Essays on Throughout The Play

Even if Macbeth and the Tell-Tale Heart, penned by Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe respectively, were written centuries apart, it’s the common theme of guilt expressed so well in the latter that helps us imagine Lady Macbeth’s state of mind (Deighton). In particular, it is the pangs of guilt that she suffers from throughout the play after coercing her husband to commit regicide - to kill King Duncan - who consider Macbeth to be an ally and friend. In the Tell-Tale Heart, the killer suffers from delusions after committing the deed in killing the old man and ...

The Mendelsohn elements, in theory, include portal quest, immersive, intrusion and liminal that helps in classifying the antagonists in the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘The Midsummer Night's Dream.' The protagonists and antagonists from both pieces of fantasy literature have various character traits that are similar and different. Fantasy literature has been used to refer to an imaginary universe that uses magic as well as other supernatural elements. Therefore, the authors have created the characters according to imaginary creatures to fit the overall genre of the story. In most fantasy literature stories, there is a happy ending for the protagonist ...

This paper will conduct a literary analysis of Macbeth. The main purpose of the research is to examine the moral and ethical issues present in the play. In particular, the research examines different aspects of characterization, setting, and imagery in order to provide an in-depth understanding of the ethical and moral issues that surround Macbeth’s plot. From the play, it is clear that Shakespeare uses characterization to depict moral and ethical dilemmas in the play. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are both unethical characters in the play since they are engaged in a number of murders and executions that ...

According to Aristotle a tragic flaw is when the hero has a flaw in his/her judgment or personality that causes them to commit acts that will lead them to disaster (Froula). In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare the titular character of Hamlet has a number of tragic flaws. His biggest flaw is the fact that he thinks that he is cleverer than he actually is. Hamlet’s second tragic flaw is his indecisiveness and failure to act. Even though he has been told by the ghost of his dead father that "The serpent that did sting thy father's ...

Throughout the play, Medea is a varied character who attains numerous characteristics compared to women of his times. She, therefore, received different treatment from the society. Why was she a different being? One, Medea was obsessed with supernatural powers, a trait that made her so unique and distinct. Nonetheless, she was unscrupulous, spiteful, and compelled with retaliation. Because of the daily encounters in her life experiences, the situations that arose could have been thought to have played a critical role in shaping certain characteristics and actions by Medea. Most people were scared of her, including the males in the ...

Final Project – The Removalists

David Williamson’s 1971 Australian play The Removalists revolves around the story of a pair of police officers, Constable Neville Ross and Sergeant Dan Simmonds, and their investigation of a domestic assault charge placed by Fiona and Kate against Fiona’s husband Kenny in a Melbourne suburb in the 1970s. Through a tremendously realistic style and deeply complex exploration of the themes of violence, treatment of women and police brutality, The Removalists manages to create a uniquely compelling portrait of 1970s Australian life and its changing social norms, as well as the universal capacity for human beings to inflict ...

Play Review

Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to take in a showing of the play, “In the Time of Butterflies. Written by talented playwright, Caridad Svich, the performers and all involved did a splendid job bring the ideas of the play to life. Though butterflies are not known for their ability to stay in one place for long, the memory of the play will live for a very long time in my mind’s eye. “In the Time of Butterflies,” is actually a stage translation of a novel written in 1994 by Julia Alvarez. The novel, sharing the same ...

The Haunting of the Hill House Shirley Jackson

“The journey itself was her positive action, her destination vague, unimagined, perhaps nonexistent (Jackson 1.49)” The car journey to the haunted house means a lot more than just a road trip. She defies her sister’s rule about taking the family car and going to Hill House and gets out to be on her own after a long time. Eleanor lives a repressed life even after the death of her mother curtailed by her family who smother her and refuse to let her grow up. This act of defiance and the car ride gives Eleanor a sense of freedom. ...

Donovan’s Charge and Fences are two plays that are written in completely different time periods—arguably, for two very different audiences. The topic of race and the discussion and discourse surrounding race are different today than they were when Wilson wrote his landmark play Fences. However, despite the fact that these plays were written in different times, there are still common themes that remain the same throughout both plays. Most notably, the conflict between pragmatism and morality runs strongly through both plays. In Fences, Wlison’s characters Troy and Rose face the world very differently. Rose is the ...

Shakespeare’ “King Henry IV, Part One” looks at the theme of the relationship that exists between a father and his son. The two major characters in the play, Prince Hal and Hotspur, are youthful characters and future leaders in their own right. Both characters encounter father-figures who influence their future actions. Prince Hal’s relationship with his father, Henry IV and Falstaff relationship with the Earl of Worchester and the Earl of Northumberland reflect the different ways that these father-figures impact on the lives of these youthful characters. Throughout the play, Falstaff’s reveling and drinking shows that he ...

Introduction

Thesis Statement: A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a place about how conflict brings about radical change in a person’s identity.

Change

In the play, the woods represents “radical change” The Marriage scene represents the authority of the parents to enforce identity on their children The characters enter the woods as one person, and through conflict, emerge out of the woods changed forever. Hermia’s Radical Change Helena’s Radical Change Lysander’s Radical Change Demetrius’s Radical Change Demetrius Goes from Prescribed Groom to Lover of the Unrequited Conclusion A Midsummer ...

Arthur Mills is a famous author who has capability to attract the peculiar feelings of the every reader who enjoys reading books and wish to feel author’s illustration power. The play Death of a Salesman written by Arthur Miller in the Aristotelian sense is a classic tragedy. It brings empty capitalism’s promises, the American dreams materialistic version and a sense of capitalism critique. It is a tragic play written by Arthur Miller. It is commonly known as the first tragedy of Modern American society. It is based on the foundations, values and moral principles of the American society by utilizing the American ...

- Thesis statement In the measure, life is two-faced, and those who live it are inevitably so. The play tries to imply that ambivalence is an unavoidable part of being human. - Plot Disturbed by the behavior of his people, Duke Vincentio thinks that enough is enough and puts deputy Angelo in charge of enforcing the laws at Vienna while he is away “on business”. While Angelo is in charge, he sentences Claudio for fornicating with his girlfriend whom he intends to marry and wants to behead Claudio to make an example of him. The plot ...

- Introduction When literature is translated onto a stage, it becomes a play; it takes on a facet of reality that merely reading the words does not bring to the reader. Not every story translates perfectly into the medium of the play; plays have to have a lot of interaction between characters and environments to translate properly into theatre. Although there are certainly plays where not much happens, these plays are few and far between; most plays focus on the relationships between characters and their environments-- including the other characters that are present in the play. In theatre, the actors are ...

What Hamlet Has Changed and What We Learn From Hamlet and Hamlet the Play by William Shakespeare

Information Hamlet Learns Concerning Events in Denmark Hamlet learns about various events in Denmark and finds out more information concerning his family, friends, reality, and appearances, balancing thoughts, loyalty, polities, and love. The new information that Hamlet learns becomes essential in his life and influences his perception and conception about various aspects in life. Hamlet realizes that Denmark is filled with corruption and is on the verge of destruction. He finds out that ruthless scheming by many people starting with the palace, and royal treason troubles Denmark.

Family

Hamlet learns significant information concerning his family. First, he finds out ...

The play “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles begins with Oedipus the king explaining his concern about his citizens thus: “My zeal in your behalf ye cannot doubt; Ruthless indeed were I and obdurate, If such petitioners as you I spurned” (11-15). These lines clearly establish the fact that Oedipus is a good king and looks after his kingdom, Thebes, quite well. However, this is not enough. No matter how well Oedipus governs his kingdom or how valiant he is, tragedy befalls Oedipus through what can be said as “Hamartia”. Hamartia or tragic flaw is what brings down a great character and ...

Introduction

‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ is a luminous piece of literary work by German author Bertolt Brecht. This play is considered to be one of the greatest anti war plays of all times. The author has presented some very relevant issues in his novel. The novel was written a long time ago but is still acclaimed for its expressive views on wars and its repercussions. Brecht raises questions on the necessity and morality of fighting wars in his play. This paper aims to propose a discussion on the play, ‘Mother Courage and Her Children’ and further presents an analysis of the novel.

Background

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The “Importance of Being Earnest” written by Oscar Wilde is a ridiculous comedy whose protagonist as depicted in this play maintains a fabricated personality as a way of breaking away from onerous social obligations (Thacker 21). Apparently, throughout this play, Oscar Wilde the writer of this play makes apparent the themes of the play using appropriate and effective styles to capture the audience attention. Considering that man themes are brought to light in this essay, this essay will essentially analyse the major themes that are well established throughout the play. Manners and sincerity is a theme that is well brought to light ...

Psychology of King Lear

Introduction It is adamant that the psychology of King Lear is quite disturbing in many ways throughout the play. He struggles with his own thoughts of conspicuous thoughts and ravages around the kingdom with a delusion of who his daughter is and who his servant is as well as how his family is implicated in the kingdom and how he sees his family being implicated in the kingdom . Therefore, it is reasonable to say that King Lear is psychotic or, in other words, mad in his own way and since he is aging, the mental illness he suffers from ...

“Othello” is one of Shakespeare’s most intense plays and reflects the Aristotelian ideas of the perfect tragedy. According to Aristotle, “A tragedy is the imitation of an action that is serious,” (From Poetics, p.1). In addition, the tragedy has a “magnitude [that is] complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language [and] in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear,” (From Poetics, p.1). In other words, an outstanding tragedy looks at a single issue that is very important in the play and allows the reader to feel pity and fear for the hero as he heads ...

In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the young king Oedipus must deal with demons from his past and the uncertain nature of his future, as he learns the fate of the previous king and the ways in inextricably ties with his own parentage (and marriage to the former king’s bride). Oedipus Rex, being a tragedy, deals primarily with the phenomenon of dramatic irony, in which the main character does not know things that will inexorably change their point of view once they know it. Oedipus is directly contrasted with the prophet Tiresias, who is without eyesight but has a much better sense ...

Death of a salesman is a play where Willy Lowman spends most of his time on the road as a salesman. He did his job as directed, and manages to purchase mortgage from his sales. He is also trying to raise his two kids and a wife, as he struggles to attain The American Dream. A raisin in the sun portrays a few weeks of an African -American family, the Youngers in the 1950’s and live in the Southside of Chicago. In Death of a salesman the character Willy shows money is everything, because everything that is happening around him revolves around money. ...

The Review of the Melancholy Play

Recently, I experienced a humorous play by Sarah Ruhl namely Melancholy Play. The set was played in Erie, PA with cast member culturally-oriented attires. The play represents societal perceptions and outlooks along the line of personal identification. The inner-being of the actors is outwardly reflected trough emotions, which introduces societal-labelling and understanding of one’s behaviour. The Melancholy play is a creation of two major parts with fourteen break-up scenes. The play revolves around presenting the humorous inner-emotions of actors, which dictates their behaviour. The paper reviews the play in relation to character presentation, style and overall communication to the audience. ...

(Student’s Name) (Instructor’s Name)

" Hamlet is a coarse and barbarous play.One might think the product is a work of a drunken savage's imagination."—Voltaire <http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-quotes-about.htm> After being considered to be Shakespeare's well-known, most popular and most loved play for some time, many persons would tend to disagree with Voltaire's quote. It can be assumed that Hamlet has retained its popularity for a decent period of time because it deals with very topical and interesting issues. As it relates specifically to Act 1, Scene 2, many critics dispute the significance of this scene to the overall development of the ...

The play “The Glass Menagerie” presents the memories drawn from Tom Wingfeild, the narrator and protagonist of Tennessee Williams. The play is significant in literature application since it covers the fundamental aspects of life in the society. In the play, Tom and his sister Laura struggles with their mother to make things work. They are subjected to severe challenges in coping up with life mainly because the society is generally unfavorable to allow women flourish in their day to day endeavors. Based on the feminist criticism, this paper will analyze the play to find the various aspects of misogyny ...

Overview and analysis of Shakespeare and King Lear

William Shakespeare, the most famous and celebrated English poet, has been known to the world over the past 400 and more years, and yet had remained a mystery throughout this time. Many researchers and historians have undertaken the task of writing his biography, and still it is not well known. The reason for this is that the facts about Shakespeare's personal life have been drawn from two types of sources, the first one referring to official documentation, which in the time of his life was restricted to court and church records, while the second is his rich opus. Indeed, according ...

Introduction

King Leah is a play written by shake spear. The play consists of three female characters who are Goneril, Regan and cordelia. These are the daughters of King Leah. As Leah nears to his retirement, his decides to divide his power among his three daughters based on their love for the king (Danby, 21). The king loves his daughters very much but she loved the youngest more the other two. The king expected the same love from his daughters in return of his love towards them. Although he loves the youngest daughter Cordelia very much, this daughter does not ...

Nick Bottom plays a very prominent role in William Shakespeare’s ‘A midsummer night’s dream’. This world famous play has a unique character, Nick Bottom. Nick is very humorous and keeps amusing audiences throughout the play. He has an amazing sense of humor which is witty, naughty and subtle and. Nick proves his significance in various scenes of the play through his comic skills. This paper intends to discuss Nick Bottom, his relations with other characters of the play, some special plans for him and several other related aspects of the subject matter. Nick Bottom plays a character of weaver ...

William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is a wonderful example of strong characters who felt oppressed by the society in which they lived. Not only did they pursue their love, but also stood up against societal roles. Despite the restrictions they faced as a result of master/ servant relationships, they were determined to achieve their goals. Gender confusion is prevalent within this play. Viola, pretending to be a man, falls in love with Orsino but can’t profess her feelings because of her act. Olivia, though adored by Orsino, falls in love with Viola who she thinks is a man. This ongoing confusion is ...

If one could use one word to summarize “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” it would have to be “love.” Love is displayed with all its trials, triumphs, and heartbreak. We see two ill-fated crushes with Helena and Hermia, neither of which is free to act upon them. When Puck steps in with his love potion, we see how love causes insanity and chaos, much like a drug. Relentlessly the two pursue their loves to the dismay of the men. This insanity is apparent in Helena's quote "The more you beat me, I will fawn on you" (Shakespeare, 205). Eventually we ...

Othello, considered as one of the most painful Shakespearean tragedies (Bradley 176), is a fine demonstrator of a man’s mental vulnerability when temptation begins to penetrate his mind, blurring his judgment. In the book Shakespearean Tragedy, Othello is not only a noble hero who is brought down by fatal jealousy, perhaps, because he has married before his time “But, I pray you, sir, Are you fast married? (II, 10-12), according to Iago, but also a protagonist of domestic tragedy that is characterized by repetitive themes, such as love and hate, intrigue and jealousy, revenge and suspicion, self-interest, racism and judgment (Hunt 55). ...

Hansberry’s famous play “A Raisin in the Sun” premiered to an enthusiastic crowd on Broadway in 1959. The play was timely, as it premiered amidst the growing tension regarding the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, and it dealt extensively with many of the issues that black families faced in the United States at that time. However, race is not the only important thematic idea that Hansberry’s famous play dealt with; inequality between genders, classes, and even generations is examined extensively throughout the play. Within “A Raisin in the Sun,” the issues of gender and racial ...

The play Henry V is one of William Shakespeare’s greatest works of historical fiction. The play is the fourth in a series, meaning that the audience had a good understanding of the characters and the backstory of the play before it even began; because of this, the thematic ideas and the emotionally-charged storyline could be examined thoroughly with only cursory attention paid to the development of the scene and the characters. Henry V tells the story of King Henry V and the problems he faced as he took up the role of King of England. Leadership is one of the ...

Humans are known to adapt to different circumstances in terms of personality over and over again. There are so many factors that influence this and one of them is the environment in which one finds himself or herself in. William Shakespeare in his play, Othello, creates the character Othello as an individual who changes throughout the play. Othello passes off a tragic hero by virtue of what he goes through throughout the play. It is therefore imperative to look at him as a character that embodies very many aspects among them a person characterized by so many flaws, good and at least a ...

The Importance of Being Earnest, a play by Oscar Wilde, is often considered a classic, and ahead of its time in terms of social commentary. The play, a comedy of errors in which people put on fictitious personalities to get what they want, touches on the triviality of Victorian culture and the institution of marriage, among other things. Wilde's work delights in its ravaging of the continental lifestyle that many rich people in the Victorian era experienced, the play does not reach to the point of moralizing, or providing solutions or lessons to be learned from the work. Instead, the play is ...

In “A Doll’s House” written by Henrik Ibsen is a play about women’s roles in society in the 19th century.The book reflects the exploitation of the poor and the weak by the rich that is a mirror image of man, woman, the poor and the rich. It is therefore worth noting that the Ibsen’s believes have been narrate throughout the play. This play is the emancipation of women from the ancient regime in that society. A Doll House represents a woman who is struggling to be independent; however, she is unable because of the society culture, which recognizes men ...

Blindness and insight is a repetitive theme in William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, King Lear. Shakespeare primarily uses the characters of King Lear and Earl of Gloucester as a means of depicting this theme. Although Lear is not physically blind, but the lack of guidance, intelligence, and insight in a sense blinds him. On the other hand, Gloucester loses his sight but in turn gains the insightful vision that Lear does not possess. It is apparent from the two characters that clear vision and insight are not derived entirely from physical sight. The lack of insight despite having physical sight is what causes ...

In “A Doll House” written by Henrik Ibsen is a play about women’s roles in society in the 19th century. The book examines the exploitation of the poor and the weak by the rich. It is a mirror image of what Marxists wrote about the capitalistic class exploiting the poor. It is therefore worth noting that the Marxist’s believes have been spread throughout the play. It is important to note that Nora’s thinking and her outlook is dominated completely by her material wealth and financial conditions. For instance, at the beginning of the play, we can see ...

Shakespeare was a master at encompassing all aspects of love within his works. He is able to show the wide emotional range that transcends time and cultures. His depiction of love ranges from humorous to tragic. By looking at the vast examples of love within the works of William Shakespeare one can gain a better understanding of how love is relevant within our own lives.

The Concept of Love in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

If one could use one word to summarize “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” it would have to be “love.” Love is displayed with all its trials, triumphs, and heartbreak. We see two ill-fated crushes with Helena ...

William Shakespeare often examines questions of morality within his works. In “Twelfth Night” and “Measure for Measure” he uses the themes of lies and deceit to examine character motivations and question societies understanding of morality. By examining these two works, one can gain a better understanding of how deceit can result in diverse outcomes.

Lies and Deceit in “Twelfth Night”

William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is a strong example of how lies and deceit can get out of hand to the detriment of the liar. Deceit about gender is prevalent within this play. Viola, pretending to be a man, falls in love with Orsino but can’t profess ...

The taming of the Shrew is a play written by William Shakespeare. The play depicts the general roles of men and women in the seventeenth century. The play focuses mainly on the character and relationship between Kate and Petruchio who are male and female who oppose each other. In the play, Petruchio must be able to tame Kate his wife who is the untamed shrew in the play without breaking her inner spirit. Katharina was always placed second by the father over her sister Bianca’s and through this her anger made her to be a woman who could not be ...

“Medea” and “Twelfth Night” are all examples of how the role of women has changed throughout society. Women in these plays stood up against oppression and took their lives into their own hands. These works offer insight into the strength of women characters and the struggle for women’s rights in today’s society.

The Role of Women in Medea

If one line could describe the play, it would be 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. Ideas about complex relationships remain the theme of the play. The plot revolved around Medea who is credited with helping Jason retrieve the Golden Fleece and portrayed as a ...

Expressionism was a literary and performance style of theatre that came to prominence in the early part of the twentieth century. It began in Germany as an artistic movement, but the ideas that made up the foundation of this style quickly traveled across Europe and to the United States (Packard 169). Sophie Treadwell was a working journalist and playwright in the United States in the 1920s, and wrote what is arguably her most famous play, Machinal, in 1928. The plot of Machinal was based on a murder case that she was reporting on at the time, and revolved around a young woman that ...

Margaret Edson’s play, Wit is an incredibly moving and yet funny play. In the opening scene, we are introduced to Dr. Vivian Bearing. She is an English professor specializing in the works of John Donne, and she is diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. Vivian tells the audience, “There is no stage five” (Edson 12). Vivian knows from the first moments of the play that she is going to die. In fact, she tells the audience as much within the first few pages: “It is not my intention to give away the plot; but I think I die ...

Lorraine Hansberry’s renowned play A Raisin in the Sun is a potent narrative of what it meant to be an African-American in the United States during the 1950s of the previous century. Every member of the Younger family has his own individual dream, whether it is Beneatha’s desire to become a doctor or Walter’s need to have money in order to provide for his family as the only man the Younger women can lean on, but they all go about attaining this dream in different ways. Like most other characters in the play, Walter feels trapped by his ...

Introduction

The Tempest is a play that was written by Shakespeare. When this play was written, it was not instantaneously known as the work of post-colonial theatre as know today. However, after a careful look at the native island such as Caliban conflicting with settlers like Prospero, it is clear that there are features of post-colonialism that run throughout the play. This paper will explore some of the elements of the post-colonialism presented in The Tempest. Some of these elements that the paper shall exclusively look at include Prospero declaring himself as a leader of a strange island.

Discussion

On reading the tempest book, it ...

Back in the 1980s, there lived a man but this man did not look like you and me. This man did not look like a man at all, he looked like an Elephant. Everyone faces trials in their lives, but few could be as difficult as that were handled by John Merrick “The Elephant Man.” The 1977 play, The Elephant Man by Bernard Pomerance that tells the story of John Merrick, is a show that tells about a man with severe physical deformities, but much larger questions are raised by the play as well. The Elephant Man does not just examine Merrick’s ...

Analysis of the play: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

On the 20th of September 2012, the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis presented a show on the play “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”. The intent of this paper is to provide an analysis of the play as it was shown on that day. In this play about political satires; a youthful character displays his political ambitions. Throughout the play, the youth reveals his desire to be the seventh American president. Some of his manifestos are to expand the territory of America and excommunicate Indians in America respectively.

Identify who the story centers around. What does he/she want? (Goal) Do they succeed?

The story centers on Jackson whose love for his country cannot be compromised. For example, ...

In the previous chapter we have shown how the alienation pervades both of the plays thematically. The present chapter concerns with the stylistic devices which are used by Arthur Miller and Samuel Beckett to support the thematic preoccupation. Since we are concerned with the study of drama, we judge important to include an examination of the stagecraft; that is to say the technical aspects of the two plays. The most important point to insist on is that Death of a Salesman and Waiting for Godot belong to two different, if not opposed, theatrical movements - Realism and Absurdism, respectively. As a ...

Analysis of Shakespearean Plays

Ethnicity is often a source of conflict in most aspects of society; Victorian era notwithstanding. This is evident in two of Shakespeare’s dark characters (pun not intended) Aaron in Titus Andronicus and Othello. Considering the context of racial discrimination during this time, it may be safely assumed that both characters suffered prejudiced treatment. However, the use of ethnicity as a plot device differed with these two characters. One is used literally to show the racial discrimination suffered by the character and trigger the consequences that followed while the latter is a figurative representation of abstract ideas.

In the play of Titus ...

For centuries, scholars have been trying to figure out if Hamlet was insane, sane but acting insane, or sane at times time and insane at others. Einstein held the opinion that insanity is a sane reaction to an insane world and Hamlet definitely lived in an insane world. His uncle killed his father so he could seize the throne, then he married Hamlet’s mother Queen Gertrude. Then Ophelia kills herself. This behavior is not part of mundane day to day life, not even in a royal family or on reality TV. It is enough to drive a man insane. However, acting ...

The central character of Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman, is a washed-up, depressed, pessimistic man who always wanted to be bigger than he was. Completely miserable with his work, and disappointed with his family and himself, Willy projects his expectations for his family onto his son Biff. This has disastrous consequences for both his family and himself. Willy Loman kills himself in order to give something back to his son, Biff, because of the disastrous relationship that they had as a result of Willy's own failed sense of success.

Willy Loman, at the end of the play, commits suicide by crashing ...

A Thin Line Between Justice and Fear: An Exploration of Hamlet’s Inaction In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, there are many situations that make the reader wonder why Hamlet doesn’t take action in a timely manner. Hamlet seems to struggle with taking action due to moral and religious reasons. Aside from constantly thinking and considering things, he is also clever in coming up with excuses not to act. Because of this, Hamlet is not able to fulfill his father’s wish of being avenged. It can be argued that Hamlet is a coward, which Hamlet himself proves from ...

William Shakespeare’s The Tempest is considered one of his most artistic plays, offering visions of magic and illusion on an enchanted island far, far away, with a tinge of fairy-tale like quality, resulting in a spectacle no reader stays immune to. By utilizing different sounds, natural or unnatural noises and music, Shakespeare created a haunting, hypnotic atmosphere where nothing is as it seems, where the events unfold in a dream-like haze in an effort to truthfully portray the magical reality of Prospero’s enchanted island. He utilizes sound and silence as tools for controlling those around him, such as his magical servant ...

13 June 2011

Is Othello a play about race?

The question of race in Shakespeare’s Othello is a difficult one to answer because on one level of reading, the play is entirely based around Othello’s Moor status whereas, on another level, the play is entirely based around Iago’s manipulation of the other characters and Othello’s race no longer becomes particularly prevalent. However, for the purposes of this essay, we will review how Othello’s race is presented throughout the play and how the other characters handle this status. In particular, it is important to discuss the repeated references to Othello’s colour ...

Is Henry V a Patriotic Play?

Shakespeare is renowned for writing historical plays about an assortment of England’s monarchs. Invariably, these plays focus on a key aspect of the monarch’s reign – invariably, this is a war. In Henry V, the play tells the story of events that happen before and after the Battle of Agincourt. For many, wars represent a sense of patriotism – a pride in his’ country. In Henry V, it is fair to assume that the majority of audiences would have reacted proudly to the play. Arguably, the most important aspect of this play is its patriotic view of the battle as demonstrated through the ...

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the central conflict which is pivotal to the plot is the question of trust between friends and enemies alike. A key example of this is in the opening scene when Iago begins to manipulate the emotions of several key characters by revealing the secret elopement of Desdemona and Othello: “Your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs.” (Act 1, scene 1). This reveal enables the rest of the plot to unfold in which Iago orchestrates an imagined affair which ultimately causes Othello to murder his beloved Desdemona. Trust is a theme ...

The presentation of love throughout Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is as a concept that brings a lot of upset and hurt to the characters. As a romantic comedy, this plot is immediately juxtaposed with the genre as you would expect there to be a greater amount of joy and happiness in a comedy. Many of the characters consider love to be something which is imposed upon them; something that they do not wish to have to endure because of its inevitable heartbreak.

It is Orsino’s opening line, “If music be the food of love, play on” (Twelfth Night 1. 1. 1) that sets ...