Psychological Approach to Literature
Psychological approaches to literature continue to fascinate and unpack whole new ways of viewing and interpreting literature. Using numerous psychological constructs that have developed over recent years, this course will dig deep into the subterranean world of the mind as it is presented in literary works of the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century literature. Consider Hamlet as a passing example: intensely conflicted, he is unable to machete a path through the tangled woods of Danish power politics. To see his plight through a psychological lens, however, we might note that Hamlet suffers from identity diffusion instead of identity formation—that is, because his sense of self is so diffused and ill-formed, he is unable to take control of his destiny, lapses into despondency, and eventually paralysis of the will. Or consider Cordelia’s infamous silence when Lear asks her to voice her love for him: grant it, there are numerous ways of interpreting her passivity, but when we consider her response through a psychological lens, we can speak of her fear of self-disclosure: other characters in the play, notably Lear, equate this lack of self-disclosure with inauthenticity and exaggerated and unhealthy self-monitoring.
The course, in short, will equip the student with psychological theories—and its attendant vocabulary—which will make possible a whole new way of reading classic masterpieces of the Renaissance. Likely texts include Milton’s Paradise Lost; some Shakespeare plays; poetic gems from Donne, Herbert, and other poets; and excerpts from prose writers of the era. While greatly expanding one’s knowledge base, this course will be particularly rewarding and fun, too.
by Dr. Ron Shafer
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