This paper discusses the differences and similarities of two worlds of theater: ancient and modern, with specific references to history and playwrights of each period.
2,370 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 10 sources, 2001, $ 72.95
Abstract This paper looks at the many similarities that exist between modern American theater, and the theater of ancient Greece. The author focuses on elements such as costumes, scenery, properties, music, and choreography, drama festivals. The paper examines numerous playwrights, including Aeschylus, Eugene O'Neill, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, the poet Homer, and their works, respectively. Emphasis is put on Greek and modern tragedy.
From the Paper "Ancient Greek theater and modern theater today have many similarities including way of writing, clothing worn by actors and more, but they also have many differences. In the next few pages, I will explain how these two totally different time periods are really more alike than they seem while showing you their distinct differences too. Theater is a diverse and complex art. It requires collaboration among many artists, craftspeople, and managers in order to create a performance for audiences. Since the time of ancient Greeks, theatrical events have included such production elements as costumes, scenery, properties, music, and choreography. Lighting and sound are additions that are more recent. Each element in today's theater has its own designer, composer, or choreographer who collaborates with the director to focus the audience's attention on the actor in the special environment or seeing place."
Abstract This paper compares the personalities of Sir Thomas More and Henry VIII. The author argues that while More was a man of the Middle Ages, Henry VIII was a renaissance man and both approach, philosophy and politics differently. The author provides a brief analysis of the play "A Man for All Seasons".
From the Paper "One might say that A Man for All Seasons depicts Sir Thomas More as being shaped more by the values and developments of the Renaissance than those of the Middle Ages. This writer will put forth a differing view: that while More had some of the trappings of a Renaissance man, politically and theologically, he was a man of the Middle Ages. It was his conservative theological views that led to his downfall and martyrdom. Henry VIII, on the other hand, was a man of the Renaissance: politically, theologically and intellectually. "
Tags: More, king, a, man, for, all, seasons, politics, intellengence, church, religion
Abstract This paper examines the four characters: Amanda Wingfield, the mother, Laura the daughter, Tom the brother and play narrator and Jim the gentleman caller in the above play by Tennessee Williams.
From the Paper This paper examines the four characters: Amanda Wingfield, the mother, Laura the daughter, Tom the brother and play narrator and Jim the gentleman caller in the above play by Tennessee Williams.
Abstract This essay discusses the main differences between Elizabethan and Greek tragedy by examining Shakespeare's poems and plays. The writer examines the use of violence on stage in Shakespearean tragedy as opposed to Elizabethan's.
From the Paper "There are various differences between Elizabethan tragedy, particularly through the works of Shakespeare, and Greek Tragedy. Some of these include the mixing of prose and Poetry, the linear formula of a character with a suffers from a tragic flaw, which leads to the character's downfall, versus the Elizabethan idea of the Wheel of Fortune. However, one of the largest dramatic differences between Greek tragedy and Shakespearean tragedy has to be the use of violence on stage. And what it boils down to is that the perfect combination of dialogue and action that Shakespeare uses in Othello can be more powerful than just the allusion, emotion, and metaphor that Sophocles uses in Oedipus the King."
Abstract This paper discusses the supernatural aspects in "Macbeth" and compares Shakespeare's play with the times it was written: during the reign of King James I and the Salem witch trials in colonial America. The author examines how witchcraft in Shakespeare's time period influenced his writing dramatically and changed the lives of many people.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare wrote the famous tragedy of Macbeth for King James I. At the time of his reign King James I was very interested in Witches and their magic. In America at this time the Salem witchcraft trials were also going on and people were being charged and even executed for it. Concluding from the information of the Salem witch trials, witches in Shakespeare's time played a key role in much of the evil of the world."
Abstract This paper discusses the relationship between an adult man and his mother. Using the story "Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansbury, the writer of this paper explores the relationship that two characters, Walter and Lena have and how that relationship is handled and affects their lives.
From the Paper "As we mature we take on various roles in our lives. We become spouses, parents and friends as well as co-workers, neighbors and advisors. Our roles change as we become more independent in our lives but the one role we never stop playing is the role of being our parent's child. In Raisin in the Sun we are treated to a look inside a close yet volatile relationship between a man and his elderly mother."
Tags: mother, son, relationship, african, american, poor, family
Abstract This paper provides an in-depth look at the style of clothing worn during the times of Queen Elizabeth I. The author discusses the costumes worn by royalty, the royal court, aristocrats and nobility, from undergarments to gowns. The paper contains numerous portraits to illustrate the fashions.
From the Paper "It is undisputed that the Elizabethans were a very interesting, if not puzzling group. It is apparent that many of the customs, rituals and even colloquial speech that are used today descend directly from their time. One of the most interesting aspects of the Elizabethans is their dress. Clothing played a big role in their society, much like it does in present day. Through someone's dress, a person could tell not only their sex, but their precise social position. An Earl, for example would dress better than a Baron. This was especially important in the theatres of the time. Theaters would seat upwards of 2000 people, so in many of instances the audience would need to see the costume of the actor in order to place him in his proper social position, and therefore where he fit into the narrative of the performance. No person's clothing, however, was more elaborate or telling than that of high standing royalty, such as Queen Elizabeth I and those close to her."
Abstract This paper discusses the psychological stress placed upon the main characters in both Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" and George Ryga's "The Ecstacy of Rita Joe". The author examines the root of their stress: having no true place to call home, and no true sense of belonging.
From the paper:
"Humans need a place where they are comfortable and where they know they belong. The absence of this sanctuary causes severe psychological stress. For Rita and
Oedipus, the tragedy of their lives is this absence. Unable to find their sanctuary, they lead lives beset with confusion. In an attempt to find their home, they searched endlessly for the truth. The real tragedy is that there was no home to find. They were isolated wanderers. Wherever they went, their feet hurt."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts "To Kill a Mockingbird" with "Waiting for Lefty". They were both set in the 1930's in the United States, but they are addressed from very different points of view - one through the eyes of adults in New York and the other told by children in the deep South. This paper analyzes these different perspectives.
From the paper:
While both Waiting for Lefty and To Kill a Mockingbird are set in the United States during one of the poorest times in American history - the 1930s - both the locations in which the play and the novel are set, as well as the perspectives from which the stories are told are vastly different. The physical setting of Waiting for Lefty, a relatively short but intense play written by Clifford Odets, is New York. His play is told through the eyes of several adults. The setting of Harper Lee's equally intense To Kill a Mockingbird is a rural, deep-south county in Alabama. Her story is told through the very credible eyes of several children. Although one might presume that the adults would fare better during this trying time of the ?have-nots,? it is, instead, the children who seem better able to cope with circumstances. Both play and novel contrast and compare the manner in which the time of the Great Depression affected the lives of not only the poor, but those of all backgrounds. "Atticus said professional people were poor because the farmers were poor"."
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Tags: poverty, Great, Depression, war, professional, farmers, city, reality, misery, racism
Abstract This paper discusses how throughout Greek history the relationship between human beings and divine figures is a noticeable and predominant one, evident in myth, and especially literature. The author examines such literature of the time, in particular, Homer's Iliad and Herodotus? Histories, to better understand this unique and extraordinary relationship between humans and divine powers in the ancient Greek world.
From the Paper "Throughout Greek history the relationship between human beings and divine figures is a noticeable and predominant one. Evidence of this relationship exists in many forms, such as architecture, art, myth, and especially literature. By examining the literature of the time, we as historians, philosophers and archaeologists, among others, can better understand this unique and extraordinary relationship between humans and divine powers in the ancient Greek world. The "Iliad" of Homer demonstrates many principles of this relationship through the story of the Trojan War. The characters, their actions and the events that take place demonstrate the interaction of humans and gods, the individual relationships, the authority of divine power, and the helplessness of humans. We also see the treachery and deceit of the gods towards humans. We can look at other later literary works such as Herodotus? Histories to examine the human and divine relationship as well."
Abstract This is an in-depth review of a production of the play "Equus." It looks at every element involved in the production and execution of the play from the lighting, stage design, costumes, up to and including the level of the acting itself.
From the Paper "The cold feeling was even emphasized by the actors. The actor that played Alan several times in the show wrapped his arms tightly against his body and rubbed them, like people do when they are cold. Alan's father Frank Strang did a very good job seeming impersonal and distant to all of the other actors he encountered. The actors over all did a fairly good job, although in the beginning they did drop several lines. I was impressed at how well the actors in the horse costumes portrayed real horses. A horse tends to be moving a lot but with only subtle movements, and the actors did just that. It was also a great idea, in my opinion, to have cast come out of the audience because it in essence, bring the audience into the show. "
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts Shakespeare's portrayal of connubial bliss in his comedies "Much Ado About Nothing," "Measure for Measure," and "Twelfth Night." The institution of marriage during Shakespeare's time is examined in detail, including how one decided when one should marry, and to whom, and contrasted to today's notion of marriage. Some of the topics examined include finances, a person's reputation, family involvement, love and honor.
From the Paper "However, despite the fact that in early modern England, ?Most people got married, and most people had children,? (McDonald 265), Beatrice and Benedick seem hell-bent against marriage. It is therefore probable that, while it wouldn?t strike modern audiences as particularly odd, Elizabethan theatergoers found both Beatrice and Benedick's adamancy against marriage a source of humor and eccentricity in social behavior. When Claudio makes light of his intention to marry Hero, Benedick's immediate reaction is, "Is"t come to this? In faith, hath not the world one man but he will wear his cap with suspicion? Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore again? Go to, I? faith, and thou wilt needs thrust thy neck into a yoke, wear print of it, and sigh away Sundays,? (Sundays were the day a man was expected to be with his wife), (Shakespeare, MAAN, I, i, 197-202). Likewise, the Prince, Don Pedro, says of Beatrice, ?She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband,? (Shakespeare, MAAN, II, i, 347-8)."
Tags: ado, bibliography, cited, comedy, format, homosexuality, love, marriage, measure, mla, money, much, night, shakespeare, twelfth, works
Abstract This paper examines the similarities and differences between King Lear of Shakespearee's "King Lear" and Prospero of Shakespeare's "Tempest". Through critical analysis, they can almost be seen as two scenarios for the same man whereby Prospero becomes a better man through self-realization and Lear discovers himself too late.
From the Paper "The doomed title character in Shakespeare's King Lear and the magical Prospero in The Tempest may at first seem to not have much in common. Contrary to first glance, one is in fact the opposite of the other. Each represents an elderly man's interactions with his surroundings; his loved ones, and even himself. It can even be said that if King Lear had lived, he might, because of the transformation brought about by so many painful realizations and experiences, have turned into a Prospero-like character. This is to say a man who, after having been through painful ordeals over which he has no control, finally uses these experiences to manifest his own destiny and create his own domain."
Abstract This essay focuses on the feminist criticism of the Shakespeare's drama "King Lear." The author examines modern and traditional presentations of this play. The main characters, and plot line are detailed, and then analysed in order to look its portrayal of women. The play has undergone several transformations, and has adapted some of the themes regarding women to modern times.
From the Paper "Shakespeare's original King Lear enforces anarchy, sexual insubordination and a misogynist emphasis through its portrayal of women and their impact on society, hence their destructive existence. This drama requires the audience to accept the underlying agreement that fathers are owed particular duties by daughters and chaos will manifest if this condition is not met. This assumption obviously imply that in King Lear, chaos was spawned by the neglect of these duties hence suggesting females are once again the cause of conflict."
Abstract A comparative analysis of the history of labor disputes in a changing American society by looking at the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck and the play "Waiting for Lefty" by Clifford Odet. The rise of trade unions and a representation for the workforce was not an easy process and this paper looks at this through these two literary works.
From the Paper "Labor in America has been described as a stabilizing force in the national economy and a bulwark of our democratic society. In this past century, American labor has played a central role in the elevation of the American standard of living. The benefits, which unions have negotiated for their members, are, in most cases, widespread in the economy and enjoyed by millions of our fellow citizens outside the labor movement. The working people of America have had to unite in struggle to achieve the gains that they have accumulated during this century. Improvements did not come easily. Organizing unions, winning the right to representation, using the collective bargaining process as the core of their activities, struggling against bias and discrimination, the working men and women of America have built a trade union movement of formidable proportions. Two such stories capture our attention during the discussion of this paper. First is John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, an outstanding portrayal of the theme that people have always had to adapt to changing times. The second is a play Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odet. "
