The Utopian Ecological Concerns Of Shakespeare’s Comedies

The dramatist Oscar Wilde holds the view “a map of the world without Utopia is not meaningless”. Although the master playwright Shakespeare pays little attention to the relationship between human beings and nature, he is keen on human’s fates and the blessings brought by human beings. Therefore, salvation becomes a subject of mutual interest. According to William Shakespeare, Green World can be defined as a modification of Utopia. Most importantly, it is essential to establish Green World, which reflects his philosophy of life—the return of universe. However, he extremely attaches great importance to movement and development. He does not pin his hope on the establishment of Utopia any longer, so a new world with character of Dystopia come into being which is corresponding to Utopia. The original world is not perfect, so we human beings have to transfer into the outside of it. Only through degeneration and regeneration, can we transcend and ameliorate the original world, can we return to initial point in the end. The circle signifies eternity and it implies constant variations and improvements.The thesis refers to three texts written by William Shakespeare, they are As You Like It, The Tempest and A Mid-Summer’s Night Dream. The dissertation can be divided into three parts:For the first part, the author gives a detailed analysis of the original world, in which the concept of anthropocentrism prevails, while individualism and human-centralism regarded as most important. All human activities are to cater to our selfish desire. On the whole, everything in the world is human-centered.For the second part, the author gives an analysis and a description of Green World. According to Frye’s Prototype Archetype, forest itself symbolizes vibrancy, prosperity and immortality. Nature can cleanse and purify our spirit and enrich our soul. Human beings have to commune with nature, can they grow up healthy and sound, can they return to original condition. Therefore, all protagonists have to head for the forest. Only by this way, can they acquire a new ease of life.The last part focuses on the question “Why human beings have to return to the real world?” Just as the title page describes in Brave New World “Utopia can be realized though unremitting efforts, the whole world is heading for Utopia. However, a new age begins, it is not perfect but more free than Utopia.” Green World is the miniature of the real world, in which almost all of the people explore happiness and freedom freely and realize the new world again. After a series of experience and transformations, everyone makes a remarkable conversion in the end.All of those imply a kind of circular motion from ecological perspective. Major characters in Shakespearean Comedy encounter problems and difficulties in secular world and then manage to solve the problems in “green world”, finally they return to original world and live a normal life. To some degree, it is not a simple cycle which just means returning back. However, it means constant movements and developments, which represents a kind of change, through which can we achieve eternal.