Category: Shakespeare, William

“The fearful passage of their death marked love” Even from the beginning of the play we know that the lovers are doomed to be struck by tragedy but to what extent is Romeo a tragic hero? Is he even one at all? In this essay, I will explore the reasons . . . Read more

Baz Luhrman has updated the screenplay of Romeo and Juliet. The scene is placed in America what is perfect for this screenplay. This screenplay suits America as it has a very violent place. Caused by gang warfare and guns being legal. Romeo and Juliet, it has a lot of sword . . . Read more

The first tragedy plays were written and performed by the Athenians in Greece. During that time, gods and religion were very important in Athenians’ lives and so the plays usually revolved around stories about Gods and people of high status such as kings. In the play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, the . . . Read more

“Romeo & Juliet” is a play that especially shows the hatred of two Italian households. In this essay, I will write about the contrasts and oppositions in the play. The essay will mainly be based on the contrasts of love versus hate, light versus dark, night versus day and true . . . Read more

Baz Luhrmann uses a combination of lighting, props, costumes, facial expressions, sound, music and a variety of camera shots, in the film Romeo and Juliet, to create atmosphere and develop character. These techniques can influence audiences who may interpret it in different ways. Focusing on the environment of the scenes . . . Read more

In the times when Sophocles wrote the tragic play Antigone, men believed that they were superior to women. Ismene, Antigone s sister, acknowledged this belief when she stated, Remind ourselves that we are women, and as such are not made to fight with men….it s madness to meddle ( The . . . Read more

Throughout history, there have been many deaths caused by love. In the famous play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, the deaths of star-crossed lovers can be blamed on many people. Romeo starts off madly in love with Rosaline but becomes depressed because Rosaline did not love him back. . . . Read more

The relationship is the key subject throughout the whole play. I agree with the statement of ‘Claudio and hero may be the young lovers but Beatrice and Benedick are much more appealing.’ As a comedy, it is known in Shakespeare’s time to have misunderstandings, confusion and end in a wedding . . . Read more

In Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” the mortal teenage characters fall in love foolishly, and the character Bottom states, “O what fools these mortals be”. They are foolish because they act like children. Although Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena appear grown-up, when they are in love they act foolishly. The . . . Read more

Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear is a detailed description of the consequences of one man’s decisions. This fictitious man is Lear, King of England, who’s decisions greatly alter his life and the lives of those around him. As Lear bears the status of King he is, as one expects, a man . . . Read more

In Shakespeare’s comedy, “The Taming of the Shrew,” one of the main ways that the theme is shown is by mistaken identity. The main theme of this play is that what a person is really like is more important than how they appear to be. This is shown by Petruchio’s . . . Read more

William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No other writer’s plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as . . . Read more

This paper discusses specific questions about the way in which Shakespeare handles sexuality in this, one of his darkest comedies. (5.5 pages; 1 source; endnotes) Introduction “Measure for Measure” is one of Shakespeare’s “problem” plays. It’s the last of his comedies, and a very dark “comedy” it is too, particularly . . . Read more

This paper discusses the way in which Shakespeare uses nature in the two plays, and argues that the moor and the storm is the place to go to escape back to nature. (5.5.pages; 2 sources; endnotes) Introduction Shakespeare makes greater use of Nature in both “King Lear” and “The Winter’s . . . Read more

This paper examines Shakespeare’s use of the word/concept “wholeness” in the first act of this play. (4 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style. Introduction Shakespeare is still read and performed because his insights into human nature were profound and true. His psychological ability is matched by his linguistic talent: he . . . Read more

This paper examines Shakespeare’s use of the word/concept “wholeness” in the second act of this play. (4 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style. Introduction Shakespeare wrote two plays that deal, in essence, with the maturation of a young man from a rogue into a king. Prince Hal who “hangs out” . . . Read more

The Jews were a group of proud people who were unfortunately discriminated against, humiliated and harassed by Christians mainly during the Middle Ages. Hostility or injustice directed at Jews is called anti – Semitism. There were many examples of anti – Semitism, including a famous playwright called William Shakespeare who . . . Read more

Love and politics are two themes central to the story of Antony and Cleopatra.’ Antony, the hero of the tragedy, is seen as a man caught between two worlds- the fantasy microcosm of Alexandria, and the titanic responsibilities and honours of the triumvirate, whilst his lover Cleopatra is the ruler . . . Read more

William Shakespeare’s tragedies are often gripping plays with bloody endings that leave the audiences and readers breathless. Set in places like Rome, Venice, and even Denmark; these tragedies tend to end with all the cards lying on the table, or in other words, all the main characters are dead. Not . . . Read more

One of the 20ths century’s questionably greatest poets and writers Maya Angelou has said, “Blindness is a disease that does not affect the eyes alone.” As some truths of human nature defy time and technology, the reality of this existed even in the Elizabethan era. Whether one agrees or disagrees . . . Read more

Shakespeare, William (1564-1616), an English playwright and poet, was and is recognized as the worlds greatest of all dramatists. Scholars have written thousands of books and articles about his shrewd plots, intriguing characters, astounding themes, and defining language. He is the most widely quoted author in history, and his plays . . . Read more

Throughout both “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Midsummer’s Night Dream,” much jealousy is demonstrated. Not only do Claudio, in “Much Ado About Nothing,” and Oberon in “Midsummer’s Night Dream” become jealous of the woman they love, but they actually will succumb to revenge, embarrassment and rage to try to overcome . . . Read more

Most of the 127 sonnets Shakespeare wrote to one of his close male friends are united by the theme of the overwhelming, destructive power of time, and the counterbalancing power of love and poetry to create and preserve beauty. Sonnet 73 is no different, but it does present an intriguing . . . Read more

Shakespeare uses counterpoint throughout Twelfth Night to create an interesting story that captures the reader’s attention. Counterpoint is a technique that incorporates multiple scenes happening simultaneously. These several scenes come together at the end of the work to produce a harmonious finish to an action-packed and appealing plot. In the . . . Read more

William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and A Midsummer Night’s Dream are two comedies. A comedy is a “drama that provokes laughter at human behaviour, usually involves romantic love, and usually has a happy ending” (Boyce 119). While both plays have romance and happy endings, they differ in the mood . . . Read more

King Lear, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic tale of filial conflict, personal transformation, and loss. The story revolves around the King who foolishly alienates his only truly devoted daughter and realizes too late the true nature of his other two daughters. A major subplot involves the illegitimate son of . . . Read more

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper illustrates the reality of men’s dominance over women’s lives in Victorian Society. The husband, John, treats his wife, the unnamed narrator, as a petty and trivial person and stresses his superiority over her. John belittles his wife by calling her such names as “little . . . Read more

The life of William Shakespeare, unquestionably the world’s most renowned playwright and poet, is based mostly on conjecture and inference, with the exception of documented facts acquired from his works, and surviving church and legal documents. Although the actual date of William Shakespeare’s birth was never recorded, accounts from Holy . . . Read more

People are jealous of others’ success, others’ looks, and even others’ race. Tragic playwright William Shakespeare proves, in immense detail, just how far jealousy can drive a human being. His tragic play Othello, encases this statement made by critical essayist D.R. Godfrey, “Jealousy, once awakened, becomes self-perpetuating, self-intensifying, and where . . . Read more

Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon, pays a visit to Leonata, the governor of Messina while returning from a victorious campaign against his rebellious brother, Don John. Accompanying him are two of his officers, Benedick and Claudio. While in Messina, Claudio falls for Leonato’s daughter, Hero; Benedick verbally spars with Beatrice, . . . Read more

King Lear is one of the famous plays of Shakespeare. Its development of the plot, the mood and the character of Lear through the play made the audiences enjoy the play. The play cannot be successful without the contribution of the secondary characters. By looking at the development of the . . . Read more

“Et tu Brute?” Caesar’s simple statement sums up Brutus’ round character in the development of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Brutus was thought no threat and an ingenious right-hand man due to his nobility and his loyalty; however, these qualities are precisely why the story is such a catastrophe. What . . . Read more

Throughout Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” fantasy does more than reality in curbing a character’s decisions. Nearly all realities change following the story’s climax due to fantasy replacing reality. The love between Ferdinand and Miranda is the only relationship in the work not totally reliant upon magic for its existence. Prospero’s fake . . . Read more

Shylock is the devil in the Merchant of Venice and wants revenge on the Christian, Antonio. Shylock attempts to kill Antonio because he is a Christian. Shylock is a murderer and he hated all the Christian people. “Shylock is a villain.” (258;Stoll). Stoll says that Shylock is the villain in . . . Read more

Although this play is 600 years old it is as relevant today as it was when it was written maybe not in historical factual terms but in terms of the human qualities which are shown in the characters. Yes, it is very much relevant. Human personality has not changed in . . . Read more

Many scholars consider ‘King Lear’ one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. This is because of its power; it tackles all issues and is still relevant today to the extent that it has been called “Shakespeare’s play for the 20th century”. ‘King Lear’ is cathartic and a discouragingly accurate portrayal of human . . . Read more

Throughout history novelists and playwrights have to create dysfunctional families. These families lead tragic lives. Within these families, there are both internal and external battles to be dealt with. In William Shakespeare’s King Lear and Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, the authors reveal truly dysfunctional families. In these . . . Read more

The literary tool known as mirroring helps to emphasize a particular point or idea by repeating it throughout the text. In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Shakespeare mirrors the element of foolishness to bring together three very different worlds; the romantic world of the aristocratic lovers, the workday world . . . Read more

Traditional classifications of drama normally started with the basic distinction between tragedy and comedy, a separation common in Greek and Roman drama, and clearly established by Shakespeare’s time. Of these two styles, the easiest to define initially was the former. The tragedy was understood as the dramatic portrayal of a . . . Read more

Evil plays a predominant part in ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare. Evil is evident throughout the play, albeit more obviously in Macbeth and his wife, in the witches or in other, less blatant, underlying instances. Macbeth, I feel, is relatively unsullied at the start of the play. He seems suited to . . . Read more

Comedy or tragedy that is the question, Shakespeare has written more than a hand full of plays. People consider Shakespeare as a sad person that always wrote tragedies, but A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the other hand is not a tragedy. It is without a shadow of a doubt a . . . Read more

Many twists and turns characterize the television soap operas of today. Subplots are a distinctive trait of these daylight dramas, for they keep an audience on the edge of their seats. Subplots keep the material fresh and the audience wanting more. Shakespeare uses secondary plots as a literary device to . . . Read more

Introduction Characters have always been and still are the focal point of every play. This is not surprising, since it is they who make up the whole story. Judging by the way they talk and gesticulate, they do not only determine their own personality but also develop the plot, the . . . Read more

“Every person important to the action is thrust into an unnatural way of life.” In King Lear, written by William Shakespeare, this quote was very accurate. King Lear and Gloucester, both main characters in the play, were thrust into a life that was unfamiliar and caused both to react in . . . Read more

Shakespeare’sKing Henry IV Part I’ centres on a core theme of the conflict between order and disorder. (Act 5 Scene 1, lines 115-138) Such conflict is brought to light by the use of many vehicles, including Hal’s inner conflict, the country’s political and social conflict, the conflict between the court . . . Read more

The merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s many fine works. One of the things that makes Shakespeare’s plays so entertaining is his characters. He often uses certain characters as comic relief, and some strictly for romance. Salrino and Solanio are Friends of the main character Antonio. They play a . . . Read more

A healthy individual is one who behaves in ways that promote emotional well-being, resolves conflicts constructively, adapts to different situations and has self-discipline. Romeo lacks these qualities in the beginning. However, as he matures throughout the play, we see how the once irrational and impulsive boy has progressed into a . . . Read more

Delight is definitely not the word I would use to describe my attempt to research and complete an essay on this word. In my search for interesting facts or any facts at all, I could not find anything that was remotely interesting about it. There are many poems, quotes, and . . . Read more

The novel Julius Caesar could be more appropriately named Brutus, but it is uncertain whether or not it really should be. This is for many reasons, such as the fact that Caesar didn’t play a very important active role in the play, but most of the things in the play . . . Read more

Conventions are commonly known as a customary feature of a literary work such as the use of a chorus in Greek tragedy or an explicit moral in a fable. They are found in stories, plays, essays, poetry, and movies. Conventions are found frequently in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, . . . Read more

In Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare brings two people together in love, Portia and Bassanio. Portia and Bassanio are alike by their love, their own friendship, and the caskets that brought them together. “But when this ring Parts from this finger, then parts life from hence: O, then be bold . . . Read more

Renaissance and Restoration Literature A critical analysis of a passage of Shakespeare’s The Tempest Act I scene ii lines 320-365 The Tempest can be seen as a colonial text, containing New World ideas. Shakespeare was most probably influenced by recordings of an expedition to Virginia that took place in 1610. . . . Read more

Explore and compare the ways that Shakespeare presents Prince Hal and Hotspur in this play? In this play, Shakespeare goes into particular detail with two of the younger characters, Prince Hal and Hotspur. Throughout the play, we hear about Hotspur, his personal qualities, bravery, charm and humour. We learn of . . . Read more

In Shakespeare’s play “Caesar” Brutus is a conspirator who portrays a person who favours a republic for Rome. Brutus is an honourable man. Many characters in the play show their reverence for Brutus. Brutus exemplifies his honour in many ways. Brutus is obsequious when he is needed to abet his . . . Read more

A tragic hero often has three important characteristics; his superiority which makes his destruction seem more tragic, his goodness which arouses pity, and his tragic flaws. In the Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Brutus is an excellent example of a hero with tragic flaws. Brutus is superior because of his close . . . Read more

The removal of Caesar from office by assassination in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar attempts to justify an unethical act by focusing on the motivation behind the actor instead of the righteousness of the act itself. Throughout this play, the empirical immorality of murder is ignored. A man’s ethics are surely corrupt . . . Read more

Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene II, Line 77 JUL: O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face! Macbeth, Act I, Scene V, Line 63 LADYMACB: Look like the innocent flower, But be the serpent under ’t. Pericles: Son of Tyre, Act I , Scene I, Line 127 PER.: And . . . Read more

Anne: No beast so fierce but knows some of the pity. Richard: But I know none, and therefore am no beast. Anne: O wonderful, when devils tell the truth! To what extent is the character of Richard in Richard III presented as devil, beast or human?[/i:bb10ef8ea6] MY ESSAY: In Shakespeare’s . . . Read more

When you ask a person to describe the layout of a theatre to you, most people show you that the stage goes on one end of the building, and the audience goes on the other, facing the stage. Most theatre-goers are probably not aware that the space they watch the . . . Read more

Katharine’s Transformation From Shrew To Contented Housewife – Taming Of The Shrew Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is a comedy, which traces the transformation of Katharina, an ill-tempered shrew to a contented housewife. Katharina has long been overshadowed in beauty by her younger sister Bianca and has developed a . . . Read more

William Shakespeare, renowned worldwide as one of the greatest playwrights of all time, was a man who was captivated by history. He wrote a number of histories for previous kings of England, including Richard the Lionheart, Henry VIII, and King John, but it is for his tragedies, which he is . . . Read more

In Shakespeare’s King Lear, Shakespeare paints Lear’s egotistic attitude, both of which made his life tormented and full of misery. Because of his poor judgement and excessive pride, he loses not only the kingdom that he takes pride in but most importantly, the daughter that loves him the most. However, . . . Read more

Anyone with a working knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays knows that As You Like It is a light, airy comedy. It is clearly not one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. As You Like It is more obscure than famous. Even amongst the comedies, it comes nowhere close to the popularity of plays . . . Read more

To Bard or Not to Bard In the last several years, an alarming trend has developed on many prestigious college campuses. Universities such as Dartmouth, Amherst, and Georgetown have dropped Shakespeare as required reading for English majors. These universities encourage students to eschew the Bard in favour of contemporary authors . . . Read more

A fool can be defined in many meanings according to the Oxford English Dictionary On Historical Principles. The word could mean “a silly person”, or “one who professionally counterfeits folly for the entertainment of others, a jester, clown” or “one who has little or no reason or intellect” or “one . . . Read more