Abstract This paper explains how throughout the classic play plots are intertwined between the two settings of the human world and the fairy world. There are distinct similarities in each world, which run parallel to the other. Both love and forms of authority exert power over the lives of humans and fairies. This paper provides an examination of both worlds and their connection to one another, and shows how the relationship between imagination and reason/ art and reality comes to the surface. The imagination of Shakespeare and the audience is magically transformed into a midsummer reality from dream.
From the Paper "In Shakespeare's ?A Midsummer Night's Dream,? a connection is made between art and reality through the double settings in the play. The audience maintains consciousness of an invisible world, which parallels the world of reality. Shakespeare creates an opposition between waking and dreaming that is continually enforced and fused together. The world of Theseus's Athens is a world of reason and reality. The enchanted world of the woods outside of Athens is a world of imagination and magic, yet is in many ways similar to its parallel world. By escaping into a different world a new perspective is gained on the world left behind. The double setting in the play highlights connections between art and reality."
Abstract An analysis of Shakespeare's themes in "The Tempest" including humanity's dark and light dualities as revealed in his characters' and all humans' reality and illusion, imprisonment and freedom, dark magic and white magic, beauty and ugliness and power. A look at the themes of the play.
From the Paper "In"The Tempest", Shakespeare, like a juggler plays with many ideas, or themes. Through the magic of his remarkable art, he keeps all his idea balls in the air at the same time and keeps his audience entranced. Magic and enchantment are in fact the central force that Shakespeare uses to keep all those balls aloft. What I propose to do within the limited scope of this short paper is to describe just a few of the thematic balls being juggled in The Tempest and to reveal through the use of comparison and contrast just a little of how Shakespeare managed to keep those balls spinning at dizzying speed."
Abstract Using Shakespeare's thoughts and feelings regarding love expressed in the 116 Sonnet, this paper analyzes the love relationships in "Much Ado About Nothing". The play paints a clear picture of the thoughts and opinions Shakespeare expresses in the sonnet. When a reader compares the foil love relationships of Benedick and Beatrice to that of Hero and Claudio, Shakespeare's meaning of a love that doesn?t "alter when it alteration finds" can be truly appreciated. This paper is filled with many textual examples of ways that Claudio and Hero both fail to build the kind of love that Shakespeare admonishes lovers to have. It also examines the inconvenience and pain of Benedick and Beatrice's love, which at times seems to be "against their will".
From the Paper "Here [quote from Sonnet 116] Shakespeare express his feelings about true love and the elements that need to be included in a loving relationship. Love should not be a mere infatuation that is easy to overcome, but rather a long-lasting relationship that can never be broken. This was not a conventional idea in Shakespeare's time, where the woman's dowry, not her love, was the prize most sought by suitors. Shakespeare gives a wonderful example of what he thinks true love should be in Much Ado About Nothing in Benedick and Beatrice's relationship. In the play, he also offers a relationship foil to Benedick and Beatrice, that of Claudio and Hero. This foil compares the traits Shakespeare feels need to be included in true love with the conventional ideas about love of his day."
Abstract This paper addresses the themes of Susan Glaspell's short story adaptation "A Jury of her Peers" from her play "Trifles". It deals with the cultural and sociological motivations of a group of women to cover up the murder of one of their husbands- and that sets an example of feminist writing in the early 20th century.
From the Paper "Susan Glaspell seriously challenges the common conception of weak and stupid females through the characters of her literary and dramatic works, Trifles and ? A Jury of Her Peers?. She attacks the conventions of marriage, the ignorance of spousal abuse, and the general mistreatment of women within her society-which unfortunately, still continues today. The play Trifles and its literary adaptation "A Jury of Her Peers" by Glaspell is an expression of the dissatisfaction of females? roles and treatment in the society of the early twentieth-century in the United States. The suffocating oppression of Minnie Foster leads to the asphyxiation death of her unfeeling husband and their loveless marriage."
Abstract This paper examines the minstrel show and its negative images of black Americans that enforced commonly held white prejudices or mistaken cultural characteristics.
From the Paper "The images of blacks as presented in the minstrel performances remained embedded in the minds of audiences after they left the show (Anderson, 24). Due to their lack of frequent contact, many whites had nothing else to base their perceptions off of. Minstrel shows were not only entertaining, but they presented a foreign culture. It did not matter whether the characters were accurate or not; the audiences looked at the singing and dancing black-faced actors and expected all blacks to be like this."
Abstract This paper looks at Eugene O?Neil's classic drama, "Desire Under the Elms" and allusions that are made to the Bible. The author pays close attention to the significance of Ephraim Cabot's name and his connection to the land, the similarities between Jacob and Eben in their attempt to secure their birthright, and a perversion of the Adam/Eve account in the relationship between Eben and Abbie.
From the Paper "While most critics will attribute O"Neil"s? styling to that of Greek tragedy, I feel that in many cases we can see that it goes back much further. Although he never professed a need for a "god" within his life, it is quite obvious that he often times chose to draw upon many of the tragedies found within the pages of the Bible for his inspiration. His repeated consideration of godlike figureheads was perhaps a means by which he attempted to come to a better understanding of the plague of the human condition. O?Neil once said, ?Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.? Since his life was for the most part devoid of peace, much of his writing ended up being somewhat cathartic in nature. It is no surprise then that the Bible, which has always addressed the age old questions and concerns of man, figures so highly in much of his work."
Tags: 20th, bedford, century, drama, eugene, o'neil, eben, abbie, ephraim, eden
Abstract In this paper the author examines the tragedies of Antigone and Hamlet. The characters of Antigone and Hamlet are tragic figures who meet their fates while trying to right or avenge a wrong committed against a dead loved one. The author examines the many traits they have in common and the important differences which influence how the reader responds to them emotionally.
From the paper:
"In Greece two brothers, one a hero, the other a traitor, meet on the field of battle. Both fall. The hero receives a funeral with full honors. The traitor is left to rot where he died. When the king forbids his burial under penalty of death, the traitor's courageous sister forfeits her life to perform the proper rites. "
Tags: Sophocles, Shakespeare, Hamlet, Antigone, Tragedy, Death
Abstract This well-though out paper takes an in-depth look at the character of Hamlet; it discusses his life and the factors which led him from innocence. The paper also discusses Hamlet's feelings of being lost and out of his depth and his procrastination when facts are put before him. It, however also puts forward the argument that perhaps Hamlet is wise in not rushing to murder his step father, his intelligence coming as it does from a ghost. Much is also made of the Oedipus complex and Hamlet's morbid mental struggle.
From the paper:
?William Shakespeare's play Hamlet is one of his most celebrated tragedies and the one play that most people are familiar with even today. The play itself is filled with murder, sex, love, suicide, hate, and revenge - much like a modern day soap opera. But the truly enduring part of the play is Hamlet himself, the little boy lost, who is grieving his father's death, feels isolated from his family, is in love with a confusing woman and is trying desperately to make things right and avenge his father's death. While a portion of us can identify with one or two of his plights, none of us quite know what he is facing. However, Shakespeare's use of imagery and emotion endears Hamlet to the audience and gives us insight into his tumultuous soul.?
Abstract This paper looks at the way King Lear only attains humility when he has lost everything. It starts by describing his pompous manner, followed by his first awareness of his lack of importance when he visits his so-called loyal daughters and is later rescued by Cornelia.
From the paper;
"In many historical works of literature we are given a glimpse at what living a royal life was like in days of medieval history. Kings are often presented as pompous and full of self-assurance that borders on conceit. We come to understand that it is the position that they are born into that causes this overblown ego display, but we shake our heads at how fully the self-importance impacts their lives. A classic example of this phenomenon is the story of King Lear by William Shakespeare. King Lear is a pompous and self-absorbed man until he loses everything and everyone. He learns the lesson of self-awareness and humility and the essence of what is truly important in life only after losing everything that he believed to be vital."
Abstract In this paper the author discusses whether the "Merchant of Venice" is a fairy tale, as exemplified by the romantic comedy genre, or a problem play. The author looks at the three themes he suggests run through the play: Prejudice, Loyalty and Love. He looks closely at the character of Shylock and how he has been depicted over time, from villain to someone who should be pitied and at the hypocrisy shown by the Christian characters; he examines the relationships between Antonio, Bassanio, Portia, Gratiano, Nerissa, Lorenzo, and Jessica and the resulting marriages and love is examined with respect to the platonic loyalty between friends and in the romantic exchanges between suitors and spouses.
From the paper:
?The theme of loyalty in the play comes out through the interactions of several sets of characters. First, there is Bassanio, who is close friends with Antonio --? friendship which survives many stressful situations in the play. The loyalty between Bassanio and Antonio becomes evident I the first act of the play when Antonio loans Bassanio a large sum of money and takes him on his word that he will repay it.?
Abstract This paper looks at the similarities and differences between "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and 'Romeo and Juliet". The author compares the themes and characters in the two plays.
From the Paper "Certain parallels can be drawn between William Shakespeare's plays, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and "Romeo and Juliet". These parallels concern themes and Shakespearean character types. Both plays have a distinct pair of 'lovers', Hermia and Lysander, and Romeo and Juliet, respectively. Both plays could have also easily been tragedy or comedy with a few simple changes. A tragic play is a play in which one or more characters is has a flaw, which leads to his/her downfall. A comedic play has at least one humorous character, and a successful or happy ending."
Abstract A look at the events that lead up to the madness of King Lear. The author examines the character's deterioration throughout the play and the events that eventually lead to his downfall and madness.
From the Paper "In Shakespeare's play King Lear, Shakespeare introduces many themes. One of the most important themes shown in King Lear is the theme of madness. During the course of this play madness is shown in the tragic hero, King Lear. King Lear develops madness right in the beginning of the play but he actually shows it later to Gloucester and Edgar."
Tags: king, lear, mad, madness, shakespeare, tragedy, death
Abstract This paper is a literary analysis of George Lillo's play, "The London Merchant". The author discusses the plot of the British domestic tragedy and relates the characters to the social behavior of the times. The paper also has a brief biography of Lillo.
From the Paper "The play "The London Merchant", or "The History of George Barnwell" is the first prose domestic tragedy in English. It is the sorrowful tale of an apprentice, George Barnwell, who is brought to his doom by an older, "wicked" prostitute, Sarah Millwood."
Tags: barnwell, lillo, george, sarah, millwood, apprentice, england, society
Abstract This paper looks at the theory of revenge in William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet." The author compares it to "Romeo and Juliet, "King Lear," and "Macbeth," in order to demonstrate how much further the theme of revenge is taken in the play. The character of Hamlet is compared and contrasted to the main characters in Shakespeare's other works to show how Hamlet's revenge, unlike the revenge of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, or King Lear, consumes him, leading to his ultimate demise.
From the Paper "But Hamlet's actions toward Ophelia make much sense if we consider them as the symptoms of a madness already implanted far before he falls in love with Ophelia (who has after all done nothing to drive him mad; this is no example of a love denied or betrayed, at least not on the part of Ophelia). But Hamlet is incapable of accepting that Ophelia is either pure or good or innocent, because he himself is not, and so he cannot see these traits in others (Hankins, 1976, p. 41). Ophelia might have been the one person who could have redeemed Hamlet and saved the royal line, but Hamlet is too mired in the endless demands of a maddening revenge that demands continuous new victims to see that Ophelia offers him the possibility of escape and peace (Garner and Sprengnether, 1996, p. 97)."
