Abstract This paper details the points of a tragedy and a tragic hero, and how these points are at work in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". There is ample use of descriptions of the play to help explain these points. An outline of the paper is included at the end.
From the Paper "In drama, a tragedy recounts a series of events in the life of a person of significance or nobility. These events culminate in an unhappy catastrophe, forever altering the life of those involved. The tragedy centers on the tragic protagonist, in this case, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, a noble character with all the marks of dignity. Hamlet, like all tragic heroes, is a noble character. He comes from royalty and with this high position comes the respect of his kingdom and friends. He is obviously a natural leader and has the ability to take charge of a situation ? we as an audience see this as he concocts his plan for revenge, immediately entangling his friend Horatio as a conspirator. From playing a madman to finding an acting troop to put on his play to catch his uncle, Hamlet shines as a leader and a quick thinker."
Abstract This paper examines how Samuel Beckett is one of the most important and influential playwrights of the twentieth century. It looks at how in most of his plays, he reflects an existential feeling that life is essentially absurd and that the only positive elements in it are discovered through the creativity of individuals who attempt to create meaning or else use humor to deal with this absurdity. It analyzes how death also receives a similar treatment in his plays and while the reality of death is exceptionally sad in its terrible finality, it is also dealt with in a humorous fashion. It evaluates how this combination of sadness and humor lead Beckett himself to label his own plays as ?tragicomic,? since these contradictory elements of tragedy and comedy seem to appear at the same in the same amount often in the same passage. It shows how Beckett's portrayal of the reality of human death is at once hysterical and depressing, whimsical and terrible, as he embraces both the absurdity of life through human creation and mourns the inability of human to triumph completely over those limitations.
From the Paper "Fittingly, in his play Waiting for Godot, his characters deal with death in a fashion that is both absurd and laments the true tragedy of the brevity and absurdity in their lives. Indeed, early in the play, the characters are considering what they should do with themselves since they are bored by the repetition of days in the strange and unnamed place where the scene is set. In this moment, Vladimir and Estragon decide that they might choose to hang themselves from the tree that is in the center of the stage. While this suggestion of suicide may seem quite grim, it is in reality extremely comic, since the tree is so small and pathetic that it could never hold a man's weight enough for him to be hanged. In a way, this joke about death is little more than a game that the two characters use to pass the time and one that results in great comedy."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts Torvald and his attitude toward Nora in Ibsen's play, to the men's attitudes toward women in the play "Trifles." It discusses how both these pieces show women treated simply as idiotic "things" by the men in the pieces, but the women are clearly smarter than the men are, and it is the men who end up looking idiotic in the end.
From the Paper ""Trifles" tells the tale of a woman driven to the "end of her rope" by a spiteful, mean-spirited man, but it is also a story for all women, celebrating how they can band together in a crisis. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters sense immediately what Mrs. Wright was dealing with, and they attempt to protect her when the men begin to criticize her housekeeping skills. They astutely note, "MRS. HALE. No, I don't mean anything. But I don't think a place'd be any cheerfuller for John Wright's being in it" (Glaspell). While the men are still fumbling around looking at things and speculating, (and appearing increasingly idiotic), the more introspective and sensitive women have solved the crime, and are on the way to saving Mrs. Wright from paying for the murder. "A Doll's House" relates the story of Nora, a woman far ahead of her time in the Victorian era, who cannot live under her husband's thumb any longer, and must strike out on her own, even if it was not the thing to do in Victorian society."
Abstract This paper examines how Moliere's "Tartuffe" is from 17th century France, during the Enlightenment, or the Age of Reason. It looks at how at the time, people in Paris were interested in enlightenment values such as rationality, moderation and order and how social graces, good manners and how gender roles were strictly enforced during this period. It analyzes how Moliere demonstrates all of these enlightenment values in his play. It evaluates how the main theme of "Tartuffe" is the difference between true religious piety and religious hypocrisy and how morality was also considered to be important during the Enlightenment.
From the Paper "If Cleante represents reason in Tartuffe, then Orgon is the opposite of reason. Although he conforms to society's conventions and he accepts rigid rules of behavior, Orgon is extremely emotional throughout the play. He also fails to perceive that Tartuff is tricking them and thus is not thinking as rationally as Cleante is. In Act I, scene 6, Cleante accuses his brother of being unable to distinguish ?hypocrisy and genuine devoutness.? He tells Orgon that his love of Tartuffe is ?nonsense,? and attempts to enlighten him about Tartuffe's true nature. Yet Cleante knows that his brother's mind is clouded by his emotions. Trying to talk sense into his brother, Cleante is the voice of reason which goes unheard. Orgon believes so intensely in Tartuffe's piety and goodness that he is willing to sacrifice the happiness of his daughter. "
Abstract Children are natural artists, often using arts as a means to express themselves through color, form, sound and movement. Arts based learning is a vehicle in which students can learn subjects such as language, history and mathematics through poetry and song, narratives and drawings, dance and drama. The paper shows that arts-based learning supports a stronger model for engaging individual learning styles and preferences and tapping into children's ?multiple intelligences.? Arts based learning also has the ability to increase student self-esteem by encouraging many different forms of self-expression of knowledge. The paper reviews literature on the subject.
From the Paper "Elliot Eisner supports the concept of arts based learning and suggests that by teaching reading and writing through the use of alternative mediums in the arts, such as stories, paintings and song, learners become more actively engaged from an experiential standpoint (Eisner, 1994). "To neglect the contribution of the arts in education, either through inadequate time, resources, or poorly trained teachers is to deny children access to one of the most stunning aspects of their culture and one of the most potent means for developing their minds" (Eisner, 1987, Music Educators Journal). Eisner believes that arts based education provides an outlet for students to express their knowledge and creativity by engaging all of the senses, thus allowing student's to tap into their intrinsic learning styles."
Abstract Constantin Stanislavsky is the father of modern acting theory. His theories which he extols in his four books, "My Life in Art" (1924), "An Actor Prepares" (1936), "Building a Character" (1941) and "Creating a Role" (1961) have had an unparalleled effect on actors and acting instructors throughout the world. Acting theorists such as Vsevelod Meyerhold, Uta Hagen and Bertold Brecht have all taken his theories into account while developing their own. Indeed, entire movements in world drama have been in part inspired by the work of Stanislavsky.
This paper focuses on Stanislavsky's influence on Russia. During his life and his career, Russia went through many changes. Two major events in Russian history would determine the fate of theatre and as a result Stanislavsky. The first was the failed revolution in 1905, or ?The Great Rehearsal,? as Lenin called it. The second major event which affected Stanislavsky (which in turn affected Russian theater) was the 1917 revolution.
From the Paper "Konstantin Stanislavsky developed the Moscow Art Theatre in 1898. The creation of this particular theatre was important in that it differed from many of the other theatres of the time. It was a fully professional theatre organization and it emphasized new plays as opposed to older work. Stanislavsky believed that new plays would bring the theatre to life. His theatrical philosophy was that the actor was an educator and that plays were tools of education. As a result the initial work produced at the theatre was not successful. It wasn?t until Stanislavsky partnered with a young playwright named Anton Chekhov that the theatre attained any commercial success."
Abstract This paper discusses the story behind the play, "The Glass Menagerie". The focus is on explaining the symbols used in the play. Some of the symbols explained are the fire escape, the use of irony, the glass menagerie, the search for a man by both Laura and Amanda. The paper concludes by suggesting that the family in this play is dysfunctional and explains the reasons for this suggestion.
From the Paper "Amanda is obsessed with her past as she constantly reminds her children of "one Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain" when she received seventeen gentlemen callers (Williams 32). Amanda refuses to acknowledge that her daughter is handicapped and refers to her disability as "a little defect (that is) hardly noticeable" (Williams 45). Only for brief moments does Amanda ever admit that her daughter is "crippled" but then quickly reverts back into her state of denial. Amanda doesn't see anything in realistic terms. She believes that the gentleman caller, Jim, is going to be the one man who will rescue Laura, even though she has never seen or spoken to him at this point. Again, she is wrapped up in her own fantasies and delusions about men, who must act as saviors to all young women."
Tags: wingfield, woman, figurines, family, depression, tom, fragility, glass, music, jim
Abstract In his famous play, "Much Ado About Nothing," Shakespeare gives us not only a fine comedy, but also a keen look into human nature. He shows the trickery and deceit certain characters use to achieve their ends and, in a way, the comedy is actually a sober look at what happens in society in any age, including our own.
Abstract Reviews a play by a contemporary Nigerian playwright, Ola Rotimi, that sets Sophocles' Oedipus Rex in a Yoruba village during a time of tribal conflict. Biographical information about the author, summary of the play, and analysis are included.
Abstract "The Glass Managerie" by Tennessee Williams vividly sets its characters in contradictions between conventional values and realities. It forces the characters to reveal their inner self by contradicting the realities as well as their desires. In the play, the contradictions at some point are revealed through symbolism, but more generally, they reveal the characters as fugitive outcasts.
Abstract This eleven-page undergraduate academic paper discusses Tennessee Williams and how his personal life parallels and reflects the lives of the fictional characters in his play "The Glass Menagerie".
Abstract This essay analyses Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman." Miller's play is a study of American culture in a critical context, where the ideal of the "American Dream," and the myth of individual achievement is contrasted with the failings of a family, the Lomans. Willy Loman represents both the ideological success of American mythology, and the failure of that mythology in sustaining a realistic view of life. The Lomans survive in illusions, and in this essay, the power of illusions are compared with the power of the American Dream as a myth and a false promise.
Abstract This paper discusses the characters of Noraand Oedipus as two people who seek a truth about themselves; however, Nora's search for the truth about her identity results in her freedom and Oedipus' search for the truth results in tragedy. The author points out that, in the end, Nora is free from society's rules, but can still live in society; whereas, Oedipus discovers he is not free at all, but is in fact condemned to a fate determined by a truth he has no control over.
Abstract This paper presents a discussion about the play Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. The author of this paper takes the reader through a discussion about the play, the characters, the messages and the meanings. In addition the author discusses the use of structure sound and sense in the play.
Abstract This paper discusses in detail the changes Agatha Christie found necessary in order to adapt her short story "Witness for the Prosecution" to a theater format. Various adaptations are analyzed, such as changes in dialogue, point of view, visual characterization aspects, and the use of accents.
