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Papers by Mahshid Mirmasoomi
Abstract. King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwrig... more Abstract. King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censures Lear's hamartia wreaking havoc not only upon people's lives but bringing devastation on his own kindred. Shakespeare castigates Lear's wrath, sense of superiority, and misjudgments which lead to catastrophic consequences. In Death of Yazdgerd (1979), an anti-authoritarian play, Bahram Beyzayie, the well-known Persiaian tragedian, also depicts the hamartia of King Yazdgerd III whose pride and unjust treatment of people end in devastation. By demonstrating such defective and reprehensible tragic heroes, both playwrights set at providing audience with an anti-heroic representation of the kings and also shattering the common god-like heroism attributed to hero kings. Bearing in mind the political instability of England after the succession of James I, Shakespeare avails himself of such anti-heroic representation to forewarn those monarchs incapable of maintaining a...
International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, Nov 1, 2016
King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censure... more King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censures Lear's hamartia wreaking havoc not only upon people's lives but bringing devastation on his own kindred. Shakespeare castigates Lear's wrath, sense of superiority, and misjudgments which lead to catastrophic consequences. In Death of Yazdgerd (1979), an anti-authoritarian play, Bahram Beyzayie, the well-known Persiaian tragedian, also depicts the hamartia of King Yazdgerd III whose pride and unjust treatment of people end in devastation. By demonstrating such defective and reprehensible tragic heroes, both playwrights set at providing audience with an anti-heroic representation of the kings and also shattering the common god-like heroism attributed to hero kings. Bearing in mind the political instability of England after the succession of James I, Shakespeare avails himself of such anti-heroic representation to forewarn those monarchs incapable of maintaining a balance between their judgments and the society's need for a genuine authority. In a similar fashion, Beyzayie narrates the true historical event of a Persian king whose improper exercise of authority, withdrawal from battle, and an ultimate escape leave people helpless against the invasion of Arabs. The article initially aims to discuss the concept of hamartia within the tragedies based on Aristotle's definition of hamartia and golden mean; by defining the nature of the kings' unforgivable errors and their extremely imbalanced temperament, the paper demonstrates how such ignoble failure relegates the hero kings to anti-heroes whose punishment equals their mistakes. Contrary to Aristotle's idea, the article also elucidates how Shakespeare and Beyzaie have caused the audiences' catharsis of emotion not through fear and pity but through the creation of a sense of justice by portraying characters who deserve their ultimate downfall.
Critical Literary Studies, 2021
The pursuit of freedom has constantly been debilitated due to external shackles embodying themsel... more The pursuit of freedom has constantly been debilitated due to external shackles embodying themselves mainly with the presence of an authority that anesthetizes individuals into voluntary submission. Erich Fromm (1900-80) is the German psychologist who underscores the significance of individual freedom in his book Escape from Freedom (1941) and maintains that on the path towards freedom, individuals attempt at unshackling themselves from restrictive forces; however, as they release themselves from the restrictions of an authority and refuse to yield to its demands, individuals are left with feelings of insecurity and powerlessness. As a result, they try to compensate for the feeling of insecurity by either submitting themselves to another authority figure or becoming authority figures themselves. Within the paper, Fromm's concept of freedom is elaborated upon and applied to Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962). The paper discusses the two major concepts of "freedom from" and "freedom to" known as "negative freedom" and "positive freedom" and demonstrates the possibility of finding a getaway from a negative sense of freedom by investing mankind with the power of love and communication. Real freedom is not a release from external constraints but mainly a release from internal forces.
King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censure... more King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censures Lear's hamartia wrecking havoc not only upon people's lives but bringing devastation on his own kindred. Shakespeare castigates Lear's wrath, sense of superiority, and misjudgments which lead to catastrophic consequences. In Death of Yazdgerd (1979), an anti-authoritarian play, Bahram Beyzayie, the well-known Persiaian tragedian, also depicts the hamartia of King Yazdgerd III whose pride and unjust treatment of people end in devastation. By demonstrating such defective and reprehensible tragic heroes, both playwrights set at providing audience with an anti-heroic representation of the kings and also shattering the common god-like heroism attributed to hero kings. Bearing in mind the political instability of England after the succession of James I, Shakespeare avails himself of such anti-heroic representation to forewarn those monarchs incapable of maintaining a balance between their judgments and the society's need for a genuine authority. In a similar fashion, Beyzayie narrates the true historical event of a Persian king whose improper exercise of authority, withdrawal from battle, and an ultimate escape leave people helpless against the invasion of Arabs. The article initially aims to discuss the concept of hamartia within the tragedies based on Aristotle's definition of hamartia and golden mean; by defining the nature of the kings' unforgivable errors and their extremely imbalanced temperament, the paper demonstrates how such ignoble failure relegates the hero kings to anti-heroes whose punishment equals their mistakes. Contrary to Aristotle’s idea, the article also elucidates how Shakespeare and Beyzaie have caused the audiences’ catharsis of emotion not through fear and pity but through the creation of a sense of justice by portraying characters who deserve their ultimate downfall.
Throughout history, mankind's ideal to pursue what he reveres as freedom has proved unattainable ... more Throughout history, mankind's ideal to pursue what he reveres as freedom has proved unattainable since insurmountable obstacles have always impeded the path to freedom. Individual freedom has constantly been restricted by external forces, in most cases an authority that forces humans into submission and bondage in a way they find themselves not only physically but also spiritually constrained by these shackles. In some instances, the magnitude of the authoritative force is so considerable that the individual surrenders his freedom and abandons any hopes of liberation. One of the theorists who highly values individual freedom is the German social psychologist Erich Seligman Fromm . He asserts in his book Escape from Freedom (1941) that achieving freedom has been a prime goal for mankind throughout time. He maintains that as an individual unshackles himself from the restrictions of an authority, he tries to compensate for the lack of security which stems from his rejection of that authority and thus submits himself to another source of authority or becomes an authoritative figure himself. This paper aims to analyse Fromm's concept of freedom in Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange (1962). Through the application of Fromm's theories, this article attempts to show that freedom is not merely a release from external forces but a release from internal constraints as well, stressing the fact that spiritual freedom is the real path to happiness and internal satisfaction and that positive freedom is from within and not without.
Conference Presentations by Mahshid Mirmasoomi
Abstract. King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwrig... more Abstract. King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censures Lear's hamartia wreaking havoc not only upon people's lives but bringing devastation on his own kindred. Shakespeare castigates Lear's wrath, sense of superiority, and misjudgments which lead to catastrophic consequences. In Death of Yazdgerd (1979), an anti-authoritarian play, Bahram Beyzayie, the well-known Persiaian tragedian, also depicts the hamartia of King Yazdgerd III whose pride and unjust treatment of people end in devastation. By demonstrating such defective and reprehensible tragic heroes, both playwrights set at providing audience with an anti-heroic representation of the kings and also shattering the common god-like heroism attributed to hero kings. Bearing in mind the political instability of England after the succession of James I, Shakespeare avails himself of such anti-heroic representation to forewarn those monarchs incapable of maintaining a...
International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, Nov 1, 2016
King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censure... more King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censures Lear's hamartia wreaking havoc not only upon people's lives but bringing devastation on his own kindred. Shakespeare castigates Lear's wrath, sense of superiority, and misjudgments which lead to catastrophic consequences. In Death of Yazdgerd (1979), an anti-authoritarian play, Bahram Beyzayie, the well-known Persiaian tragedian, also depicts the hamartia of King Yazdgerd III whose pride and unjust treatment of people end in devastation. By demonstrating such defective and reprehensible tragic heroes, both playwrights set at providing audience with an anti-heroic representation of the kings and also shattering the common god-like heroism attributed to hero kings. Bearing in mind the political instability of England after the succession of James I, Shakespeare avails himself of such anti-heroic representation to forewarn those monarchs incapable of maintaining a balance between their judgments and the society's need for a genuine authority. In a similar fashion, Beyzayie narrates the true historical event of a Persian king whose improper exercise of authority, withdrawal from battle, and an ultimate escape leave people helpless against the invasion of Arabs. The article initially aims to discuss the concept of hamartia within the tragedies based on Aristotle's definition of hamartia and golden mean; by defining the nature of the kings' unforgivable errors and their extremely imbalanced temperament, the paper demonstrates how such ignoble failure relegates the hero kings to anti-heroes whose punishment equals their mistakes. Contrary to Aristotle's idea, the article also elucidates how Shakespeare and Beyzaie have caused the audiences' catharsis of emotion not through fear and pity but through the creation of a sense of justice by portraying characters who deserve their ultimate downfall.
Critical Literary Studies, 2021
The pursuit of freedom has constantly been debilitated due to external shackles embodying themsel... more The pursuit of freedom has constantly been debilitated due to external shackles embodying themselves mainly with the presence of an authority that anesthetizes individuals into voluntary submission. Erich Fromm (1900-80) is the German psychologist who underscores the significance of individual freedom in his book Escape from Freedom (1941) and maintains that on the path towards freedom, individuals attempt at unshackling themselves from restrictive forces; however, as they release themselves from the restrictions of an authority and refuse to yield to its demands, individuals are left with feelings of insecurity and powerlessness. As a result, they try to compensate for the feeling of insecurity by either submitting themselves to another authority figure or becoming authority figures themselves. Within the paper, Fromm's concept of freedom is elaborated upon and applied to Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962). The paper discusses the two major concepts of "freedom from" and "freedom to" known as "negative freedom" and "positive freedom" and demonstrates the possibility of finding a getaway from a negative sense of freedom by investing mankind with the power of love and communication. Real freedom is not a release from external constraints but mainly a release from internal forces.
King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censure... more King Lear (1606) is one of the political tragedies of Shakespeare in which the playwright censures Lear's hamartia wrecking havoc not only upon people's lives but bringing devastation on his own kindred. Shakespeare castigates Lear's wrath, sense of superiority, and misjudgments which lead to catastrophic consequences. In Death of Yazdgerd (1979), an anti-authoritarian play, Bahram Beyzayie, the well-known Persiaian tragedian, also depicts the hamartia of King Yazdgerd III whose pride and unjust treatment of people end in devastation. By demonstrating such defective and reprehensible tragic heroes, both playwrights set at providing audience with an anti-heroic representation of the kings and also shattering the common god-like heroism attributed to hero kings. Bearing in mind the political instability of England after the succession of James I, Shakespeare avails himself of such anti-heroic representation to forewarn those monarchs incapable of maintaining a balance between their judgments and the society's need for a genuine authority. In a similar fashion, Beyzayie narrates the true historical event of a Persian king whose improper exercise of authority, withdrawal from battle, and an ultimate escape leave people helpless against the invasion of Arabs. The article initially aims to discuss the concept of hamartia within the tragedies based on Aristotle's definition of hamartia and golden mean; by defining the nature of the kings' unforgivable errors and their extremely imbalanced temperament, the paper demonstrates how such ignoble failure relegates the hero kings to anti-heroes whose punishment equals their mistakes. Contrary to Aristotle’s idea, the article also elucidates how Shakespeare and Beyzaie have caused the audiences’ catharsis of emotion not through fear and pity but through the creation of a sense of justice by portraying characters who deserve their ultimate downfall.
Throughout history, mankind's ideal to pursue what he reveres as freedom has proved unattainable ... more Throughout history, mankind's ideal to pursue what he reveres as freedom has proved unattainable since insurmountable obstacles have always impeded the path to freedom. Individual freedom has constantly been restricted by external forces, in most cases an authority that forces humans into submission and bondage in a way they find themselves not only physically but also spiritually constrained by these shackles. In some instances, the magnitude of the authoritative force is so considerable that the individual surrenders his freedom and abandons any hopes of liberation. One of the theorists who highly values individual freedom is the German social psychologist Erich Seligman Fromm . He asserts in his book Escape from Freedom (1941) that achieving freedom has been a prime goal for mankind throughout time. He maintains that as an individual unshackles himself from the restrictions of an authority, he tries to compensate for the lack of security which stems from his rejection of that authority and thus submits himself to another source of authority or becomes an authoritative figure himself. This paper aims to analyse Fromm's concept of freedom in Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange (1962). Through the application of Fromm's theories, this article attempts to show that freedom is not merely a release from external forces but a release from internal constraints as well, stressing the fact that spiritual freedom is the real path to happiness and internal satisfaction and that positive freedom is from within and not without.