The Skill of Narration in Plutarchs Coriolanus - Essay Example

Skill of Narration in Plutarch's Coriolanus and Bede's St. Cuthbert The of biographies provide insight into the lives and times of their subjects. They employ a host of narrative techniques to delineate the character and the milieu in which they lived. There is a stark contrast between the disposition as writers of Plutarach and Bede and the subjects of their biographies. Plutarch was steeped in classical learning and wrote on a legendary Roman general, while Bede, in addition to classical scholarship was a monk well versed in the Bible wrote on a Christian saint. An examination of the comapritive narrative skills reveals Plutrach to be far superior to Bede. Plutarch's central argument is the possibility of anybody to rise above his circumstances by the exercise of his will and hard work. He gives a detailed portrait of Coriolanus. He explores Coriolanus' family background, culture, psychology, and morality. These determinants and the historical context shaped his character. Plutarch shows us how sentiments are the humans' strongest motivating force. The passionate urge in Coriolanus, operative from child hood to reach the stature of a great soldier, drives him to work for it with determination. Plutarch thus forcibly presents the psychological reasons behind the journey from ordinary circumstances to that of a significant figure in the Roman history glorified by generations of people. Plutarch's strength as a narrator springs from his penetrating vision of the psychological side of his subject. The distinguishing feature of Corilanus' character was his detachment from personal glory usually found in most people of ambition. This trait is so very well expressed in chosen word that a flood of light is thrown on his subject as in this excerpt: And, whereas others made glory the end of their daring, the end of his glory was his mother's gladness; the delight she took to hear him praised and to see him crowned, and her weeping for joy in his embraces rendered him in his own thoughts the most honoured and most happy person in the world. The aesthetic approach of Plutarch is in stark contrast to the didacticism of Bede who writes on a saint of heroic Christian virtues. The central concern of Bede to edify his readers by the exemplary conduct of Cuthbert deflects from the purpose of providing aesthetic pleasure. While Bede reveals the character of Cuthbert conforming to the Christian ideal, the inner side of the Saint is not sufficiently looked at nor is it understood in the style of narration. Cuthbert as a saint working miracles is in the realm of supernatural, while Coriolanus performing heroic feats is in the realm of the natural. Bede's life of Cuthbert is in the form of a string of miracles. Since the aim of the biography was to instill in the reader faith in the powers of saints in the performing of miracles, the literary flourishes are somewhat rudimentary. The sentences do not have the vigour of narrative found in the style of Plutarch. However a believer by the disposition of his mind might find relish in the style of Bede, as it elevates him to realize the power of God's saints in their miracles. The typical miracle conveys the ineffectiveness of human intervention in a crisis. Bede concludes the miraculous way in which the saint put our a fire: But it was not only in the case of an apparition of a fire that his power was shown; for he extinguished a real fire by the fervency of his tears, when many had failed in putting it out with all the water they could get. NARRATIVE IN VASARI'S LIFE OF DONATELLO AND AUBREY'S LIFE OF THOMAS HOBBES The endowments of a writer are usually reflected in his technique of narration. Vasari was a painter and an architect and in the assessment of Donatello he is able to look at him from the angle of an artist that gives the writing a quality of credibility and hence, on the part of the reader, greater willingness to accept the piece of writing. However, the endowments of Audrey was some what limited compared to the standing the Thomas Hobbes enjoyed while alive and later as a renowned thinker. From the point of view style of narrative quality of Vasari's writing is more enduring than that of Aubrey. Vasari's eye for detail is reflected all through his life of Donatello. The author mentions the early education of Donatello in the house of the nobleman Ruberto Martellli, where he also started his career as an artist. He goes to give a detailed critique of Donatello's work, Annunciation. He speaks of the masterly flow of folds and curves in the draperies of the Madonna and the angelas the typical example Donatello craftsmanship. Anecdotes are used to construct the character of of his subject. Like most artists Donatello too was very proud of his skills. He could not brook a genuine criticism of one of the wooden crucifixes he had made so laboriously. When its defects were pointed out by Filipo he at first could not tolerate the negative remarks and retorted angrily: If it was as easy to make something as it is to criticize, my Christ would really look to you like Christ. So you get some wood and try to make one yourself. However when Filipo responded to the challenge by making a marvelous wooden cross, the sight of its perfection made Donatello stand watching the work of art in amazement. As Vasari puts it: He paused to study it and found it so perfect that he was completely overwhelmed and dropped his hands in astonishmentThis generous use of anecdotes and his in depth knowledge of art makes his narration the apt medium in delineating the character of the subject of his biography. Aubrey is indeed a biographer who presents his subject realistically by deviating from the beaten track of starting the life of Hobbes by pointing out an exaggerated and idealized pedigree. The plebeian descent of Hobbes that is mentioned at the outset is a technique to reinforce all the more stoutly the height of his achievements. Hobbes' father is given the attributes of a clownish parson: Thomas, the father, was one of the ignorant 'Sir Johns, of Queen Elizabeth's time; could only read the prayers of the church and the homilies; and disesteemed learning (his son Edmund told me so), as not knowing the sweetness of it. But as the biography progresses we come across the illustrious contemporaries with home the clownish parson's son rubbed shoulders. The names are that of Descartes, Galileo, Bacon, Harvey and the King himself. There is attempt on the part of Aubrey to bring out the inner qualities of the man by a detailed enumeration and description of his external parts. This is a practice which had some vogue in those times might appear to a modern reader somewhat crude. However by the judicious inclusion of an anecdote from Hobbes exile in France Audrey is able to reveal his humanity. Hobbes took pity on a beggar and gave a coin to him. A watching priest made a taunting remark referring to Hobbes alleged atheism. However Hobbes' reply proved that it is possible to be human through our basic drives of sympathy. His retort to the priest revealed, that, to act humanely one need not profess any specific faith in any system. He implies in his reply the compelling and mutually beneficial nature of charity: I was in pain to consider the miserable condition of the old man; and now my alms, giving him some relief, doth also ease me. ========================================= The narrative technique in Johnson's Life of Savage and Boswell's Life of Johnson Samuel Johnson and James Boswell have similar approaches to narrative in regard to the relationship between the biographer and their subject. What is common to Johnson's Life of Savage and Boswell's Life of Johnson is the strong autobiographical element. Johnson and Boswell believe that nobody can write a biography if the biographer didn't live in social intercourse with the subject. Boswell's Life of Johnson is in a way a mirror of Boswell's own life. It also, effects the resurrection of Johnson. He tries to present not just the details from the day-to-day life of his subject but goes deeper into their bearing of these details on the character of the person. The kind hearted nature of Johnson is summarized in the manner in which tried to make the public aware of the contributions of Mr.Zachriah Williams in the advancement of science by writing pamphlets on him: Johnson this year gave at once a proof of his benevolence, quickness of apprehension, and admirable art of composition, in the assistance which he gave to Mr. Zachariah Williams, father of the blind lady whom he had humanely received under his roof. Boswell writes the biography as a study of a character. During one of their meetings Johnson told Boswell that nobody could write a life of a man, without having lived with him. True to his words, Boswell wrote a biography on Johnson after having spent many years with him. Boswell shows each scene of Johnson's life. That's why Boswell is terse in collecting and presenting facts about Johnson's life. He interviewed Johnson's boyhood friends and being a friend of Johnson for over twenty years he made sure that he presents the most accurate details of his subject's life. Though Samuel Johnson's fame rested on his other literary compositions, he indeed has a place in literature as an eminent biographer. Johnson's Life of Savage is a deviation from the normal practice of biographic tradition of the 18th century, which celebrated achievements of men who became successful in life. A unique aspect of Johnson narrative is the fact that it is a documentation of a man whose life was a total failure through out. Johnson's identification with his subject makes the biography convincing, in spite of the fact that the Life of Savage is an epitome of failure. The Life of Savage is a stark reminder of the life Johnson craves for but never experiences. Johnson confirms his belief that any life with all the joys and sorrows, regardless of the social status, is worth a biography. Ultimately it depends on the biographer how he will present the character. In that sense, Johnson is universalizing the role of circumstances in the fortunes of men. Johnson reveals admiration for his subject's personality. He finds Savage's lack of self- pity attractive. Perhaps this detachment helped him to survive in the world in spite of the many problems that Savage was facing. As a writer the value of Savage is very insignificant. Critics do not find anything worthy of admiration in his works. Life of Savage is an example of the fame that a writer can confer to an insignificant writer. Similarly the fame of Boswell is intimately related to the fact that he composed a biography on Johnson. ===================================== Read More