Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory
More Than A 'Mere Painted Scene': The Role Of Theatricality And The Carnivalesque In 'The Mayor Of Casterbridge', Christine R. Vahaly
More Than A 'Mere Painted Scene': The Role Of Theatricality And The Carnivalesque In 'The Mayor Of Casterbridge', Christine R. Vahaly
Student Publications
This essay examines the role of Thomas Hardy's scenes of community theatre, drawing examples from Far from the Madding Crowd, The Return of the Native, and The Mayor of Casterbridge. Only in such scenes from The Mayor of Casterbridge does Hardy employ Mikhail Bakhtin's carnivalesque, reversing the roles of the spectator and the creator of spectacle, the supporting cast and the lead actor, in order to magnify the fall of protagonist Michael Henchard.