Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Miltor By Aaron Medlock Gamecock Staff Writer Dr. Jack D. Ashley, who teaches two Milton courses at USC, would not particularly like to meet the poet John Milton if he had the chance. "I think I would be most put off by his arrogance," Ashley said, "mainly because of his emotional insulation." To the assistant professor of English, Milton is Ashley's whole life. But being as devoted to studying the poet as he is, Ashley said, "John Miilton would probably find life here pretty dreary and banal because of the relative lack of human identity. He would deplore any form of censorship because of his exuberant idealism. To him everything had to rest on choice. It was not valid if it wasn't chosen," he said. Based on Milton's treatise on education, Ashley said USC's educational program would receive marks below passing from Milton. "He would dislike the emphasis on specialization," Ashley said. "In the 17th century, educated men needed a fairly comprehensive mastery of all academic fields and occupational skills." Ashley was not sure that Milton's ideas are right for now. "After all, times change," he said. Drinking a cup of tea , Ashley discussed problems of teaching Milton and Shakespeare. "Milton and these other courses are usually emphasized as being relevant. Some teachers attempt to Feeding your face ir room. Especially at I Try this 80~ a la cari Eat breakfa scholar I prostitute'these works on local and immediate issues. This is em barrassing and it should be resisted. The pretentiousness almost contaminates the works," Ashley said. "I prefer to teach the writers and let their relevance become apparent," he said, "Afterall, part of literature is to be irrelevant. It should divert the mind and soul off the grit of relevance." l The Tennesseean who did his graduate work at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Ashley Chose to specialize in Milton's works because the subject weathers well. "I decided Milton 34 i a our place helps you feed y areakfast time when you viti le brain trust sometime. It n st on campus. University Dil inds poet would weather fair and long," Ashley said, "I would not get tired of it. Studying Milton's works is a challenge to the intellect because Milton realized the beauty of our language. Because of this and his mastery of background, his works are so interesting," he said. ' "Milton's demonic description in "Paradise Lost" is utterly fascinating,"- Ashley said. "You "Milton's demon "Paradise Lost" is ut it was as if he had demonic. It seems as with the are first aware that this is Satan, a very gifted and powerful individual reigning over the demonic world. Milton's Satan was hard to characterize, but his description was so good that it was as if he had our head In the class lily need nourishment. iay upyour GPR. ning Service. proud, ai an intuition of the demonic. It seems as if he were in touch with the Devil. Milton's work puts us in the position of original man when he committed the original sin," he said. "Here again is the Miltonic theme of moral choice and determination." Although Ashl ey teaches. a course on Shakespeare's comedies, he said he would not like to meet ic description in terly fascinating .. . an intuition of the if he were in touch 'Devil." Dr. Jack D. Ashley William Shakespeare. "I would expect cockiness and arrogance from Shakespeare," Ashley said. "I'm certain that there was a good deal of vanity in him. We must remember that he was an actor I doubt that Shakespeare was a great all-seeing, all-embracing human being like he is believed to be," Ashley said. Regarding an Englishman's recent claim of having discovered the identity of the dark lady so often referred to in Shakespeare's sonnets, Ashley said, "I hope he hasn't. If he did, she would no longer be dark. This would destroy the mystery that adds so much to Shakespeare's vworks." Ashley regards Othello as Shakespeare's greatest tragedy and "Measure for Measure" and "A Winter's Tale" as his best comedies. The recent television production of "Much Ado About Nothing" was tedious according to Ashley. He said, "The Americanizing of the play was silly because Shakespeare always succeeds in transcending local time and place." Ashley does not enjoy productions of these plays because they never measure up to Shakespeare's ideals. "I would much rather read them," he said. "Hamlet" is an imminent failure, according to Ashley, because "the playwright is not in control of the subject matter." Ashley said he would most like to meet Geoffrey Chaucer and Johnathan Swift. "I have the in tuition that Chaucer has the most Easy To Open Gamecock Charge Account, (Limit) BRITTON S rogant humanity and the best per sonality," he said. "But I would like to . meet Swift for mere curiosity. I'm sure he would be incredulous to watch because of his strange habits and incredible eccentricities." Ashley spends his time outside the classroom raising bonsai trees and other plants and viewing television. "I think television should be a diversion from what we do daily," he said. He does not find educational and cultural program interesting but enjoys drams like "Ironsides" and "Mannix." "I don't go to bed at night until Alfred Hitchcock has gone off. His programs are divertive and fascinating to watch,',' he said. Abortions From Page 1 provide for the additional equipment, specialists and nurses that would be necessary "to deal with emergencies" if - they should arise. 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