Hero and Leander free essay sample

This paper distinguishes between the two voices in Marlowes epic poem the Hero and Leander. This paper explores the similarities and differences between the two separate voices, one being the narrator and the other the poet himself, in the context of Marlowes epic poem Hero and Leander. For the reader of Hero and Leander, another dilemma with the narrator and Marlowe the poet arises when we ask the reason for Marlowes desire to tell his tale through the eyes and voice of an unidentified narrator apart from himself. The initial reaction of an observant reader would be that the narrator is quite inappropriate for this poem. Hero and Leander then represents Marlowes ultimate attempt at human comedy via a speaker who represents the poets own image of human nature. In Christopher Marlowes narrative poem Hero and Leander, a major obstacle confronts the reader in the form of attempting to separate the narrative voice of the poet Marlowe from that which W. We will write a custom essay sample on Hero and Leander or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page L. Godshalk calls the sensibility of a dramatized narrator. . . who stands between us and the lovers (307). David Farkas, in his Problems of Interpretation in Marlowes Hero and Leander,` points out that he hears `two voices in the narrative: the genuine Marlovian voice and the hidden narrators (Knoll 129). In light of these observations, the question arises as to the means of distinguishing between the dual voices present in the poem. Godshalk asks Is it Marlowe or the narrator who is so taken with Leanders physical beauty and with Heros pretended innocence even as she coquettishly leads him on? (308). Thus, Hero and Leander, in regards to the poet/narrator question, builds its own mysteries and demands a variety of responses which are compounded by the fact that we see (the characters) through the eyes of Marlowe, the poet, and through those of an intrusive narrator (Levin 140).