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DIANA, HECATE, LUNA: MOON SYMBOLISM IN THREE PLAYS BY BEN JONSON

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Date Issued:
1974
Summary:
The moon as a symbol reflects the social, religious and historical tumult of Ben Jonson's day. In Cynthia's Revels, the moon is a highly mannered, religious symbol with classical overtones. It paid tribute to Elizabeth, another virgin ruler, as well as providing the audience with an ideal of chastity to emulate. In Masque of Queens, the black face of the moon rather than the white appears. Spouting common superstitions of the day, the witches bring to mind the then current religious inquisitions and King James I's fascination with demonology. Last but not least appears Ursula in Bartholomew Fair. Lusty and capricious, she projects the image of the moon promoted by astrologers. Her lunatic influence on her "customers" underlines the impact of the telescope, which by revealing imperfections on the lunar face, brought the moon down to earth. The symbol begins as a transcendant emblem and ends as a mundane caricature.
Title: DIANA, HECATE, LUNA: MOON SYMBOLISM IN THREE PLAYS BY BEN JONSON.
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Name(s): BRADLEY, MARY T.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Department of English
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1974
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 65 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The moon as a symbol reflects the social, religious and historical tumult of Ben Jonson's day. In Cynthia's Revels, the moon is a highly mannered, religious symbol with classical overtones. It paid tribute to Elizabeth, another virgin ruler, as well as providing the audience with an ideal of chastity to emulate. In Masque of Queens, the black face of the moon rather than the white appears. Spouting common superstitions of the day, the witches bring to mind the then current religious inquisitions and King James I's fascination with demonology. Last but not least appears Ursula in Bartholomew Fair. Lusty and capricious, she projects the image of the moon promoted by astrologers. Her lunatic influence on her "customers" underlines the impact of the telescope, which by revealing imperfections on the lunar face, brought the moon down to earth. The symbol begins as a transcendant emblem and ends as a mundane caricature.
Identifier: 13644 (digitool), FADT13644 (IID), fau:12657 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1974.
Subject(s): Theater
Literature, English
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13644
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.