Quote by Oscar Wilde
The 19thc hatred of Realism is Caliban's enraged reaction to seeing his own face in the mirror. The 19thc rejection of Romanticism is Caliban's fury at not seeing his face reflected in the mirror.
Summary
This quote uses the literary character Caliban from Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" to illustrate 19th-century attitudes towards different artistic movements. Realism, reflected in a mirror, is seen as a mirror image of Caliban himself, which rouses hatred as it reveals the unflattering truth of reality. On the other hand, Romanticism, not reflecting his face, leads Caliban to feel excluded and resentful. The quote suggests that these varying reactions stem from the contrasting nature of these two artistic approaches and how they bring about different forms of recognition or misrecognition.
Topics
Insightful
By Oscar Wilde
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