From the Paper "In 1603, about the middle of Shakespeare's career as a playwright, James VI of Scotland ascended the throne of England as James I. Instantly, the London of Shakespeare's day was filled with an interest in anything Scottish. As they had for Queen Elizabeth before, Shakespeare's company, King's Men, performed plays for their new monarch. It was probably in his interest that Shakespeare turned to Raphael Holinshed's novel, Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland for his inspiration for Macbeth (Swisher 45-49). Although Holinshed's text often seems dramatic and fanciful by today's standards, it was the definitive historical text of Shakespeare's time and its accuracy was unquestioned. The plot of Macbeth is derived from several significant events in Scottish history as told by Holinshed and dramatically combined and interpreted by Shakespeare to produce an enduring work of literature. "
Abstract This paper shows God and the Devil to be driving forces in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and gives examples from the text of the play.
From the Paper "God and the devil have a strong presence in "Macbeth". The characters look to heaven and hell as places they have to try and strive towards or steer away from. God and the devil seem to be the driving and obvious force behind the happenings of the tragedy. They mold the characters into what they are. Even when things do not end up in their favor.
The witches have an impact on the whole theme of the play. They are the ones who start to label Macbeth with titles, which he does not yet posses. The witches predict the future, which is to Macbeth's liking. ?All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth, that's shalt be king hereafter!?(1.3.46-48)"
Abstract A thorough analysis of the play "Our Town" and its scenery. The essay details the effect of Thornton Wilder's absence of scenery and its overall significance in the entire play.
From the Paper "...While such wonders of stage gain new ground, a desperate few still hunger for substance, for a play whose power comes from its characters rather than its fashionable trappings. Only one play, one in the few to have gained success on Broadway, fulfills these criteria, quaintly titled "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. It is a simple drama of two lovers living an ordinary life in a simple town (Grover's Corners), a unique topic in itself, but it possesses one other baffling characteristic: it lacks anything but crude scenery. This dearth forces the audience to concentrate on the play's message of simplicity; this absence compels the audience to view it with a calm detachment that breeds an inescapable conclusion."
Abstract This essay takes a look at how a Structuralist would view the main characters weaving through the plot of "King Lear". Structuralists believe that there is a structure (that can be located) in every piece of literature that makes the plot happen; without structure there would be no story. The first line of this paper is: ?The continuous reiteration of references, both explicit and implicit, to vision and blindness in King Lear renders its resultant symbolism an obviously necessary part of the play's construction.? The paper goes on to prove that if Lear hadn?t lost his physical eyesight and gained a spiritual kind of sight, there would be no story. That is the structure of the play.
From the Paper "The continuous reiteration of references, both explicit and implicit, to vision and blindness in King Lear renders its resultant symbolism an obviously necessary part of the play's construction. This language pattern plays a structural role in defining Lear's fall from self-assumed grace to what he belatedly recognizes as an enlightened perspective; he fails to "see" truth until he has lost his visions of grandeur along with his eyesight. Therefore, without King Lear's intellectual and spiritual blindness, there would be no meaning assigned to his eventual clarity concerning morality. His lack of vision in the beginning is what allocates meaning to his eventual clarity. Each recurring allusion to eyesight in the play is like a verbal organ that composes the framework for a whole body of paradoxical meanings relating to a larger picture of the human condition. "To have eyes, and to see not, is to be at the mercy of evil"? (Heilman 51)."
From the Paper "Shakespeare's last tragedy, Coriolanus, is both very similar to his earlier tragedies, but also highly individualistic. The central character, Coriolanus, is not the central villain of the play, unlike Macbeth. Neither is Coriolanus the central hero of the play, unlike Hamlet. Rather, Coriolanus is a perplexingly pitiable character that has both positive and negative characteristics. He is honorable in his personal, but not particularly loyal in his civic affairs. He is an elitist and violent, but he is also modest and worships his mother. Tullus Aufidius is the character that is counter-poised to Coriolanus throughout most of the play. He is Coriolanus's nemesis and competitor."
From the Paper "The characters in Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing, act as stereotypes of different ways of pursuing love, deceit and deception. They show two very different ways of wooing, one of superficiality and one of true, genuine feeling. The relationship between Beatrice and Benedict starts out almost child-like and ends on a note of true love and happiness. On the opposite pole, Claudio and Hero symbolize the superficiality behind wanton love. Both couples are pillars of how lovers, past and present, handle their relationships."
From the Paper "The protagonist, Dr. Faustus, is a well-learned man that purposefully, systematically rejects belief due to a nagging desire to know the world's forbidden secrets. The solutions he seeks are only granted by God or Lucifer, the polar duality of good versus evil. Faustus has a choice of two paths that will determine his post mortem existence; either willingly believe in the unexplainable, or, sacrifice eternity to know the answers he craves. Understanding the physical consequences of both possibilities, Faustus chooses the latter, manifesting his inability to devote himself to ideas outside his realm of comprehension."
Abstract The essay discusses Lord Goring who is socially "idle", yet ideal in terms of philosophy. Moreover, it describes Goring as the most interesting and outstanding persona in the play, his ambivalent behavior, and the change he goes through during the play, and why he could be considered Wilde's alter ego. The paper ends raising the question of whether or not Wilde has lost grip on this character. Did Wilde manipulate Goring's behavior in order to obtain the desired ending of the play?
Abstract This paper discusses the unrealistic expectation of parents re: filial duty, love, obligation of parents and children to each other in Shakespeare's play, "King Lear".
From the Paper "It can be argued that the parents King Lear and the Earl of Gloucester damage their children's lives because of their unrealistic and confused expectations about filial love, duty, and the obligations of parents and children to each other. An examination of the characters in "The Tragedy of King Lear" supports this thesis. "
Abstract This paper argues that a common theme in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's work, "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is the effect of fantasy and enchantment on the characters in those stories. An examination of the two works shows how fantasy influences and modifies the characters, how it affects the story's setting, and the message that each author is sending to the reader.
Abstract This paper explores the interplay between man's potential and man's behavior. Hamlet's character is studied through utilizing excerpts from the play to form the standards by which to define man. The many aspects of Hamlet's character are brought to light and although it has been argued, and most correctly, that Hamlet's character leads directly to his demise, it is precisely that character that has made him so attractive to countless scores of readers.
From the Paper "Prince Hamlet, in saying "What a piece of work is a man" (2.2.293-294), brings to light the idea of man's inherent potential. "How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god" (2.2.294-296). In this sense, man is capable of infinite measures, of being, essentially, godlike. Yet in actual performance, man is too often ruled by his passions, and often so in the absence of reason. We, as humans, are capable of greatness and nobility, yet we are each also capable of behavior befitting a beast. Hamlet then asks of Ophelia "What should such fellows as I do crawling between heaven and earth"? (3.1.128-129). All of the characters of the play are crawling between heaven and earth, yet some are drawn closer to the earth by way of their "beastly" behavior. The interplay between passion and reason therefore becomes paramount in placing the characters of the play on their respective "rungs of the ladder" between heaven and earth. "
A discussion of religious iconography and the virgin-whore dichotomy in pre and post Elizabethan England using Elizabeth I. and Hamlet's Gertrude as examples of the virgin and whore characterization.
2,285 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 5 sources, 1998, $ 70.95
Abstract A discussion of religious iconography as it relates to the Catholic Queens of England, Elizabeth I. and Hamlet's Gertrude. This paper contains a discussion of the virgin-whore dichotomy as it relates to the depictions of the Catholic Queens of England and Elizabeth I. in comparison to Gertrude. It also deals with an interesting change in religious iconization as England made its movement in support of the Protestant faith. The argument defines and discusses three areas in which queens are compared to religious icons and how their success and failure in these areas establishes their places in the virgin-whore dichotomy.
From the Paper "To give the queen the desired position in the dichotomy as the virgin, queens were often equated with religious icons, making their legacies almost saintly. These images of holiness defined both the queen's positions in the monarchy and the standards to which the future queens were held. After the fall of Catholicism in England, the iconizsation of the queen changed. Elizabeth in particular wasn?t associated by allegory alone to the Virgin Mary, but rather became the Virgin Mother of England in body as well as by allegory. This strengthened both her political position and her position in the virgin-whore dichotomy of the time. By comparing Queen Elizabeth, who was seen as a saintly, virginal figure, to Shakespeare's character Gertrude, who was seen as lusty and betraying, the major virgin-whore dichotomy of the Elizabethan and post-Elizabethan age can be exemplified."
Abstract The paper examines several analytical articles regarding the character of Petruchio and his blatant oppression of Katherine in Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew". Feminist opposition to modern productions of the play and arguments regarding the value of historic perspectives are discussed.
From the Paper "Understanding how Petruchio could be interpreted a hero to historical audiences and also symbol of villainy to some modern audiences is in itself a reason to continue study of Shakespeare's works. It is precisely these types of diametrically opposed views that encourage the search for a better understanding of differences in social structure and historical attitudes. Many other authors will also require comparison between modern society and the culture of their origin in order to be comprehensively understood."
Abstract This is an examination of the life of Irish playwright and journalist, John Millington Synge. The author examines many of his works and contributions to the theatrical world.
From the Paper "One of the greatest Irish dramatists of the Irish Literary Renaissance was Edmund John Millington Synge. Not only was he an Irish dramatist, but he was also an essayist, poet, journalist, and a translator. Although he only wrote six plays in his short lifetime, his works caused uproar and outrage. However, some of these plays would later be recognized as a change in the direction of Irish theater and would impact audiences, writers, and even Irish culture forever."
Abstract This paper is about the importance of William Shakespeare's writings. The author argues that Shakespeare's writings are valuable because of the lessons they teach, their literary style and their reflection of the society of the time.
From the Paper "Not too long ago, when Oxford University was deciding on whom should be named "Man of the Millennium", William Shakespeare was chosen to be the winner. Perhaps they were liable to be biased because both he and Oxford are British, but I truly believe it was for reasons far deeper than that. Shakespeare is the most popular playwright read in schools today, but why? School Boards seem to feel that Shakespeare's works provide valuable literary lessons and insights and I agree whole-heartedly. Not only is Shakespeare my favorite playwright, but also one of the historic figures I admire most. I believe that everyone, regardless of age, should read Shakespeare because of the valuable lessons, literary value, and for their own edification and enjoyment."
