Breakdown Of Feudal Lordship In Early Modern England: A Literary Economic Study Of Timon Of Athens

This thesis will interpret Timon of Athens based on the political,economic and ideological context of early modern England,examine the process and causes of the breakdown of feudal lordship under the impact of the emerging capitalist commercial economy,and explore Shakespeare’s attitudes towards social change through an analysis of the different behavioural choices of Timon,the senators and the general Alcibiades.This thesis is divided into five chapters.The first chapter traces the history of interdisciplinary study of literature and economics and analyzes the social economic conditions in early modern England.The second chapter focuses on the initial manifestation of Timon’s feudal lordship.At the beginning,Lord Timon had absolute paternalistic authority,strong economic power and wide influence over society and culture.The third chapter analyzes the challenges faced by feudal lordship,which are the main causes of its collapse.Under the influence of the embryonic capitalist economy,the political,economic and ethical differences between the old and new societies became more prominent.The fourth chapter provides a specific analysis of the manifestations of the collapse of feudal lordship.Timon’s feudal lordship collapsed with the loss of economic power and authority and a shift in social ethics.In the fifth chapter,Timon’s conservative rejection,the senators’ positive identity transformation and Alcibiades’ final compromise reflect the different attitudes of the feudal class in the face of the emerging capitalism,from which Shakespeare’s interpretation of the fate of England can be seen: the collapse of the feudal lordship and the establishment of a capitalist economic system were the inevitable trend of history,and although the moral and ethical traditions were worth preserving,integration into the new era was the only option for the stability and harmony of the country.