PROVERBS AS A REFLECTION OF RENAISSANCE MENTALITY IN WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S WORKS
Abstract
This study examines the use of proverbs (paroemias) in William Shakespeare’s dramatic works as a window into Renaissance mentality and worldview. Through systematic analysis of proverbial expressions across Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets, this research reveals how traditional folk wisdom was transformed and adapted to reflect the intellectual, social, and cultural transformations of the Renaissance period. The study identifies 347 distinct proverbial expressions in Shakespeare’s corpus, categorizing them by thematic content, frequency of use, and contextual application. Results demonstrate that Shakespeare’s employment of proverbs reflects a transitional mentality bridging medieval scholasticism and Renaissance humanism, characterized by pragmatic wisdom, individualistic values, and secular worldview. The analysis reveals that proverbial wisdom in Shakespeare serves not merely as decorative rhetoric but as a fundamental structural element reflecting the epistemological shift from divine authority to empirical observation that defined the Renaissance era.
Keywords
Renaissance mentality, Shakespeare, proverbs, paroemias, folk wisdom, humanistic worldview, cultural transformation, figurative language, moral values, linguistic heritage, social norms, metaphor, identity, intertextuality, cognitive linguistics.How to Cite
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