On the afternoon of March 15, 2023, the 12th session of the distinguished lecture series hosted by the School of Foreign Languages at Northwest University proceeded as scheduled. Ben Parsons, a Ph.D. holder from the University of Sheffield, Associate Professor of Literature at the University of Leicester, and an expert in late medieval literature, gathered with more than 140 faculty and students from the School of Foreign Languages for a virtual lecture titled “Ambiguity and Influence in Troilus and Criseyde: A Comparative Study of Chaucer and Shakespeare's Works”. Dr. Robin Gilbank from our school presided over the lecture.
Lecture by Dr. Ben Parsons
Lecture Topic
At the beginning of the lecture, Dr. Ben Parsons first pointed out the core issues of Shakespeare's "problem play"-Troilus and Cressida - "ambiguity" and "unclassifiable definition". He then provided detailed textual evidence to support his academic viewpoint, and stated that the problems such as fragmentation and difficulty in Shakespeare's works actually stem from his imitation of Chaucer. He pointed out that Shakespeare not only drew material for his works from the writings of his medieval predecessor Chaucer, but also inherited the enigmatic and irreverent manner of his Trojan group poetry composition. The most striking and subversive aspects of Shakespeare's narrative works are precisely the result of the skepticism in Chaucer's writing. He believed that while Shakespeare imitated Chaucer, he did not stop there, but went beyond. For example, in the handling of mythical themes, although Shakespeare followed Chaucer's lead, he often directed critical and antagonistic clues in new directions, aiming to develop a unique English poetic voice while imitating the works of Chaucer, the renowned father of English poetry, and embracing the myths of British origin. This is precisely the charm of Shakespeare's plays.
Some participants
At the end of the lecture, Dr. Robin Gilbank summarized the lecture and shared his insights. Dr. Ben Parsons patiently answered all the questions raised by our students and teachers.
Teachers and students who attended the lecture not only strengthened their knowledge and understanding of Shakespeare's works, but also were deeply impressed by Dr. Ben Parsons' rigorous attitude and profound academic buildings.
Text: Li Zhaoyan
Photo: Li Zhaoyan
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