wilson introduce regarding the human body in her essay concerning Macbeth?

Passibility, the notion that the human body is porous and shaped by external forces such as air, diet, weather, and social environment.

What does Chamberlain argue about Lady Macbeth's fantasy of infanticide?

It's a reflection of cultural anxieties surrounding maternal agency and the potential disruption of patrilineage by mothers.

What characterizes modern adaptations of Lady Macbeth, according to William C. Carroll?

They often rehabilitate her by providing backstory, psychological motives, and moral justifications, transforming her into a sympathetic figure.

What is the 'peculiar awfulness' associated with the knocking at the gate in Macbeth, according to De Quincey?

It serves as a dramatic signal of the re-entry of human life and normality following Duncan's murder, emphasizing emotional resonance.

Why is Macbeth considered 'the unlikeliest play' for children, as discussed by Laura Tosi?

It contains extreme violence, psychological horror, and demonic elements without comic relief, presenting challenges for adaptations for younger audiences.

What strategies do modern adaptations of Macbeth use to handle Lady Macbeth?

They often soften her character, explain her motivations, and emphasize maternal themes to make her more palatable for children.

What historical context shapes the witchcraft in Macbeth?

The play's witches reflect King James I's obsession with witchcraft and Jacobean fears surrounding female power and political instability.

What central claim does Hans Robert Jauss make in his essay 'Literary History as a Challenge to Literary Theory'?

Literary history must be reconstructed through the changing reception of works by readers across time, rather than solely through authors and texts.

What limitation do both Marxist and formalist literary theories share, according to Jauss?

Both treat the reader as passive and ignore the audience, which leads to a misunderstanding of literature's historical significance.

What is the 'Triangle' of Author–Work–Audience proposed by Jauss?

Literature exists within a dynamic relationship between the author (production), the work (text), and the audience (reception).

How does Jauss define 'Horizon of Expectations'?

It refers to the set of expectations every reader brings to a new work, shaped by familiar genres, prior literary experience, and cultural norms.

What does Jauss suggest about the literary history narrative?

Literary history should be rewritten as a history of changing receptions rather than a mere chronology of texts.

What significance does Jauss attach to the concept of 'Aesthetic Distance'?

It measures the artistic value of a work by the distance between what readers expect and what the work actually delivers.

How does Jauss view the role of the reader in canon formation?

He believes that works become classics because of continual reinterpretation by readers, indicating that 'timelessness' is a constructed illusion.

What cultural discourse is exposed by Macbeth's insult towards the English as 'epicures'?

It highlights the contrast between perceived English excess and Scottish restraint, revealing deeper fears about corruption and external influences.

What concept does Mary Floyd-Wilson introduce regarding the human body in her essay concerning Macbeth?

Passibility, the notion that the human body is porous and shaped by external forces such as air, diet, weather, and social environment.

What does Chamberlain argue about Lady Macbeth's fantasy of infanticide?

It's a reflection of cultural anxieties surrounding maternal agency and the potential disruption of patrilineage by mothers.

What characterizes modern adaptations of Lady Macbeth, according to William C. Carroll?

They often rehabilitate her by providing backstory, psychological motives, and moral justifications, transforming her into a sympathetic figure.

What is the 'peculiar awfulness' associated with the knocking at the gate in Macbeth, according to De Quincey?

It serves as a dramatic signal of the re-entry of human life and normality following Duncan's murder, emphasizing emotional resonance.

Why is Macbeth considered 'the unlikeliest play' for children, as discussed by Laura Tosi?

It contains extreme violence, psychological horror, and demonic elements without comic relief, presenting challenges for adaptations for younger audiences.

What strategies do modern adaptations of Macbeth use to handle Lady Macbeth?

They often soften her character, explain her motivations, and emphasize maternal themes to make her more palatable for children.

What historical context shapes the witchcraft in Macbeth?

The play's witches reflect King James I's obsession with witchcraft and Jacobean fears surrounding female power and political instability.

What is 'Geohumoralism' in the context of Mary Floyd-Wilson's analysis?

The early modern belief that a person's physical and mental temperament was directy influenced by their geographical location and climate.

How does Jauss distinguish between the 'first' and 'subsequent' readings of a text?

The first reading is an aesthetic experience of the work's impact, while subsequent readings involve historical reflection on how the work has been understood over time.

What does Chamberlain suggest regarding the relationship between the 'unsex me here' speech and patrilineage?

Lady Macbeth's request to be 'unsexed' is an attempt to remove her maternal vulnerability, which poses a threat to the patriarchal succession she seeks to manipulate.

In Laura Tosi's analysis, how do children's adaptations frequently handle the ending of Macbeth?

They often restore a sense of moral justice and order, sometimes downplaying the cyclical nature of violence to provide a more didactic and stable conclusion.

According to Jauss, why is a 'dialogical' approach necessary for literary history?

Because the meaning of a work is not fixed; it emerges from the ongoing conversation between the text's past questions and the reader's present answers.