An act of violence, be it personal or institution is an event that would distress most witnesses.
Yet the representation of violent acts in fictional forms as literature, drama and film often
aestheticises that violence, with the result that it is possible to experience it without such distress.
However, despite various conjectures being offered, no single and universal theory is possible. An
aesthetic response to a representation of violence is influenced to a large extent by the degree of
aestheticisation produced by the author and/or director. In addition, the aestheticisation of
violence is dependent upon, and an inevitable consequence of, the representation of the violent.
This dissertation is an endeavour to explore the issues that the paradox makes evident, to critique
various hypotheses that have been offered as a solution, and to speculate upon a more
comprehensive theory ofthe representation and aestheticisation of violenceEnglish StudiesM.A. (English
