Od „poematu w zalążku” do arcydzieła - Poskromienie złośnicy Williama Szekspira

Abstract

The great topics of literature introduced by Maud Bodkin to literature research, enable capturing an evolutionary sequence of these genres in which similar motifs and plots are present. This sequence opens with a simple poem, which develops through simple forms of literature up to the high artistic level, the rank of a masterpiece. Maud Bodkin’s idea of the great topics of literature supports the thesis of Northrop Frye, who believes that the whole idea stems from the myths. This can be seen for example in one of the works by William Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew, in which a mean woman, the shrew is ‘brought up’ by a man. This thread is foreshadowed by the myth of Atalanta and Hippomenes and by a magical fairy tale of King Thrushbeard. The simple poem - children’s play called “I have a laced handkerchief”. The continuation of sequence in the twentieth century is the Andersen’s fairy tale about a Swineherd and the Jansson’s tale about Toft and Little My. The great topics of literature are important not only because of the content of the piece of art but also because of emotions caused by reading the text.