The David Myth in Western LiteratureRaymond-Jean Frontain, Jan Wojcik Purdue University Press, 1980 - 212 pages This collection of eleven original essays each by a different scholar outlines the rich body of imaginative and devotional literature which has the biblical poet-warrior-king as its subject or primary focus, showing David to have as strong an imaginative appeal for Western writers as such better-known mythic heroes as Orpheus, Oedipus, Samson, and Ulysses. The introduction to the volume surveys the development of the David myth particularly in British and American literature. The essays represent a variety of critical approaches to the myth as literature, treating in detail such works as Shakespeare's Hamlet, Cowley's Davideis, Christopher Smart's A Song to David, and Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! and examining the complex uses made of David in the Midrash, Talmud, and Patristic writings; medieval sermons and Reformation devotional treatises; and American Puritan sermons. |
Contents
Discriminations against Davids Tragedy | 12 |
Frail Grass and Firm Tree | 38 |
Two Views of the Evangelical David | 56 |
Copyright | |
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Absalom Absalom and Achitophel Amichai Amnon anointed Augustine Bathsheba Beza Bible biblical books of Samuel brother Cassiodorus century character Christ Christian Christopher Smart commentary Compson Cowley Cowley's David and Jonathan David story Davideis death Deuteronomists divine drama Drayton enemy England epic episode Eucherius example faith father Faulkner friendship God's Goliath Hamlet Hebrew Henry hero heroic Holy II Samuel interpretation Israel Jesus Josephus king King Saul Lefèvre legend literature London Lord martial Messiah Midrash Migne military moral myth of David narrative Nathan Neoplatonic Old Testament penitence Philistine play poem poet poetic poetry Praise prayer prophet Psalms Psalter Psalterium punishment Quentin reader religious Renaissance repentance revenge Roethke Roethke's role Samuel Saul's says scene sequence sermon sins Smart soldiers spirit stanza story of David Sutpen Talmud thee Theodore Beza thou tion tradition tragedy tragic trans University Press Uriah verse words Yehuda Amichai