Tragedy Literature Reviews Samples For Students

Introduction

David Sedaris is known as a humorist. Time magazine named him the Humorist of the Year in 2001. Many of his essays are said to locate comedy in his childhood in North Carolina. The same can be said of these two of his essays: Six to Eight Black Men and Now We are Five. This paper compares and contrasts these two essays, covering a number of elements including whether they meet abide by the ‘humorist’ tag given him, and to what extent they may be autobiographical (that is, whether they are rooted in his childhood in North Carolina), as well as ...

Sophocles was an ancient Greek writer, who along with Aeschylus and Euripides had a great influence on the development of the dramaturgy in general and became the forefather of the tragedy in particular. Those several dramas that remained till nowadays (“Ajax”, “Antigone”, “Electra”, “Philoctetes”) are the masterpieces of ancient Greek literature, and “Oedipus the King” is recognized as one of the peaks of the world drama and the crown of a tragic theater. On the first stages of Athenian tragedy’s formation and development Aristotle was one of the first philosophers who determined the features of this form of dramaturgy. Sophocles ...

The nature of the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet and A Man for All Seasons is based on the struggles and conflicts exciting inside and outside main heroes. A Man for All Seasons struggles with ideas of identity and conscience. The core argument of this play is whether morality, religion and law are absolutely different things. More says to Norfolk, "What matters is not that it's true, but that I believe it; or no, not that I believe it, but that I believe it." More depends upon the idea that any deal with a conscience will course him damnation, while ...

Analysis of the Sophocles’ Oedipus the King

THESIS: In this paper, I am going to analyze the impact of fate and human behavior and actions in the development of action in the tragedy. I assume that, in spite of the fact that in the classical ancient Greek tragedy, everything must obey the will of the gods and the evil rock, in the tragedy of Sophocles' Oedipus the King, it can be observed a big role of free human will, which leads to a tragic end. The human factor influences to the unfolding of the plot of this tragedy and all the vicissitudes of fate are not ...

Tragedy is among the common productions of drama. This means that some dramas take the form of tragedy, which basically means that they portray the downfall of a protagonist. Tragedy occurs as a result of some error in judgment or any other fatal error, leading to major suffering, but also important insights gained by the leading character. The main purpose of such tragedy is to elicit some emotions, fear or sympathy, in the audience. “Oedipus the King” and “Death of a Salesman” are among the most intriguing tragedies that have been produced. This paper is an analysis and comparison of the two ...

Horror through Imagination: How do Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Shirley Jackson create suspense in their stories “Harvey’s Dream,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” and “The Lottery”

Introduction

Suspense is a literary style that is adopted by most authors to invoke the creative minds of the audience. Therefore, the authors intentionally fail to draw a conclusion to an event in a story, but instead live it upon the audience to think. On the other hand, mystery is an occurrence that is beyond human understanding, and in most cases it is associated with murder. This essay is anchored on these ...

Introduction

“A Heart So White,” is a story narrated by Juan, an interpreter, and translator who lives in Madrid, Spain, with his wife, Luisa. The narrator takes the standpoint of an onlooker as he examines the institution of marriage and its secrets and betrayals. Juan begins his book by reflecting on the death of Teresa, a woman previously married to his father, Ranz. It is against this backdrop of tragedy and emotional alienation that the story begins. Marías explores the intricacies of marriage and highlights major themes such as emotional alienation and the tragedy of death. This paper explores ...

The Relationship of Beauty and Death in Yukio Mishima’s “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion”

Introduction
The novel written by Yukio Mishima represents a true incident happened in Japan in 1950, when a boy set fire to one of the most beautiful and well-known Zen temples. This event caused shock among the public and raised serious and controversial questions regarding the cultural and social issues in the country. In the trial, the boy claimed: “I hate myself, my evil, ugly, and stammering self”. In the result, it was concluded that the boy has burnt down the temple due to self-hate and obsession with everything beautiful. He could not help to remain calm when he ...

Classical English literature studies

Comedy – a professional entertainment consisting of jokes and satirical sketches, intended to make an audience laugh. Late Middle English (as a genre of drama, also denoting a narrative poem with a happy ending, as in Dante’s Divine Comedy): from Old French comedie, via Latin from Greek kōmōidia, from kōmōidos 'comic poet', from kōmos 'revel' + aoidos 'singer'. ("Comedy: Definition Of Comedy in Oxford Dictionary (American English)").
Aristotle defines comedy as an imitation of men, who is worse than the average, but not in their perversities, but in hilarious sense. Comedy, as a genre ...

Are most relationships nothing more than mere momentary impulses that fade with time? In everyday life, relationships are complex interactions that require nurturing, protection and consistency. In this respect, they are so much more than just about fiery first encounters. The literary work discussed for this paper was Katherine Mansfield’s short story entitled “Something Childish but Very Natural,” a literary piece published in 1914 about two characters, Henry and Edna, who meet each other randomly in a train station. In telling this story, Mansfield utilizes a lot figurative language and symbolism to tell the story of Henry and ...

Thesis Statement

“Relationships are complex interactions that need nurturing, protecting, and consistency; it is not all about first encounters”
Discussion
The thesis statement says it all; that in real life relationships are complex interactions that need nurturing, protecting, and consistency. The literary work that was chosen to be discussed for this paper was Katherine Mansfield’s short story entitled Something Childish but Very Natural. For starters, it was a literary piece published in 1914 about two characters who met each other in a train station namely Henry and Edna.
Now, for readers who have not read the book, I am not ...

The fundamental question that the author of the novel “The Bridge of San Luis Rey”, Thornton Wilder places at the heart of the novel is: “either we live by accident and die by accident, or we live by plan and die by plan” (Wilder 7). In order to try to answer this question, one has to take a deeper look at the sequence of events described in this novel soak oneself in this story.
The novel begins with the description of a terrible tragedy, a bridge destruction that took away lives of 5 people, of which Brother Juniper was ...

Things Fall Apart was written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe and was published in 1958. The title foreshadows the tragedy in the novel. Achebe borrows the title from W B Yeats’ poem The Second Coming: ‘Things fall apart and the center cannot hold’. The phrase things fall apart is used to show the images of more general chaos that follows in the novel. The second phrase is a kind of declaration that “the centre cannot hold,” It is relevant to Achebe’s novel as the traditional structure of the society is challenged by the coming of missionaries and the white ...

The primary characters of Shakespeare’s plays typically have an element of tragedy to them: some unfortunate outcome for them that occurs either despite their circumstances or because of them. In the case of Othello, the titular character is a tragic figure whose race leads many, including Iago, to scheme against him and lead to his downfall. In this essay, the character of Othello will be examined in terms of his race and behavior, through the lens of G.K. Hunter's "Othello and Color Prejudice." Here, Othello is presented as a black man who is a heroic figure, constantly fighting against the perceptions ...

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is best characterized by his ambition, which leads him to commit heinous murders and eventually causes him to become insane. In “Macbeth”, one of the greatest tragedies ever written, the protagonist transforms from a valiant nobleman to an insane and violent tyrant, whose downfall comes as a relief by the end of the play. The tragedy is a literary genre which tackles a serious or somber topic, and in which the protagonist has an unhappy fate, usually brought about by a major flaw in his character. In the play, Macbeth first kills Duncan to take ...

Antigone is a tragedy written by Greek playwright Sophocles in the year 442 BCE. The play carries on in a series of plays such as Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus as well as Seven Against Thebes, which tell the tale of social classes, family feuds, and civil law in ancient times. The play tells about the reversal of fortunes between people in the high social class who are forced to live very lowly lives and to suffer emotionally and physically due to the operation of the constitution. The play deals with the burial of Antigone’s brother ...

The message of love in this book is just timeless. It showcases the concept of love in our midst and those who we interact with. Sometimes the people that we love most and express our love to don’t end up loving us back. We also don’t express the same love to the people who show us, love. Sometimes we don’t give people who love us the opportunity to demonstrate their love to us. As the author claims, there may be two people who are equally good, equally beautiful and also equally gifted but there will be ...

The daughter of a King, Andromache was married to Hector of Troy and Achilles slew not only her beloved husband, but her seven brothers shortly after her nuptials. A classic figure in Greek mythology and a key character of any epic of the Trojan War, Andromache is certainly portrayed in various publications, including the Illiad, the Aeneid, The Trojan Women, and Ars Amatoria. Obviously each poet, writer, playwright or screenwriter has all viewed Andromache through their own lens. For the purpose of this paper, however, we will focus on Euripides’ perspective in The Trojan Women and Virgil’s view in the ...

If we truly are masters of our own fates, then the actions that we take guide the course of our lives; in contrast, if we fail to take action, then our lives do not move forward. In order for a human being’s life to be harmonious, there must always be a delicate balance of thought and action that allows that person to make decisions wisely while at the same time keeping the urge to act on impulse too often at bay. However, if the scales tip to far in one way or another, then the results can be disastrous for ...

Introduction: Hamlet is a famous drama written by William Shakespeare, between the year 1599- 1600. Hamlet, the lead character in the play is the prince of Denmark. There are various themes in the play. For example, the difference between appearance and reality. Prince Hamlet was torn between appearance and realities that happened in his life. The following text of Act III, scene iii of the play is analyzed: “A brother’s murder, he says, is the oldest sin and “hath the primal eldest curse upon” (Semper 79; De Grazia 83). Hamlet is the most complex character ever written by ...

In a short story “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, which was written in 1953, Flannery O’Connor describes a tragedy happened in a family because of how the grandmother behaved. O’Connor shows the grandmother as a person deserving compassion and pity at first, but then the actions of this character start to cause the reader feel anger and condemnation. The grandmother’s character does not stay the same throughout the story, but changes as the character realizes her mistakes and flaws when it is too late.

The grandmother is presented in the first sentence of the story as a simple ...

Othello, a play written by William Shakespeare begins in Venice, a powerful center of banking and commercial activities and also known for its military prowess. The plot of the play revolves around Othello, a black Moor who is also an army general, Iago, his aide, Desdemona, his wife and Cassio who became his lieutenant. After Othello marries Desdemona, her father is opposed to it and takes the matter to the Duke. It is ruled that what Othello did was wrong and he is sent to war as a result. His wife accompanies him to Cyprus as well as Cassio and Iago.

Because Iago ...

Shakespeare called death “the undiscovered country.” Although death remains the biggest mystery of life, perhaps a bigger mystery is suggested in the very last paragraph of Truman Capote’s 1966 masterpiece, In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences. The biggest mystery is that life continues to go as usual even though such a terrible event happened – the brutal and senseless murder of a mother, father, son and daughter in the Kansas heartland that made headlines in 1959.
The final paragraph begins with the word “And”. As most high school English teachers drill into their students, one ...

The urge to tackle the reception of the arts is what differentiates the criticism Daniel Mendelsohn has on the United 93 film that depicts the happenings of September 2001 in the US. He has mastered the ability to pen down his reviews as commentaries in a cultural manner. His article September 11 at the Movies is one artistic response to the film United 93 that defines that day. Moments before the towers got hit; Daniel says his mind was on a classical Greek drama the Aeschylus’ Persians that is a true example of a real historical event (Mendelsohn, 43). This thought is what ...

Titus Andronicus is one of Shakespeare’s less well-known tragedies, a gory, dark tale of a disgraced general going to incredible means to take his revenge on the Goths who stole his position and mutilated his daughter, Lavinia. The relationship between Titus and his daughter Lavinia is perhaps the emotional core of the play; after Lavinia is brutally raped, Titus’ reaction is just as much for his sake as for hers – not only is he taking revenge upon her violation, but of the theft of his own position as celebrated Roman general. Of course, Titus’ parenting skills can be called into ...

The portrait of “The Guitar" by Federico Garcia Lorca is of a bleak and unfriendly place. Its fares are so awful that even the inanimate are affected—hence, we have weeping guitar. The depression of this instrument is not inexplicable as examples are provided of detached relationships. What is worse is how the tender despair is ignored, and pried at by uncaring fingertips.
If it were not for the title, I would not have realised that the poem was, in fact, actually about the guitar. As in, Guitar the main subject, instead of guitar the supporting character. Very soon ...

Margaret is a victim of circumstances that are caused by her being naïve and blind to what happens around her. She personally tried al she could to ensure she is out of trouble yet fate finds her. Most probably, the worst thing that ever happened to her was Faust being in love with her. This was the main thing that made her suffer for what happened. However, since she was an innocent receiver of a pact that a man had signed, her deliverance came even as the heavens intervened in her situation. It was clear that she was a helpless victim who ...

China has long been something of a mystery to the western world. Every time the western media or scholars think they understand the nature of China and the Chinese, something new and different emerges and changes their analysis of China and the Chinese. In reality, China is a massive place; the population, while not as diverse as it is elsewhere in the world, is definitely mixed and multicultural. Since the Cultural Revolution in China, there have been a great many changes to the society, both good and bad. Today, China is beginning to come into her own after many years of confusion, ...

The plot of Jean Racine’s play, “Phaedra,” follows the pattern of sexual intrigue and treachery. The plot of the play revolves around Phaedra, the second wife of Theseus, the king of Athens, and Hippolytus, the son of Theseus from his first wife Antiope. When the young Hippolytus shuns the worship of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love, an angry Aphrodite compels Phaedra, Theseus’s second wife, to lust after her stepson in order to punish Hippolytus. Phaedra tries to resist the urge of her improper passions, but when Oenone, Phaedra’s nurse reveals to Phaedra’s desire ...

Analysis of King Lear, Act V by William Shakespeare

The play King Lear by famous William Shakespeare is known as one of the best tragedies in the world. It was written at the beginning of the 17th century but still remains on stage. This means that it is successful and interesting to modern spectators. The story of the King, the powerful man, who wanted to be loved for his accomplishments by his family and friends, retire in calmness and die in the circle of beloved daughters. Instead, the King gone mad because of shame and sorrow. Members of his family die. However, the strong dramatic effect of the play ...

Life

Mysterious, comprehensible
Challenging, conceiving, creating
Accomplishment, triumph, miscreation, tragedy
Avenging, destroying, retrogressing
Painful, regretful
Death
This poem is based on the character of Victor Frankenstein in his quest to create life. Frankenstein attempts to play God. However, he succeeds not in creating a life that is truly human but rather in a monster full of evil that destroys him and his family. His accomplishment turns out to be a great tragedy. His life becomes a continuous chase to find the monster so he could destroy it. It turns out that the monster is also chasing Frankenstein and ...

Classic English Literature

Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” was first published in a poetry magazine in 1915. Later Eliot published other poems in the 20th century for which he was awarded The Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. This poem, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” is a contemporary poem because it was written when Britain was considered among the modern countries of the world. This was before the beginning of World War I. It is narrated in a dramatic monologue where we find the speaker very unhappy and in mental agony. The poem became a master piece because its ...

King Lear follows the story of the titular character Lear, an elderly king who wishes to give up his power, and attempts to divide his lands among his three daughters. However, a series of unfortunate and capricious events, brought on primarily by Lear's own vanity and anger, lead him to slowly descend into madness, pushing away his three daughters. The show turns into a bloodbath, with all three daughters and Lear dead at the end of it, with many deaths stemming from jealousy, capriciousness and futile competition among military leaders. The play, however, demonstrates Lear's journey as the end result of ...

Psychology

Parental death in childhood is a traumatic experience for any child. Each child handles the passing of a parent differently and the ability to experience normal grief can depend on experiences before the death. Some children need no professional help after the death and seem to handle the tragedy by the normal grief process. Others have problems with depression or anxiety in the short-term; some children ‘act out’ with inappropriate behavior. The long-term consequences of the loss of a parent in childhood can be very strong; so strong that the consequences may be carried on into adulthood.

The intensity of the impact of childhood ...

Shakespeare’s times are historically referred to as the Elizabethan period. During this time, people of different races lived in England and the relations between the English people and foreigners were quite complex. Foreigners were alienated from the mainstream society and this led to their destruction. One of the factors that influenced the complex relations between Englishmen and foreigners is the issue of Skin colour. Race was used to substitute social systems with new social hierarchies created certain attitudes towards the foreigners. This means that Elizabethan England was highly racist and had prejudicial ideologies that led to the formation ...