Abstract This paper examines Hamlet, the main character in William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet." The paper explores the thesis that revenge is anti-ethical to Hamlet's character. It looks at the ways in which Hamlet ? both the play and its eponymous prince ? are both psychologically more complex and yet also, in some important dramaturgical ways, less satisfying than are other Shakespearean plays that are centered on revenge such as "Romeo and Juliet," and "King Lear."
From the Paper "But the world of Denmark as seen in Hamlet's court is so corrupted that it cannot be cleansed even by the degree of death that takes place in the play. The fact that this is so should be an indication that the corruption goes to the very heart of not only the state but of Hamlet, who serves as a sort of mythical kingly figure in this context. It is not so much that something is rotten in the state of Denmark, but that something is weakened beyond the possibility of being fixed. Given the cultural standards for manliness common in both the medieval world in which the play is set as well as the Renaissance world in which Shakespeare was writing ? as well as, of course, our own ? it is not surprising that Hamlet should interpret weakness as corruption. Princes, by the standards of his time, should be warriors rather than philosophers."
Abstract This paper is a detailed look at the villain Iago from William Shakespeare's play, "Othello". The author discusses how Iago had no motive for acting in such an evil manner, or what his intentions truly were. The paper speculates that Iago was villainous purely for the pleasure of being evil.
From the Paper "One of the most important questions for any of us to try to understand in our lives is what makes some people good and others evil. We look to our own experiences for guidance, to the standards of any religion that we might follow, to our cultural and political leaders ? and to the realm of art. For surely one of the marks of the great artist is that he or she is able to encapsulate and articulate the important elements about the debate over what makes some people take the path of moral conduct while others become evil. William Shakespeare is one of those artists who has for four centuries helped us to clarify the nature of good and evil by presenting us with complex characters that allow us to understand human motivation."
A discussion of the interrelations among men and women with reference to Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", Ibsen's "A Doll's House" and Shakespeare's "Othello".
Abstract This paper explores the domination of women by men. In Shakespeare's "Othello", Ibsen's "A Doll's House" and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", we see examples of this phenomena quite clearly, with our modern eyes. The paper examines the different ways in which ideas of domination have changed shape from Elizabethan times to that of the turn of the century.
From the Paper ?Shakespeare's "Othello" is a play written by an Englishman, set in Venice. From the beginning, we see women warned by both men and women to beware of the scheming of men. ?an old black ram/is tupping your white ewe,? shouts Iago to Desdemona's father when he is warning him of The Moor's abduction of her. (1.1.89 Norton Anthology 2102) When Othello defends his marriage to Desdemona, he is accused of practicing witchcraft upon her. (1.2.64-64) Yet when he explains, we are assured both by the beauty of his words, by Desdemona, and by the reaction of the men listening to him that it was only the beauty of his stories that charmed her, not any sinister power he might have.?
Tags: mysterious, exception, Iago, greatest, objection, characters, Othello, blackness, Emilia, general, evils, men
Abstract This essay puts forth the argument that Shakespeare's views on Elizabethan society, which seemed to represent the majority view of early modern Europeans, are set forth in his play "The Tempest". The author provides a brief synopsis and analysis of the play and puts it into historical context with Shakespeare's time.
From the Paper "The Elizabethan period was considered to be the enlightenment period where the artists and scholars were given opportunities to explore their art and culture. She even gave leeway to explore laws and order. Women and their position I the society prospered. This was against all that the people of the United Kingdom believed. Though historians would consider this period as most enlightening because it contains records of the medieval society the people at the time thinks otherwise. Perhaps this was the reason that the many plays of Shakespeare presented the views of the common people."
Abstract The following paper explores Shakespeare's genius at communicating how people relate to one another. It examines how his enduring reputation and literary achievements are based on the strength and popular appeal of his stories as well on the clarity and elegance of his language. This paper reveals how he had the ability to describe the essence of human experience and understood the continuum of human emotion and through his writings brought life to states of mind and feelings.
From the Paper "The story opens with a family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. That night Romeo Montague attends a party at the Capulet home in search of Rosalind, the woman he loves. He is distraught because his love for her is not reciprocated. Meanwhile, Juliet Capulet has been informed by her mother that Count Paris, a nobleman, will be at the party and has asked for her hand in marriage. When Romeo and Juliet see each other they fall in love.
"Later, Juliet speaks to herself on the balcony, unaware that Romeo is listening below, "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo" Deny thy father and refuse thy name...? (2, iii, 37). They profess their love for each other and she tells him to arrange their marriage for the next day. Romeo then asks Friar Laurence, a monk, to marry them. The Friar thinks their marriage may help to end the feud. Juliet's nurse helps the young couple to elope and the Friar secretly marries them."
Abstract This essay is about the theme of magic in the Shakesparean play, "The Tempest". The writer provides a short summary of the play and quotes lines which show how the power of magic influenced developments in the plot.
From the Paper "Prospero was the legal duke of Milan. His brother, Antonio, stole his title and banished him and his daughter, Miranda, from Milan. While in exile, on an isolated island, he harnessed powers of magic for he was a great lover of arts and in particular, magic. Prospero was a very powerful man and by using his spell books, he was able to summon mighty magic. The most powerful creature he controls is Ariel who aids him in executing some of his magic spells."
Abstract This paper looks briefly at the background of a fool/court jester in history and gives a brief history of King Lear. It looks closely at the Fool's character and his interactions with the other characters of the play, especially his relationship with Lear. The paper discusses the fool's function of comic relief, his function as the teller of Truth, and as Lear's conscience and reason.
From the Paper "The Fool in King Lear is often a misunderstood presence. In the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, shortened versions of the play omitted the character altogether. In Elizabethan times, the role of a fool, or court jester, was to professionally entertain others, specifically the king. Many of the fool's quips and riddles were made at the expense of the king, and this is depicted in King Lear. In Act 1, Scene 4 Goneril refers to the Fool as ""all-licensed fool""(1.4.191), highlighting the fact that because fools hold a special license they are allowed to say things to their superiors that anybody else would be punished for. When the Fool tells Lear what he thinks of him, Lear threatens him with the whip if he goes too far: The Fool in King Lear is often a misunderstood presence. In the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, shortened versions of the play omitted the character altogether. In Elizabethan times, the role of a fool, or court jester, was to professionally entertain others, specifically the king. Many of the fool's quips and riddles were made at the expense of the king, and this is depicted in King Lear. In Act 1, Scene 4 Goneril refers to the Fool as ""all-licensed fool""(1.4.191), highlighting the fact that because fools hold a special license they are allowed to say things to their superiors that anybody else would be punished for. When the Fool tells Lear what he thinks of him, Lear threatens him with the whip if he goes too far."
Abstract This paper examines "Hamlet", Act III, Scene IV which describes a discussion between Hamlet and his mother. Hamlet opens up and tells his mother how he feels about her behavior and her shamelessness. It discusses Hamlet's father and their relationship. Hamlet ends up accusing his mother of treachery and she ends up finding out how his father was killed. This paper discusses the themes in this passage and the literary techniques used in it.
From the Paper "Act III, Scene IV takes place in the queen's closet in a meeting between Hamlet and his mother. A member of the King's court, Polonius has been sent to hide in the queen's curtains to spy on the meeting. It is here that we join Hamlet in a conversation with his mother. Hamlet, hearing Polonius behind the curtain, has stabbed him. The following analyzes the speech in which Hamlet tells his mother his true feelings about her deed. This passage is divided into clear, well-organized segments. Lines 53-64 are describing the virtues of Hamlet's father. Line 65 abruptly switches to a description of Claudius. In lines 66-80, Hamlet asks his mother how she could do such an act. He does not believe it to be blind love. He asks why she has no shame in her actions. This passage concludes in lines 82-86 where Hamlet accuses his mother of treachery. Within each section of the passage there is much repetition on the theme. This gives the passage the feeling of anger and urgency. It also helps add to Hamlets muse of pretending to be crazy at this time."
Tags: Hamlet, Act III, Scene IV mother queen Polonius father crazy treachery shakespeare
Abstract This term paper examines the character of Hamlet in which we see a very human character, one whose destiny in part condemns a man whose is also condemned by his own actions. This essay discusses Hamlet's habitual indecisiveness which leads to a climax in which there is in fact no clear resolution to the play's action.
From the Paper "We are accustomed to thinking of Hamlet as the hero of the play that bears his name ? the avenger of his father, the man who returns a sense of justice and order to the land of Denmark. And yet a closer reading of the play suggests that while Hamlet is in some sense a hero, he is also quite clearly culpable for the terrible events that occur. And yet rather than make him less compelling as a character, his essential flaws make him more interesting. His own indecisiveness and unwillingness to act in the end cause a great deal of harm in the world. His role as a prince is to serve as the protector of his people, as a dam against the threat of evil. This passivity of his is certainly not as morally wrong as is the active evil involved in the murder of his father. But neither is it heroism, constituting no outstanding feat of virtue. "
Abstract Shakespeare's collection of 154 sonnets are analyzed for uniformity and genre. The paper shows that information about the sonnets is somewhat sketchy and incomplete. Scholars disagree on the order in which he wrote the sonnets, the identities of the people to whom he referred in the sonnets, and even whether or not he intended the sonnets to be autobiographical.
From the Paper "The sonnets address universal themes such as love, jealousy, and, interestingly, concerns about aging and the effects of the passage of time on one's life. In Sonnet 2, for instance, the persona encourages a friend in the bloom of youth to have children to carry on his beauty before age steals it away. In Sonnet 73, the persona laments his own old age. These two sonnets have several factors in common. Both are addressed to the same young friend"or perhaps lover"of the persona, both focus on the ravages of age, and both employ the symbolism of nature. There are, however, some major differences. While Sonnet 2 deals with renewal, Sonnet 73 clearly foreshadows the persona's impending death; and while Sonnet 2 essentially appeals to the selfish emotion of vanity, Sonnet 73 is about a selfless love."
A discussion of how various characters such as Hotspur, Prince Hal and Falstaff represent different manifestations of the concept of honor in Shakespeare's 'Henry VI'.
Abstract Honor, the central theme in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, is embodied primarily in the two main characters. This essay compares and contrasts the concept of honor as lived by Hotspur and Prince Hall, making frequent use of quotes to substantiate claims. Other characters, King Henry and Falstaff, who Shakespeare finds useful in this major treatment of honor, are also discussed.
From the Paper "One of the main themes around which Shakespeare dramatizes the history of his country in The First Part of King Henry IV is honor. To the Elizabethans honor was a major topic of debate as it had been to Englishmen of all ages. Honor is a complex subject, highly personal to some, highly public to others. Honor can be something for which one quietly stands, or about which one shouts in flowery language. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast some of the various forms taken by honor as represented in Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part I."
Tags: falstaff, hal, hotspur, prince, Shakespeare, Henry, IV, honor, Elizanethans
Abstract This essay shows how Shakespeare's "Hamlet" struggles with the concept of age and growing old. He is pitted against age with his dad's ghost and the real life of his uncle but he has the energy and youthful ideas of youth with which to combat their wisdom. He grows and before he dies he becomes a true adult, something that the audience is happy to see happen, because he was so tortured for so long.
From the Paper "This is the play in which the famous line, "This above all: to thine own self be true". - (Act I, Scene III)." originated. This was the way Hamlet finally learned that he had to do what he had to do to make his life content and he could not worry about how it would affect everyone else. If he lived his life for others he would be forever miserable and that would do no one any good."
Abstract The author of the paper shows Shakespeare's skillful use of imagery in developing the character of Macbeth in the play. The paper shows that although imagery is used throughout the play, it is most dominant in appearances with clothing, light and darkness imagery, and blood imagery.
From the Paper "Using clothing imagery, Shakespeare develops Macbeth's character. This is evident, as, imagery of clothing shows us Macbeth's ambition, and the consequences thereof. We see this ambition, through Banquo, when he says, "New honors come upon him, / Like our strange garments, cleave not to the / mould" (144-146), meaning that new clothes do not fit our bodies, until we are accustomed to them. Throughout the entire play, Macbeth is constantly wearing new clothes, that are not his, and do not fit. "
Abstract The paper shows how "King Lear" by William Shakespeare, is an unforgettably disturbing story of unbearable injustice and cruelty as well as of unseen loyalty and love. The paper explores how, from beginning to end, it is a tale of deception, and not just any kind, but filial deception as well as fraternal deception and deception in relationships by affinity. The author uses quotes from the original text to show how the theme of disloyalty is seen throughout the play.
From the Paper "Birds of a treacherous feather flock together and dupe one another too. The sisters Goneril and Regan now both want Edmund, who rather than choose, takes both of them for convenience and in order to avoid the displeasure of both:"To both these sisters have I sworn my love; each jeaolus of the other, as the stung are of the adder. Which of them shall I take? Both? One? Or neither?" (Act 5 Scene 1 lines 64-67)
"We know how the sisters try to outdo each other till the end, but with Goneril finally poisoning Regan and eliminating her from the competition, Goneril being the original and more wicked of the two. But Goneril meets her own end when her husband Albany gets hold of her secret letter to Edmund and Albany confronts her. In smoldering embarrassment and guilt, she takes her own life."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of Macbeth, one of the most famous Shakespearean Tragedies, and contains the characters Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth, who is the first influential woman figure in literature. This paper analyses the play and discusses in detail the complete role reversal that occurs between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Tags: macbeth, shakespere, blood, evil, characters, macduff, king
