Moby Dick and Shakespearean Tragedy by Julian C. Rice
This paper is directed towards extrapolating on the effect that I developed from reading Moby Dick and the Shakespearean Tragedy by Julian C. Rice, with regards to my understanding of the book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Shakespeare’s influence among multiple authors since the seventeenth-century to date is significant. In the novel, Moby Dick Melville’s illustration of Shakespearean literature is embodied across the story; as such, in the article, Rice’s understanding and awareness of this context are perceptible. Shakespearean language has been part of the writing style since its inception, and Melville, an author from the seventeenth century, explicitly applies it in the text, Moby Dick. According to Rice in the article, “Melville’s love for Shakespeare is a biographical fact, and the Shakespearean influence in Moby Dick has been traced and analyzed” (Rice, 444). Melville’s writing of the story follows a tragic flow of events that delineates feats of fate, destiny, and vengeance, as the character under the stewardship of Captain Ahab, embark on a whale hunting escapade. Only to realize that their captain is inspired and motivated by his vengeance against a legendary white whale. Through Ishmael’s narration, I could vividly view Melville’s understanding and presentation of the scenes as they incorporated not only Shakespearean language but also elements of his tragedy style of writing. By reviewing and evaluating various literary critics, Rice, in the article, identifies their perceptions and interpretation of Shakespeare’s influence in Melville’s book. According to the article, “Before discussing an alternative way of approaching both tragedy and Moby-Dick, it is perhaps valuable to summarize the findings of various commentators on the pervasiveness of Shakespearean influence in Moby Dick.” (Rice, 446). From this statement, I discovered the importance of an analytical approach in discussing and evaluating literature. According to Rice, while other critics identified other Shakespeare’s writing as holding influence on Melville, he believed, “the consensus of opinion is that Melville had Lear most consistently in mind.” (Rice, 449). I agree with this analogy since both Moby Dick and King Lear hold similarities in their approach of examining and analyzing the concept of nature to understand its position among humanity. Melville presents the characters of Ishmael and Captain Ahab on this scale. At the same time, Ishmael is skeptical of his view of the natural order of the surrounding and good in humanity, and Captain Ahab is bent by nature to pursue his nemesis, Moby Dick, the great white whale. Therefore, focusing on the analogical and symbiotic nature of Melville and Shakespearean language, the idea of tragedy relates to the “revelation of self in the tragic hero.” (Rice, 450). Captain Ahab’s tragic demise is constructed through his own doing. From this acknowledgment, I agree with the article on the context of Ahab’s tragedy, “For Ahab’s tragic predicament is the result of his own heroic temper and special personality …” (Rice, 452). Therefore, this extrapolation of Melville’s influence from the Shakespearean tragedy in the book Moby Dick is irrevocable. The idea of dramatic tragedy in the text, according to the article, is a significantly discussed concept. The author provides an evaluated interpretation of the concept and, as such, building up my understanding of the context and its effects on the Moby Dick story’s conclusion. All onboard the Pequod except Ishmael face a tragic end, the whale’s legendary superiority that is easily likened to a god is inevitable. Even though Ahab’s vengeance gives him reasonable cause, drive, and inspiration towards the capture and elimination of the great white whale, it also marks his tragic ending. From this article, I have acquired additional knowledge regarding Melville’s philosophy and ideology about the Shakespearean tragedy. Further, I have also learned the meaning of tragedy as it relates to Moby Dick. Subsequently, Ahab’s vengeance results in not only his demise but also his alienation, and thus, the rest