The Legacy of G. Wilson Knight

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Published: Jun 1, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/lincu-2017-0010
Keywords:
World War One Shakespeare tragedy Christianity transcendence textual readings

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Laurence Raw
Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Abstract

G. Wilson Knight (1897-1985) was one of the most influential Shakespearean critics of the mid-twentieth century. This piece surveys his work from 1930 until the early 1980s. Much affected by the First World War, he developed a style of criticism based on Christian principles of respect for other people and belief in an all-powerful God. Many of his most famous pieces (in THE WHEEL OF FIRE, for instance) argue for human insignificance in an indifferent universe. It is up to all of us as individuals to develop methods of coping with this world. Wilson Knight’s ideas gained particular currency during the Second World War, when Britain’s very future seemed at risk due to the threat of Nazi invasion. Although much derided for his use of transcendent language—especially by his contemporary F. R. Leavis—Wilson Knight’s ideas seem to have acquired new significance in a globalized world, where individuals fight to main their identity in a technology-driven environment.

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How to Cite
Raw, L. “The Legacy of G. Wilson Knight”. Linguaculture, vol. 8, no. 1, June 2017, pp. 108-24, doi:10.1515/lincu-2017-0010.
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Vol. 8 No. 1 (2017)
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Articles
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Laurence Raw, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey

Laurence Rawteaches at Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey. His recent publications include SIX TURKISH FILMMAKERS (2017) and an edited collection of essays VALUE IN ADAPTATION (also 2017). His current research interests center on pedagogies, adaptation studies, and forging communities of purpose. He blogs on adaptation at laurenceraw.blogspot.com, and writes reviews—and other pieces—on laurenceraw.academa.edu.

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