Vorwissenschaftliche Arbeit

77 Das siebente Etappenziel: Schreiben! BEISPIEL Schlussteil 4. Conclusion There is no doubt that the connection between Shakespearean superstition and folklore of the Elizabethan era as well as his influence on later beliefs is immense. As Shakespeare grew up in a very religious small country town, he naturally had a superstitious mind; therefore, in general, it can be said that the images of Elizabethan society, as shown in the playwright’s many works, are basically derived from popular beliefs. The poet merely altered them in order to match them specifically to his own views. Among the characters discussed in this thesis, Puck is the most significant. He displays Shakespeare’s precise concept best, as this one figure comprises all of the playwright’s ideas. The most obvious alteration to the fairy race is the removal of the dangerous aspects often associated with fairies; instead, Shakespeare instils them with a certain sense of morality, dignity and grace. In contrast to this, the depiction of the witches is hardly modified from Elizabethan beliefs. In Macbeth they are still portrayed as ugly hags, who act as a catalyst con- cerning Macbeth’s actions within the plot. I was surprised to discover that in pre-Shakespearean times, fairies were believed to be the same size as a human and I was also struck by the fact that Shakespeare bases almost all characteristics of Puck’s characteristics on just one folk spirit, namely Robin Goodfellow. Furthermore, it was interesting to learn that Shakespeare was greatly inspired by Raphael Holinshed’s Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland for his tragedy Macbeth and derived a lot of the characters from this book, as for example the historical Banquo. By delving further into Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth, I have discovered many interesting facts of which I was not aware before, for example the fact that Titania, though being a Shakespearean fairy, is not as small as the elves. My comprehension of the plays is much clearer now and I feel that I have a better un- derstanding of Shakespeare’s language and of the thoughts behind his creations. While working on the thesis, I discovered connections I had never heard or thought of before. Most amazing of all is that, even though I have researched thoroughly, there remain unsolved mysteries. While working on the thesis, I discovered I had misinterpreted some of the con- nections between characters and also some significant links in various scenes, as, for instance, the significance of the changeling regarding the fight of Titania and Oberon. Previously I was under the impression that it was only Shakespeare’s ideas and thoughts that could be seen in his works, as opposed to those of Elizabethan beliefs and superstition. Looking back at many months of work I now realise that I was unaware of how deeply Shakespeare investigated and researched history, legends and myths. “I am amazed and know not what to say,” 162 at how detailed his concepts were, which means that every aspect of the play, however small it may be, has an impact on the storyline. The title “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” 163 is an apt one, as many people, myself included, remain unaware of the extensive research that Shakespeare put into his works. 162 Shakespeare, William: The Complete Works. Ed. by W.J.Craig. London: Oxford University Press, 1924, p.183. 163 Ibis., p. 181. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv