Macbeth and the Metaphysics* of Evil
Wilson Knight
S. Sreekumar—Lecture notes
Wilson Knight (1897–1985)
Wilson Knight, English literary critic and
academic is noted for his path-breaking interpretation of Shakespeare’s dramas.
He is a myth critic, actor, theatrical director and an outstanding lecturer. Myth
and Miracle, The Wheel of Fire, The Imperial Theme, The Starlit Dome, The Crown of Life, The Imperial Theme,
The Mutual Flame, and The Golden Labyrinth
are his
famous works. Knight has dealt with a wide range of subjects— Virgil, Milton,
Pope, Byron, British Drama etc. — in his books (nearly 40).
In his studies of Shakespeare,
Knight had rejected traditional areas like source study, character analysis and
psychology. He had highlighted the unity in Shakespeare, which according to him
is in the poetic use of images and symbols.
He further argues that the ‘spatial’ aspects of the plays are very
important. By spatial aspects, Knight means ‘atmosphere’—‘an attempt to see the
whole play in space as well as time’.
Knight has set
a new benchmark for Shakespeare studies; he has unveiled some features of Shakespeare’s
genius that were not appreciated previously. “He has enriched our
understanding, not only of Shakespeare, but of literature in general and of
human nature”, as one critic points out.
