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Chapter 3 - The Epic Strain

from Part 1 - Form and Function

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2022

Pat Rogers
Affiliation:
University of South Florida
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Summary

The topic considered in Chapter 3 is an epic strain in the Tour, following the model first suggested by E.M.W. Tillyard. It attempts to show how the work fulfils the requirements of the genre, as defined by Tillyard, which include high seriousness, amplitude, a predetermined organization, and a choric quality, through which the author is able to “express the feelings of a large group of people living in or near his own time.” The chapter identifies a number of features in the Tour that mimic epic properties, among them the opening statement of a running theme; the motif of a journey comparable in particular ways to a heroic quest; a descent into the underworld; catalogues of past deeds; episodes which the traveler encounters natural winders; discussion of local myths; and the use of sententiae. It is argued that the nation becomes the hero of a narrative designed to aggrandise the future glories of Britain.

Type
Chapter
Information
Defoe's Tour and Early Modern Britain
Panorama of the Nation
, pp. 67 - 84
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • The Epic Strain
  • Pat Rogers, University of South Florida
  • Book: Defoe's Tour and Early Modern Britain
  • Online publication: 04 February 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009106412.004
Available formats
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  • The Epic Strain
  • Pat Rogers, University of South Florida
  • Book: Defoe's Tour and Early Modern Britain
  • Online publication: 04 February 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009106412.004
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Epic Strain
  • Pat Rogers, University of South Florida
  • Book: Defoe's Tour and Early Modern Britain
  • Online publication: 04 February 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009106412.004
Available formats
×