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A Study of the Language of Tony Harrison as Reflected in The Globe Mysteries that Unveiled at the Globe Theatre from 5th August, 2011 to 1st October, 2011


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1 Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, India
     

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Tony Harrison is widely known as a master of theatrical poetry and has strived to keep verse drama alive in the modern world, where the art of theatrical poetry has become a rare one. He creates traditionally structured poetry by inserting common man's speech into classical language to expose the stark difference between his working-class background and his formal education and literary career. Harrison shows concern for the social, economic, and political implications of the suppression of working-class language by the educated classes. He has the strange ability to convert classical work pieces to modern trend art by adding the vernacular language to it. One such work is his reconstruction of the Mystery Plays. The play was prepared to be performed at The Globe, and hence the name Globe Mysteries. In it Tony Harrison proves how even serious themes such as evolution, creation, Doomsday can be staged hilariously and at the same time, not spoiling the essence of the original work. This paper discusses the language employed by Harrison, the play's acceptance by the audience and the necessity of such plays with verse script.

Keywords

Mystery Plays, Globe Mysteries, Vernacular, Verse Drama, Classical
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  • Hall, Edith. 2007. ‘Classics, Class, and Cloaca: Harrison’s Humane Coprology’. Arion: A Journal for Humanities and the Classics. Vol.15. pp 125.
  • Quoted in Parmet, Harriet L. Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Volume 17, Number 3, Winter 2003, pp. 516 (Review)
  • Woodcock, Bruce. 2003 “Classical vandalism: Tony Harrison’s invective.” CriticalQuarterly,vol32: pp50-65.
  • Eyre, Richard. 1997. ‘Tony Harrison: Loiner’. Edited by Sandie Byrne. Gloucestershire: Clarendon Press. pp 15.
  • Quoted in Herbert W.N, Matthew Hollis. 2000. Strong Words: Modern Poets on Modern Poetry, Northumberland: Bloodaxe Books. pp 161
  • www.revel.unice.fr/cycnos/index.html?id=1681; 22-09-2011
  • Harrison, Tony. 1996. “The Labourers of Herakles”, in Plays Three: Poetry or Bust, The Kaisers of Carnuntum, The Labourers of Herakles. London: Faber and Faberp. pp 126, 143.
  • Quoted in Howard McNaughton. 1993. “Tony Harrison”, in Contemporary Dramatists, 5th ed., ed. by K. A. Berney. London : St. James Press, pp. 281.
  • www.theartsdesk.com/theatre/globe-mysteries-shakespeare%E2%80%99sglobe; 20-09-2011
  • www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/on-stage/the-globe-mysteries/the-globemysteries- blog; 22-08-2011
  • www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/apr/01/poetry.theatre; 29-08-2011
  • Eyre, Richard. 1991 “Such men are dangerous” in Bloodaxe Critical Anthologies: 1, Tony Harrison. Edited by Neil Astley. Newcastle-upon- Tyne: Bloodaxe Books. pp 362-366
  • Rutter, Barrie. 1991. “Observing the Juggler: an actor’s view” in Bloodaxe Critical Anthologies: 1, Tony Harrison. Edited by Neil Astley. Newcastleupon- Tyne: Bloodaxe Books. pp 416-422

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  • A Study of the Language of Tony Harrison as Reflected in The Globe Mysteries that Unveiled at the Globe Theatre from 5th August, 2011 to 1st October, 2011

Abstract Views: 272  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Sulekha Sundaresan
Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, India

Abstract


Tony Harrison is widely known as a master of theatrical poetry and has strived to keep verse drama alive in the modern world, where the art of theatrical poetry has become a rare one. He creates traditionally structured poetry by inserting common man's speech into classical language to expose the stark difference between his working-class background and his formal education and literary career. Harrison shows concern for the social, economic, and political implications of the suppression of working-class language by the educated classes. He has the strange ability to convert classical work pieces to modern trend art by adding the vernacular language to it. One such work is his reconstruction of the Mystery Plays. The play was prepared to be performed at The Globe, and hence the name Globe Mysteries. In it Tony Harrison proves how even serious themes such as evolution, creation, Doomsday can be staged hilariously and at the same time, not spoiling the essence of the original work. This paper discusses the language employed by Harrison, the play's acceptance by the audience and the necessity of such plays with verse script.

Keywords


Mystery Plays, Globe Mysteries, Vernacular, Verse Drama, Classical

References