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Those examples of poetic justice that occur in medieval and Elizabethan literature, and that seems so satisfying, have encouraged a whole school of twentieth-century scholars to "find" further examples. In fact, these scholars have merely forced victimized characters into a moral framework by which the injustices inflicted on them are, somehow or other, justified. Such scholars deny that the sufferers in a tragedy are innocent; they blame the victims themselves for their tragic fates. Any misdoing is enough to subject a character to critical whips. Thus, there are long essays about the misdemeanors of Webster's Duchess of Malfi, who defied her brothers, and the behavior of Shakespeare's Desdemona, who disobeyed her father.
Yet it should be remembered that the Renaissance writer Matteo Bandello strongly protests the injustice of the severe penalties issued to women for acts of disobedience that men could, and did, commit with virtual impunity. And Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Webster often enlist their readers on the side of their tragic heroines by describing injustices so cruel that readers cannot but join in protest. By portraying Griselda, in The Clerk's Tale, as a meek, gentle victim who does not criticize, much less rebel against the persecutor, her husband Walter, Chaucer incites readers to espouse Griselda's cause against Walter's oppression. Thus, efforts to supply historical and theological rationalizations for Walter's persecutions tend to turn Chaucer's fable upside down, to deny its most obvious effect on readers' sympathies. Similarly, to assert that Webster's Duchess deserved torture and death because she chose to marry the man she loved and to bear their children is, in effect. to join forces with her tyrannical brothers, and so to confound the operation of poetic justice, of which readers should approve, with precisely those examples of social injustice that Webster does everything in his power to make readers condemn. Indeed, Webster has his heroine so heroically lead the resistance to tyranny that she may well inspire members of the audience to imaginatively join forces with her against the cruelty and hypocritical morality of her brothers.
Thus Chaucer and Webster, in their different ways, attack injustice, argue on behalf of the victims, and prosecute the persecutors. Their readers serve them as a court of appeal that remains free to rule, as the evidence requires, and as common humanity requires, in favor of the innocent and injured parties. For, to paraphrase the noted eighteenth-century scholar, Samuel Johnson, despite all the refinements of subtlety and the dogmatism of learning, it is by the common sense and compassion of readers who are uncorrupted by the prejudices of some opinionated scholars that the characters and situations in medieval and Elizabethan literature, as in any other literature, can best be judged.[/box_in][box_in]1. According to the passage, some twentieth-century scholars have written at length about
Para summary 1 - a theory "poetic justice" is presented. Irnoically this theory led to a development of school of though which downplayed the victims of an era by stating that whatever happened to them was KARMA. Works by the scholar supporting the thot are presented.
Purpose : Introduction of line of though with respect to "poetic justice"
para summary 2- Other scholar ( not supporting the school of thot) present their views in support of the victims. They say that the victims were infact innocent . Their thought are presneted . the tone of the author can be understood from the first line of the second para. The author is sympathetic and in agreement to the second line of thot.
purpose : provide alternative/second school of thot and mildly approve of it
para summary 3 - the author then summarises the works of the second para scholars and then makes a general conclusion with the help of an example (samuel) by stating that the characterisation of a person in the texts should be unprejudiced.
purpose : summarise the second line of thot and provide author's POV
main idea : The school of thot which emerged from earlier examples of poetic injustice are somewhat not right. The alternative school of thot actually puts in the real situations and then presents a more sympathetic pov.
Primary purpose : provide an alternative/second view on one of the line of thot, and summarise the alternative POV and provode own POV.
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1. According to the passage, [b]some twentieth-century scholars have written at length about
- we are asked about the first school of thot and not the second
relevant area- (para 1) Thus, there are long essays about the misdemeanors of Webster's Duchess of Malfi, who defied her brothers, and the behavior of Shakespeare's Desdemona, who disobeyed her father.
(A) Walter's persecution of his wife in Chaucer's The Clerk's Tale
- This is in second schoolof thot
(B) the Duchess of Malfi's love for her husband
- This is more on the side of a positive perspective towards the victim . But the 1st school did not think positively about the victims. "misdemeanors" this word means wrong doings of someone. Ans choice B actually protrays malti's love in a sympthatetic way.
(C) the tyrannical behavior of the Duchess of Malfi's brothers
- This is second school of thot
(D) the actions taken by Shakespeare's Desdemona- CORRECT
" the behavior of Shakespeare's Desdemona, who disobeyed her father." Behavior- actions
(E) the injustices suffered by Chaucer's Griselda
- second line of thot
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2. The primary purpose of the passage is to
Refer to my MAIN IDEA
(A) describe the role of the tragic heroine in medieval and Elizabethan literature
TRAGIC heroine is just an example not the central idea
(B) resolve a controversy over the meaning of "poetic justice" as it is discussed in certain medieval and Elizabethan literary treatises
- there is no resolving anything . 2 lines of thots are presented and summarised .
(C) present evidence to support the view that characters in medieval and Elizabethan tragedies are to blame for their fates
- OPPOSITE of main point.
(D) assert that it is impossible for twentieth- century readers to fully comprehend the characters and situations in medieval and Elizabethan literary works
- Author never says "it is impossible" . He may imple that it dificult to characterise without any prejudice but he never says "IMPOSSIBLE"
(E) argue that some twentieth-century scholars have misapplied the concept of "poetic justice" in analyzing certain medieval and Elizabethan literary works- CORRECT
yes , the 1st line misapplies / "forced victimised characters in moral framework" into "poetic injustice" . This is the main idea on which author presents works in disagreement to this and then summarises his POV
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3. It can be inferred from the passage that the author considers Chaucer's Griselda to be
- the tone of the author is in line with the second school of thot(that the victims were indeed innocent)
"By portraying Griselda, in The Clerk's Tale, as a meek, gentle victim who does not criticize, much less rebel against the persecutor, her husband Walter, Chaucer incites readers to espouse Griselda's cause against Walter's oppression. "
(A) an innocent victim - CORRECT
(B) a sympathetic judge - Griselda is victim not judge
(C) an imprudent person - OPPOSITE
(D) a strong individual - OPPOSITE
(E) a rebellious daughter - OPPOSITE
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4. The author's tone in her discussion of the conclusions reached by the "school of twentieth-century scholars" in the highlighted text is best described as
- The tone of the author is line with the secodn thot ( victims were innocent)
" these scholars have
merely forced victimized characters into a moral framework by which the injustices inflicted on them are, somehow or other, justified. Such scholars
deny that the
sufferers in a tragedy are innocent; they blame the victims themselves for their tragic fates. Any misdoing is enough to subject a character to critical whips. "
- author's tone in her discussion of conclusionby scholars of 1st school of thot ( "they blame the victims themselves for their tragic fates. Any misdoing is enough to subject a character to critical whips. ") is unapproving. The author prefers the seond line of thot and look at the 1st line of thot with (end of vocabulary
) negative view. he doesnt like the 1st line of thot.
(A) plaintive- (meaning - melencholic, feeling sorrow) so do you think he feels sorrow for the thot?? NO
(B) philosophical - He is never generalising the POV on conclusion and putting the POV in a larger context
(C) disparaging -CORRECT (MEANING- looking down on something ..thinking X is inferior to Y) .. author prefers Y(second line of thot) and looks down on X(1st line of thot)
(D) apologetic - Are you kidding me??
(E) enthusiastic- nope.. he isnt enthusiastic about the 1st line of thot
(NOTE- I hardly think that GMAT would ask such questions now and even if it did the words would be easy to understand. Even if you dont know the meaning of "plaintive" and disparaging" ... you can eliminate B D E ... so you have 50% chance of choosing the right answer . Choose one and move on)
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5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes that most people respond to intended instances of poetic justice in medieval and Elizabethan literature with
"poetic justice" - the readers POV and how they view is best characterised in second para and third para. They are sympathetc to the victim.
(A) annoyance - WRONG
(B) disapproval -OPPOSITE
(C) indifference - OPPOSITE
(D) amusement - Not really. More of pity
(E) gratification- YESSSS.
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6. As described in the passage, the process by which some twentieth-century scholars have reached their conclusions about the blameworthiness of victims in medieval and Elizabethan literary works is most similar to which of the following?
They take one theory "poetic injustice" . Then the "Forcefully " victimised cgaracter into MORAL FRAMEWORK , and then make judgements, which are pure personal views and not factual judgments
(A) Derivation of logically sound conclusions from well-founded premises
This would justify 1st line of thot.
(B) Accurate observation of data, inaccurate calculation of statistics, and drawing of incorrect conclusions from the faulty statistics
-This may seem right . But it isnt. The scholars use the instances of the theory "poetic justice" .Their observations can be misrepresentative.
(C) Establishment of a theory, application of the theory to ill-fitting data, and drawing of unwarranted conclusions from the data - CORRECT
- "theory - poetic justice" ..."application of theory to ill fitting data " FORCEFULLU VICTIMISED CHARACTER INTO MAROAL FRAMEWORK" ... "draw an unwarranted conclusion - pure personal views which are not justifies anywhere "
(D) Development of two schools of thought about a factual situation, debate between the two schools, and rendering of a balanced judgment by an objective observer- They never develop 2 schools of thot
(E) Consideration of a factual situation by a group, discussion of various possible explanatory hypotheses, and agreement by consensus on the most plausible explanation- NO hypothesis is discussed by scholars . They simply state their POV(point of view)
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7. The author's paraphrase of a statement by Samuel Johnson (in the highlighted text) serves which of the following functions in the passage?
- In the third para the author summarises the second para works and then concludes, by using someone's quote , a general conclusion about the way a text should be judged.
(A) It furnishes a specific example.- Example of what??
(B) It articulates a general conclusion. - CORRECT
(C) It introduces a new topic.- NO new topic
(D) It provides a contrasting perspective. - OPPOSITE . INstead he suppoets the 2nd line of thot
(E) It clarifies an ambiguous assertion.- There js no ambiguity in any assertion
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8. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with
- Please view my main point explanation.
(A) reconciling opposing viewpoints- NO reconcilation
(B) encouraging innovative approaches- No innovative approach
(C) defending an accepted explanation- NO "accepted explanation" . There are just 2 lines of thots.
(D) advocating an alternative interpretation - CORRECT
(E) analyzing an unresolved question- NO question
Updated on: 03 Sep 2019, 07:39
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