Abstract
In literary studies, Tomkins’ affect-script theory contrasts with traditional psychoanalytic interpretations. This book is an experimental exploration of his affect-scripts as a literary hermeneutic in character criticism and genre, and tests his ideas as a critical discourse to reveal little noticed emotional content in tragedy, notably disgust and shame. The aim is more expository than argumentative, more descriptive than controversial. To be productive, readers need initially to accept his ideas as a heuristic possibility by adopting his concepts and terminology as a mode of analysis. (This is one reason for appending the comprehensive glossary.) Tomkins has not been endorsed by the literary academy as a primary source, but neither is that academy sufficiently familiar with his work. This book is an effort to point toward a new and promising direction for continuing exploration of literature within the current critical context of affect discussion.
I have often said, and oftener think,
that this world is a comedy for those who think,
a tragedy for those who feel
Horace Walpole
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Notes
- 1.
I must credit this Othello’s “error in misreading Desdemona’s distress” phrasing to Paul Ekman, who made this comment during one of our conversations. It was one of those “damn I wish I’d said that” moments.
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Lucas, D.A. (2018). Conclusions: Dreams We Learn. In: Affect Theory, Genre, and the Example of Tragedy. Palgrave Studies in Affect Theory and Literary Criticism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94863-8_7
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