MADNESS IN SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES: PHILOSOPHICAL PARALLELS AND THEIR CROSS-CURRICULAR POTENTIAL IN TEACHING THE HISTORY OF FOREIGN LITERATURE

Abstract

The aim of the study is to analyze the types of madness depicted by Shakespeare in «Hamlet» and «King Lear», to clarify the literary techniques used by the author and to draw parallels with scientific and philosophical theories of the 20th century.

Methodology. The methodological basis of this study is cultural hermeneutics, the application of which involves, in particular, close reading of the text and defining of its implicit philosophical basis, which, in turn, is subject to comparative analysis.

Scientific novelty lies in demonstrating how the playwright's creative intuition in combination with his broad erudition led to the fact that certain moments of Shakespeare's texts can be considered as more than 300 years ahead of the emergence of some principles of psychoanalysis, analytical psychology, phenomenology and deconstruction.

Conclusions. As a result of the study, the image of madness in the plays of W. Shakespeare was analyzed from the perspective of cultural hermeneutics. It appears as a complex phenomenon that combines different levels of meaning. The author's genius is expressed in the fact that he was able to simultaneously give an accurate clinical picture, characterize the situation in which the characters are, and also create the impression of a metaphysical breakthrough. The starting point, which was reflected in Shakespeare's plays – the existence of the subconscious – presages the psychoanalysis of S. Freud. Since Shakespeare's madmen are depicted as people who reveal the reality hidden from others – it is in the speeches of the insane that mythologemes and philosophemes are especially densely compressed – a parallel can be drawn with the teachings of C.G. Jung, who emphasized the positive role of the unconscious as a source of wisdom. The renunciation of reason, noticeable in «King Lear», can be considered in the context of phenomenological reduction. In some cases, Shakespeare's heroes turn to folklore as a source of individual and tribal identity. At the same time, folk tradition is deconstructed in order to express an updated content. Therefore, when analyzing the speeches of the insane, special attention should be paid to the origin of the quotations, the general meaning of the works from which they were taken, and the new meaning that arose when creating a pastiche from them.

Thus, when studying the work of W. Shakespeare in higher educational institutions, it seems appropriate to pay attention not only to the plot, the system of images and the main issues of the works, but also to draw the attention of students to the depth and originality of the thinking of the great playwright, as well as to the methodological possibilities of philosophical analysis of literary texts.

Further cultural-hermeneutic study of the meanings embedded in the insane and pseudo-insane speeches of Shakespearean heroes will significantly enrich the understanding of the meanings of specific works, clarify their cultural-historical context and interpretative potential.