Begging the Question in Literature

Begging the Question in Literature: Introduction

“Begging the question in literature” emerges as a subtle yet powerful device employed by authors to shape narrative dynamics and stimulate critical engagement. This rhetorical strategy involves presenting assumptions or premises within the text that presuppose the validity of the central themes, characters, or plot points, thereby encouraging readers to accept certain elements without explicit validation.

Whether manifested through characters’ perspectives, narrative structures, or thematic underpinnings, begging the question in literature invites audiences to explore and interpret the work through a lens already tinted by the author’s implicit assertions. This nuanced technique adds layers of complexity to literary discourse, prompting readers to navigate the intricate interplay between the presupposed and the substantiated within the narrative fabric.

Begging the Question in Literature: Shakespearean Examples

Play	Example	Explanation
Hamlet	Example: “This marriage is incestuous because it feels wrong, and it feels wrong because it’s incestuous.”	Explanation: Hamlet assumes the immorality of his mother’s marriage to Claudius, using his emotional response as evidence without providing an objective basis for the claim.
Macbeth	Example: “Macbeth is a tyrant because he acts ruthlessly, and he acts ruthlessly because he is a tyrant.”	Explanation: The circular reasoning in this example assumes the very characteristic (tyranny) being attributed to Macbeth, relying on his actions as evidence without external validation.
Othello	Example: “Iago is untrustworthy because he is always scheming, and he is always scheming because he is untrustworthy.”	Explanation: The circular logic here relies on Iago’s perceived trait of being untrustworthy to explain his constant scheming, creating a self-reinforcing characterization.
Romeo and Juliet	Example: “Their love is true because it is passionate, and it is passionate because it is true.”	Explanation: Shakespeare uses the intensity of Romeo and Juliet’s love as evidence for its truth, creating a circular relationship between the passion and the authenticity of their feelings.
Julius Caesar	Example: “Brutus is an honorable man because he is noble, and he is noble because he is an honorable man.”	Explanation: Mark Antony employs circular reasoning in his funeral speech, assuming the nobility and honor of Brutus without presenting independent evidence, reinforcing a preconceived notion.

In these Shakespearean examples, the characters or the narrative structure exhibit instances of begging the question, where certain assertions are made without providing external support, relying instead on the assumption of the truth of the claims being put forward.

Begging the Question in Literature: Examples

Short Stories:

1. Example from “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: “The lottery is a tradition in our town, and we must participate because it is our tradition.” Explanation: The narrator assumes the necessity of participating in the lottery based on its traditional status without offering a reasoned justification.
2. Example from “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe: “The old man’s eye is evil, and that’s why I had to kill him. I know it’s evil because it drove me to murder.” Explanation: The narrator presupposes the malevolence of the old man’s eye, using the murder itself as evidence for the eye’s evil nature.
3. Example from “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell: “General Zaroff is a dangerous hunter, evident in his prowess in hunting, and his prowess proves his dangerous nature.” Explanation: The circular reasoning here assumes the dangerous nature of General Zaroff based solely on his hunting skills without independent evidence.
4. Example from “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway: “We should have the operation because it’s the right decision, and it’s the right decision because we should have the operation.” Explanation: The characters engage in a circular argument regarding the abortion, assuming the correctness of their decision without external validation.
5. Example from “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry: “Their love is selfless because they sacrificed for each other, and their sacrifice proves the selflessness of their love.” Explanation: The story assumes the selflessness of the characters’ love based on their mutual sacrifices, creating a circular relationship between the two concepts.

Plays:

6. Example from “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller: “Willy Loman is a tragic figure because he’s delusional, and his delusions make him a tragic figure.” Explanation: The play suggests the tragedy of Willy Loman based on his delusions, using his tragic nature as evidence for the delusions.
7. Example from “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams: “Blanche DuBois is unstable because she cannot face reality, and her inability to face reality is a sign of her instability.” Explanation: The play assumes Blanche’s instability based on her avoidance of reality, creating a circular connection between her mental state and actions.
8. Example from “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde: “Gwendolen believes in Earnest’s sincerity because his name is Earnest, and his name being Earnest is proof of his sincerity.” Explanation: The character Gwendolen associates Earnest’s sincerity with his name, forming a circular reasoning around the concept of sincerity.
9. Example from “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare: “Romeo and Juliet’s love is genuine because it’s passionate, and it’s passionate because it’s genuine.” Explanation: The play creates a circular relationship between the intensity of Romeo and Juliet’s love and its authenticity, assuming the truth of both.
10. Example from “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett: “They are waiting for Godot because they are waiting, and they are waiting because they are waiting for Godot.” Explanation: The characters’ circular waiting for Godot assumes the purpose of their waiting without providing external justification.

These examples demonstrate how begging the question is employed in various ways within the narratives of short stories and plays.

Begging the Question in Literature: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of “Begging the Question”
Reader-Response Theory	The circular nature of begging the question engages readers in actively interpreting texts, shaping their responses based on assumed premises within the narrative.
Feminist Criticism	Begging the question may be relevant in feminist criticism when assumptions about gender roles or stereotypes are embedded in the narrative, influencing critical perspectives.
Structuralism	The circular reasoning in begging the question can be explored through the interplay of narrative structures and the inherent assumptions about characters, events, or symbols.
Postcolonial Theory	In postcolonial analysis, begging the question may manifest when assumptions about cultural superiority are implicit, influencing power dynamics within the narrative.
Psychoanalytic Theory	Circular reasoning in literature can be relevant in psychoanalytic theory by exploring characters’ motivations and behaviors based on presupposed psychological states or traumas.
Marxist Criticism	Begging the question may be pertinent in Marxist criticism when assumptions about social class, power dynamics, or economic structures are subtly embedded in the narrative.
Deconstruction	Deconstruction can analyze how begging the question introduces binary oppositions or presupposed meanings, questioning the stability and hierarchy of these assumed concepts.
Postmodernism	In postmodern literature, begging the question may challenge meta-narratives by highlighting circular reasoning, inviting readers to question the reliability of assumed truths within the text.
Queer Theory	Begging the question might be relevant in queer theory when assumptions about heteronormativity or binary gender constructs are present in the narrative, influencing critical interpretations.
Cultural Studies	Cultural studies can examine how begging the question shapes narratives based on assumed cultural norms, values, or stereotypes, impacting the representation of diverse identities.

These literary theories offer various lenses through which scholars and critics can analyze the implications of begging the question in literature, exploring how assumptions within the text influence critical perspectives and contribute to broader socio-cultural discussions.

Begging the Question in Literature: Relevant Terms

Term or Fallacy	Brief Explanation
Circular Reasoning	Using the conclusion to support itself, creating a circular argument.
Loaded Language	Employing emotionally charged words to bias the audience without evidence.
False Dilemma	Presenting a situation as having only two alternatives when more exist.
Ad Hominem	Attacking the person making the argument rather than addressing the argument itself.
Red Herring	Introducing irrelevant information to divert attention from the main issue.
Appeal to Authority	Relying on the authority of a person rather than the strength of the argument.
Hasty Generalization	Drawing a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence.
Straw Man Argument	Misrepresenting an opponent’s position to make it easier to attack.
Post Hoc Fallacy	Incorrectly assuming that one event caused another simply because it followed it.
Appeal to Tradition	Arguing that a practice is good because it’s longstanding without evaluating its merit.

Begging the Question in Literature: Suggested Readings

1. Aristotle. Prior Analytics. Translated by Hugh Tredennick, Harvard University Press, 1938.
2. Eco, Umberto. Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language. Indiana University Press, 1986.
3. Quine, W. V. O. Word and Object. MIT Press, 2013.
4. Searle, John R. Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge University Press, 1969.
5. Tarski, Alfred. Logic, Semantics, Metamathematics: Papers from 1923 to 1938. Translated by J. H. Woodger, Hackett Publishing Company, 1983.
6. van Benthem, Johan. A Manual of Intensional Logic. Center for the Study of Language and Information, 1988.
7. Walton, Douglas. Informal Logic: A Pragmatic Approach. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
8. Wittgenstein, Ludwig. Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Translated by C. K. Ogden, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1922.
9. Woods, John. Paradox and Paraconsistency: Conflict Resolution in the Abstract Sciences. Cambridge University Press, 2003.