Consider the following example of literary criticism: The historical approach can clarify a question in Thomas Otway’s play Venice Preserv’d. Why are the conspirators shown sympathetically despite their violent and cruel scheme? By examining the author’s background and the historical context—Otway was a Tory whose play debuted after the Popish Plot and Exclusion Bill Crisis—we notice parallels between the play’s conspiracy and the historical Popish Plot. Although Tories opposed the violent Popish Plot, they empathized with the conspirators due to their mistreatment by the Whigs, their political rivals. Therefore, Otway condemns the conspiracy but not the conspirators themselves. What role of literary criticism does this example illustrate?
Explanation
The example demonstrates how literary criticism helps address specific questions or difficulties within a text by considering historical context. This approach clarifies why certain characters are portrayed in a particular way, resolving interpretive problems. Thus, the primary purpose illustrated here is to help resolve a question or issue arising from the reading.