Misanthropos in the Anthropocene
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21473423 |
|---|---|
| Authors | John Jowett (0009-0004-8870-8720, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 115 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 5-19 |
| Publication date | 2024-11-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cahiers Élisabéthains A Journal of English Renaissance Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0184-7678 • E-ISSN: 2054-4715 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/01847678241289866 |
| OpenAlex | W4403474318 |
| Language | EN |
This article explores the ecological resonances of Timon of Athens from today's perspective of the Anthropocene. It introduces a passage from Thomas Pynchon's novel Mason & Dixon describing the colonial exploration of America in terms of ‘subjunctive Hopes, for all that may yet be true’, towards establishing the subjunctive mood as a characteristic of the play. The point extends beyond grammar: Timon's curses and prayers can be understood as an exercise in subjunctivity expressing Apocalyptic disaster as a consequence of disregardful high consumerism. The subjunctive mood enables correspondence between disasters Timon wills to happen and disasters we fear in the Anthropocene
Anthropocene · Astrobiology · Biology · Earth science · Environmental ethics · Geography · Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration · History · Philosophy · Geology · Paleontology
| Highly cited | No |
|---|