Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0009522, Thu, 25 Mar 2004 07:56:41 -0800

Subject
Fw: Fw: Fw: Shakespeare plagiarist!
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Donohue" <michaeldonohue@hotmail.com>
.
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (126
lines) ------------------
>
> Do any of you remember the similar "uproar" in the London and Australian
> papers in 1996 or 7, when Graham Swift's *Last Orders* was suddenly
> "exposed" as a "plagiarized" version of *As I Lay Dying*? That nonsense
blew
> over pretty quickly. So will this.
>
>
>
>
> &gt;From: &quot;D. Barton Johnson&quot; &lt;chtodel@cox.net&gt;
> &gt;Reply-To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum &lt;NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU&gt;
> &gt;To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> &gt;Subject: Fw: Fw: Shakespeare plagiarist!
> &gt;Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 12:51:20 -0800
> &gt;
> &gt;----- Original Message -----
> &gt;From: &quot;Rimel, Abbey J.&quot; &lt;RimelA@missouri.edu&gt;
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; ----------------- Message requiring your approval (67
> &gt;lines) ------------------
> &gt; &gt; My goodness, surrounded by bald faced plagiarists, aren't we?
> There
> &gt; &gt; have been some calls on the list to ignore the (Danish?) news
> story
> &gt; &gt; about Lolita having been plagiarised on the grounds that these
> claims
> &gt; &gt; are obviously made by a person who does not understand the true
> nature
> &gt; &gt; of plagiarism. While I agree, we might be treating ignorance
with
> undue
> &gt; &gt; attention, I also believe this is an opportunity to discuss the
> cyclic
> &gt; &gt; nature of ideas and plotlines throughout the ages.
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; From oral tradition to the novel, the human collective
> consciousness
> &gt; &gt; abounds with a repertoire of compelling stories that take form
> from time
> &gt; &gt; to time in a variety of media. I don't imagine that the basic
> story of
> &gt; &gt; Lolita ever derived from something so ancient as an oral
> tradition--but
> &gt; &gt; I could be wrong. Most of us understand that it isn't
necessarily
> the
> &gt; &gt; story's originality--the absolute unique quality of the
> plotline--that
> &gt; &gt; matters, but how it is told. No one creates in a vacuum, not
> &gt; &gt; Shakespeare, not Nabokov. We've got some intellectual problems
to
> deal
> &gt; &gt; with in popular culture, true, but I think we need to find a way
> to turn
> &gt; &gt; our indignance into something constructive or at the very least,
> &gt; &gt; entertain ourselves.
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; Abbey
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; -----Original Message-----
> &gt; &gt; From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU]
> On
> &gt; &gt; Behalf Of D. Barton Johnson
> &gt; &gt; Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 12:33 PM
> &gt; &gt; To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
> &gt; &gt; Subject: Fw: Shakespeare plagiarist!
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; ----- Original Message -----
> &gt; &gt; From: &quot;Jeff Edmunds&quot; &lt;jhe2@psulias.psu.edu&gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; From Jeff Edmunds &lt;jhe2@psulias.psu.edu&gt;:
> &gt; &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; In an absolutely stunning story certain to dwarf the
> controversy
> &gt; &gt; &gt; stirred
> &gt; &gt; by
> &gt; &gt; &gt; the revelation that Nabokov plagiarized Lolita, it was
> revealed this
> &gt; &gt; &gt; week by an Icelandic scholar that Shakespeare, widely
revered
> as the
> &gt; &gt; &gt; greatest playwright, and one of the greatest stylists, in
the
> English
> &gt; &gt; &gt; language of all time, plagiarized Hamlet, his most famous
> play.
> &gt; &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; Apparently the story of Hamlet can be shown to pre-exist
> Shakespeare's
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; shameless plagiarism by many years. Penned by an unknown
> Danish
> &gt; &gt; &gt; writer,
> &gt; &gt; the
> &gt; &gt; &gt; tale is known as &quot;The saga of Feng and Amleth.&quot;
The
> story of Amleth is
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; nearly identical to Shakespeare's play: Feng murders his
> brother out
> &gt; &gt; &gt; of jealousy and marries Gerutha, Amleth's mother. Amleth
> pretends to
> &gt; &gt; &gt; be witless to save himself. His sanity is tested by the
> suspicious
> &gt; &gt; &gt; Feng. Amleth is sent to England, guarded by two of Feng's
> retainers,
> &gt; &gt; &gt; who carry a death letter. Amleth alters the letter to order
> the deaths
> &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; of the
> &gt; &gt; retainers
> &gt; &gt; &gt; and his own marriage to the King's daughter. He returns to
> Jutland
> &gt; &gt; &gt; where, after a celebratory feast, he burns the Great Hall
> full of
> &gt; &gt; &gt; drunken nobles and kills his uncle, thereby avenging his
> murdered
> &gt; &gt; &gt; father.
> &gt; &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; Just how this amazing revelation will damage Shakespeare's
> inflated
> &gt; &gt; &gt; reputation remains to be seen.
> &gt; &gt; &gt;
> &gt; &gt; &gt; Needless to say, the word of Shakespearean studies is still
> reeling.
> &gt; &gt; &gt;
>
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