Lust and Black Magic in Barnabe Barnes's Parthenophil and Parthenophe
In the final poem of Barnabe Barnes's Parthenophil and Parthenophe (1593), both black magic and its resulting act of intercourse violate the Petrarchan conventions which have dominated the sequence and, in turn, violate specific cultural norms of the Elizabethan court. The black magic invoked i...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
1994
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 1994, Volume: 25, Issue: 3, Pages: 595-608 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In the final poem of Barnabe Barnes's Parthenophil and Parthenophe (1593), both black magic and its resulting act of intercourse violate the Petrarchan conventions which have dominated the sequence and, in turn, violate specific cultural norms of the Elizabethan court. The black magic invoked in Barnes's poem is not merely a means to achieve sexual consummation; in Sestine 5, black magic functions as a metaphor that expresses the dangerous nature of unrequited lust. Both lust and black magic reverse the hierarchy of reason over passion, threaten the social status quo, and stand contrary to the laws of God. While Barnes observes decorum in the final lines by enclosing consummation within a dream frame, he nonetheless allows Parthenophil to engage in black magic. Parthenophil thus continues to display the threat posed by courtiers who are given no satisfaction for the desire defined and created by the Elizabethan court and the Petrarchan conventions. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2542636 |