Abstract This paper is about how the characters in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" see Caliban as a monster. The writer examines the character and proceeds to compare and contrast him to each of the other characters in the play.. The writer also debates about whether or not their treatment of Caliban is justified.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare?s, ?The Tempest,? provides insight into the hierarchy of command and servitude by order of nature. This play uses the relationship between its characters to display the control of the conqueror over the conquered. It also shows how society usually places the undesirable members at the bottom of the chain of command, even though they may be entitled to a higher social status. For example, the beginning of the play opens with a scene on a boat in the midst of a terrible storm. The boatswain, who is under the command of the royal party, attempts to keep the boat from sinking. Members of the royal party, however, persist in interfering with his duties. The boatswain retorts, "What cares these roarers for the name of the king" To cabin! Silence! Trouble us not?(I, I, 16-18). He is trying to warn his superiors that if he does not let him do his job, everyone will die, and it will not matter who has power over whom. The superiors, however, still take offense to this comment and label him a blasphemer. Caliban, an unfortunate character in this play, suffers from similar constant abuse because he is of the lowest social rank in his community. Critic John W. Draper describes Caliban's position in relation to the other characters when he says, ?Of all the characters in Shakespeare, Caliban is the most fully and repeatedly/ described, though not always consistently; and his bodily parts seem to show little/ relation to his humor or his character except that both are monstrous. Monsters/ were popular; and, as Trinculo remarks, any "holiday fool" in England would pay out/ "silver" for the sight of one. Caliban's monstrosity, however, out-Herods Herod?(Draper 89). According to the other inhabitants of the island, Caliban is a monster. He is a symbol of what they never want to become. Caliban reminds them to act as though they are worthy of their high social status. He is the painfully realistic entity around whom the other rulers on the island silently rally in order to maintain a social balance. They abhor him but desperately desire to possess at the same time. On a narrower scale, the oppression of the underdog is obvious in the undesirable Caliban and his relationship to Prospero, Miranda, Ariel and Ferdinand. "
Tags: character, play, opression, monster, Prospero, Ferdinand, Miranda
Abstract An analysis of the character of Hamlet. This paper debates whether Hamlet was faking his madness throughout the play or whether he was really insane. The writer provides a brief synopsis of the plot and examines scenes from the play which would justify sanity or insanity.
From the Paper "In William Shakespeare's play of the same name, the character of Hamlet appears to be insane to the casual observer. However, many incidents show that Hamlet is simply faking this madness. In exchanges where he appears irrational, his subtle sarcasm may often be misinterpreted. Hamlet also acts irrational as a guise to attempt to buy him time and manipulate other individuals. Further, Hamlet remains rational and logical throughout the play, indicating that he is, in fact, sane."
Abstract Dreaming and what happens during the period of slumber are two important themes that emerge from the Shakespearean comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream". This paper discusses the difference between actual dreams and the surreal situation in order to grasp the meaning and significance of "dreaming" in the play.
From the Paper "A Midsummer Night's dream, as the name suggest, is full of instances of fantasy and illusion which makes it on the one hand, a beautiful magical tale while on the other a comic story where surrealism outweighs every other force. While many would think that love is the dominant theme of the play, the playwright it appears had another theme in mind when he created this story. Shakespeare has given dreams a more dominant role to play in the plot because it is during the period of slumber that magical things happen to the characters, which completely change the course of the play."
Tags: slumber, love-potion, fantasy, fairies, love
Abstract This paper introduces and discusses how men and women do not understand each other, and how this can lead to miscommunication and even madness. To understand and prove this point, the paper analyzes the short play "Trifles" by Susan Glaspell.
From the Paper " "Trifles" is the story of a woman driven to the "end of her rope" by a spiteful, mean-spirited man, but it is also a story of women, and how they can come together in a crisis. The two women in the story know immediately what Mrs. Wright had to put up with, and immediately stand up for her when the men begin to criticize her housekeeping skills. "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" (Trifles). "
Abstract This paper examines the life of William Shakespeare and compares and contrasts it to one of his most famous plays, "Hamlet". Shakespeare's childhood, education and early attempts at writing are all discussed and finally his adulthood - including relationships and emotional hardships. These experiences are compared to those of Hamlet.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. He was an English dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. As with all writers, Shakespeare's life has probably affected many of his plays, but one which stands out most strikingly in this manner is ?Hamlet.? "
Tags: dramatist, english, literature, plays, poet, theatre, william
Abstract The paper discusses forgiveness and love as the two most dominant themes in "Les Miserables". The way Victor Hugo uses these themes to show how the main characters change and grow throughout the story are discussed in the paper and the importance of these themes in everyday life is also described.
From the Paper "Les Miserables is an epic drama of human struggle that touches the very soul of personal passion and emotion. Victor Hugo succeeded in creating a dramatic piece with countless possible themes and ideas that truly impress upon the feelings of all persons. The element of theme, or ones opinion of what the story is about, can be many different things in this movie. However, the two themes that held steady and true through out the entirety of the creation were forgiveness and love. A main component of these themes, and what makes them special, is how forgiveness and love can affect people in extraordinary ways and produce change among the most steadfast of individuals."
Analyzes the character of Othello from Shakespeare's play of the same name to determine if he fits the classical definition of a tragic hero. Concludes that Othello falls short of the definition.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 39.95
From the Paper "Othello has often been termed a "tragic hero," however, that definition might not be the most accurate or useful one to fully understand the implications of this complex Shakespearean hero. Standard dramatic criticism argues that a "tragic hero," is "a good and noble man brought to a bad end because of some flaw in his character that leads him to the wrong course of action." Implied in that definition are four concepts, or templates, against which Othello can be measured: a) good and noble man; b) tragic flaw; c) wrong course of action; and d) bad end..."
Compares the theme of honor in Lope de Vega's "Fuente Ovejuna" & in Tirso de Molina's "The Trickster of Seville." Common characteristics & differences.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 39.95
From the Paper "The theme of honor lies at the heart of Lope de Vega's "Fuente Ovejuna" and Tirso de Molina's ?The Trickster of Seville.? In fact, the chief protagonists of the two plays, Commendador Fernan Gomez and Don Juan possess the common sin of dishonoring young women. While they are considered "honorable" in aristocratic circles because of their fighting prowess or their ranking, they both abuse the high esteem or the honor generally associated with their titles. However, the issue of honor does not only involve men in aristocratic circles. For a woman, honor is associated with guarding her virginity. Yet, the connotation of the word "honor" also refers to the integrity of character of every individual regardless of gender or position. The comparison of these two plays will illuminate the complete definition of the word ?honor.? "
From the Paper "The story of Antigone has been told by many poets, playwrights, and others over the centuries. The relationship between Antigone and her father, Oedipus, and the conflict between Antigone and Creon, point to various aspects of the social roles of women in Thebes at the time this play was written. The tragedy of Oedipus echoes through the generations, affecting his children and determining the course of their lives for them, and Antigone can be examined using this Freudian view, much as Willbern does when he writes, Such a focus will therefore be one-sided, viewed through paternal eyes--the patriarchal perspective. Freud sometimes characterized the daughter's perspective, but he was naturally more familiar with the father's (Willbern 75-76)." "
From the Paper " This study will examine the role of fate in the life of Oedipus in Sophocles' play Oedipus the King. Oedipus himself is largely unaware of his true situation in life and the role he has played in bringing that situation about. Is Oedipus doomed because of his anger, pride, and obsessive need to find the truth? Or is he doomed because the gods decided before he was even born that he would live the tragic life he lived, including killing his father and marrying his mother? The position of this study will be that Oedipus was predestined to experience the tragedies of his life. The theme, therefore, carries the message that individuals are not free from their fates, but must come to accept whatever destiny has dealt them.
Oedipus is ignorant of essential facts about himself and his life, and his ignorance of such facts leads to disaster. Oedipus.."
From the Paper "In A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, a key conflict in the play is the threat Blanche poses to the domesticity of Stanley and Stella, and from Stanley's point of view this is bound with his belief in reality as contrasted with Blanche's desire to live by illusion. Stanley is a character who is open and direct. From the beginning of the play he is made to seem elemental. The first line of the play is Stanley yelling up at his wife, "Hey, there! Stella, baby!" (p. 13). He tosses her a package of raw meat, emphasizing his brute nature and the sexual relationship always between them. He is rough and crude, but he is also honest and open. He says what he means and challenges anyone to dispute him. Stanley is happy with his domestic life as it is, and Blanche enters and disrupts all that."
When Blanche and Stanley first meet, both are uneasy. Stanl
This paper analyz the play "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller especially the dramatic tension created from Willy Loman's failure at his job, his disappointment with his sonsand his confusion of illusion and reality in measuring success.
1,125 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 3 sources, 1990, $ 39.95
From the Paper "This paper will analyze the play "Death of a Salesman", which was written by Arthur Miller. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the tension generated when individuals come into conflict with circumstances. There are three basic circumstances in this play which create conflict for the main character, Willy Loman. These circumstances include Willy's failure at his job, his disappointment in his sons, and his inability to separate illusion from reality in his conception of success.
In the course of the play, it is noted that Willy Loman was never particularly successful in his job as a salesman. Furthermore, when the play opens, Willy has become old and tired and has come to realize that he is not even able to make the few sales that he used to be able to make. The conflict inherent in this circumstance is increased by the fact that Howard Wagner, ... "
Abstract This paper compares at length the tragic qualities of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Sophocles' Oedipus. It defines the three characteristics of a tragic hero with their exceptional ethics and tragic flaw, and shows how Hamlet and Oedipus fit each definition. The paper analyzes the personalities of both characters and supports its analysis with quotes from the plays.
From the Paper "The first requirement of the tragic hero is that he is basically a good person. Hamlet meets this criteria by displaying many good traits including intelligence, sensitivity, and humility. However, the greatest evidence of Hamlet's goodness is his unwillingness to commit murder, even when asked to take revenge for his father's murder. This illustrates that Hamlet is not just a basically good man, but an exceptionally good man.
Aristotle describes the characteristics of the tragic hero in his classic work ?Poetics.? Aristotle's model of a tragic hero involves an individual who is basically good, but has one tragic flaw in their nature that results in their undoing. The tragic hero's journey from prosperity to misfortune is not caused either by circumstance or by them being evil, but rather by a mistake their one flaw causes them to make. In creating this definition of a tragic hero Aristotle was attempting to explain why audiences are so interested in watching the tragic hero. Aristotle attributed the interest in the tragic character to three things. Firstly, the audience likes the hero. Secondly, the audience fears what will happen to the hero. Finally, the audience pities the hero. Importantly, for this pity to occur the hero must still remain liked even when he is doing wrong. This is why it is important that the character is not evil. Rather than evil, he is fallible, though at the same time, his own nature causes his downfall in some way. Overall then, there are three characteristics of the tragic hero: the character must be basically good but have one tragic flaw; the character must bring about their own downfall; and the character must engage the audience, with the downfall causing the audience to pity the character and his demise. Two characters that fit this definition of the classic hero are Hamlet from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and Oedipus from Sophocles? ?Oedipus the King.?
Abstract The paper begins by looking at the differences between the classical tragic hero and the tragic hero of Shakespearian times. It then moves on to a closer examination of the characteristics of the tragic hero, as illustrated in is Sophocles? "Oedipus Rex". A brief outline of the plot is given and the paper explains how this work fits into the category of the mythological tale. The character flaws responsible for the tragic fall in the play are also discussed. Next the paper moves on to Shakespeare's tragedy, "Hamlet", comparing it with the former tragedy in terms of evidence or lack of "otherworldly forces" to spur on the tragedy and in terms of each plays philosophy concerning fate and free will. The paper concludes by explaining how both of these characters fit the mould of tragic hero.
From the Paper "Understanding the Tragic Hero begins with an examination of Oedipus Rex. But, while he is the archetype of this particular literary character, Hamlet is, perhaps, the most well developed and psychologically complex of tragic heroes. For the Greeks, all things in life are preordained, which is what makes for the tragedy of Oedipus ? his attempt to make his own destiny. Over the course of time, however, while the form of the tragic hero did not change, the reason for his being tragic did. The social world of the Renaissance had shifted from a philosophy of determinism to one of individualism ? that we all have the choice to accept or deny our relationship with God. This makes Hamlet a tragic hero who is punished not for a flaunting of destiny, but because he is mad. It is the purpose of this paper to examine both Oedipus Rex and Hamlet as tragic heroes who, because of their different social contexts, made for very different men."
Abstract This paper reviews Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Salesman" and looks at how psychological realism delves into the mental states of the characters and seeks the underlying causes for their actions. It examines how the set and the way the action moves from place to place in the play is not realistic but expressionistic and how a psychological picture is created for each character since the way characters interact is real and rooted in mental states. It looks at how Willy wants respect and in spite of Willy's failures, Arthur Miller believes that Willy and his generation deserve respect for their strengths and forgiveness for their weaknesses. It analyzes how this is brought out through a contrast between the older and the younger generation to show how the younger generation focuses on the faults of the older while failing to see its own faults.
From the Paper "Miller speaks here for the average man who tries his best to make a living and raise a family. All Willy wants is recognition, from his family, his boss, the world. He has been chasing the American dream without success, and he has been blinded to the real value in his life by that dream. His tragedy is that he creates his own hell by the way he has conducted his life, treated his family, and done his job, all in a quest for a certain definition of success while ignoring the real values around him. In the structure of the play, the viewer has to pay attention to Willy and his life because Willy is in every sense the center of the play."
