Abstract This paper analyzes Leontes' character in "The Winter's Tale" by Shakespeare. The paper provides reference to his interactions, behavior, relationships, madness, paranoia and many other factors that lead to his demise.
From the Paper "As Leontes makes his first appearance in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tales", the reader is confronted by an aggressively insecure character. His conversation with the more relaxed Polixenes is illustrative of this. Polixenes, in his anxiety to leave, explains that he has overstayed his welcome; "Besides, I have stay"d To tire you royalty? Polixenes? suggestion is clearly a polite one, a non-threatening exclamation of gratitude. However, in a representation of his competitive character, Leontes mis-comprehends this as a challenge; "We are tougher, brother, Tha you can put us to"t?."
The paper explores how the images of Roman and Egyptian cultures in Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" reflect the battle of ideologies represented in the play.
Abstract By analyzing William Shakespeare's play, "Antony and Cleopatra", the paper focuses on images from Roman culture such as gods (Mars, Venus), heroes (Aeneas, Dido), Antony's sword. The paper then explores the images from Egyptian culture such as Isis and Osiris, serpent of the Nile. Finally it shows how these images are a reflection of both characters' ideologies and beliefs.
From the Paper "The spectators of Anthony and Cleopatra are inevitably overwhelmed by the splendor of imagery and the richness of images in the speeches of the characters. Opposition and juxtaposition of the images from Roman and Egyptian cultures contribute much to this effect. The use of these images is very intense; it reflects the battle of the ideologies that is fought on the stage. The central thematic conflict in Anthony and Cleopatra evolves from the opposing claims upon Anthony of the values and attitudes symbolized by the Roman and the Egyptian worlds."
From the Paper "William Shakespeare is the leading dramatist in history and wrote the plays against which all subsequent dramatic writing has been measured. Shakespeare's tragedies generally follow the demands of the Aristotelian view of the tragic hero, though Shakespeare does bend some of the Aristotelian "rules" when he believes it is necessary to accomplish his purpose. An examination of several of his tragedies will show how he achieves his dramatic effects in terms of the definition of the tragic hero.
The tragic hero derives from the Greek drama, as elucidated by the criticism of Aristotle in particular. Tragedy in this conception is struggling against something over which we really have no control, and the tragedy develops from a recognition of the futility of the struggle, leading to the resignation of the.."
From the Paper " This is a study of "guilt after or before evil deeds" in Richard III. Shakespeare creates five distinct ways of relating to this basic question of conscience in the presence of evil. First, in public, Richard the King displays a strong conscience, but in private he shows no conscience whatsoever. Second, the Second Murderer, Edward IV, Dighton, and Forrest express a strong sense of conscience prior in the presence of evil deeds. Third, Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, Hastings, and Buckingham commit evil deeds in spite of conscience and are moved to express remorse only when they are caught and judged. Fourth, Queen Margaret, Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, and Queen Anne keep the question of conscience and justice before everyone through their curses and accusations. Finally, Henry Tudor rids the kingdom of moral uncertainty and restores justice to its.."
From the Paper "OUTLINE
THESIS: Although The Merchant of Venice is often described as a romantic comedy, and although the play does have comic and romantic elements, an analysis of the characters, especially the central figures of Shylock, Antonio, and Portia, reveals the play to be far more dramatic and tragic than comedic.
I. Shylock is a tragic character.
A. He is ruled by a greed which alienates him from others.
B. He is shown to be in part a character wronged by others and justified in his desire for revenge against Antonio.
C. The complexity of his character shows Shakespeare himself to be ambivalent about him, but at no time is he shown to be a comic villain.
II. Antonio is a tragic character."
Reviews the 1948 film version of HAMLET directed by & starring Sir Laurence Olivier. Focuses on Olivier's allegiance to the text in creating his version.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 1 source, 1998, $ 23.95
From the Paper "One of the best film versions of William Shakespeare's Hamlet is that directed by and starring Laurence Olivier and made in 1948. The Olivier film is dark, brooding, and truly theatrical, with sets that are suggestive rather than realistic, expressionistic rather than precise. The darkness of the image is matched by a darkness of spirit and a sense of foreboding that hangs over the film from the first frame. Such a dark and expressionistic setting fits quite well with the internal brooding of Hamlet. The character of Hamlet is considered difficult because he is seen as passive rather than active for most of the play. Early in the play he is given the task of avenging his father by his father's ghost, and yet for most of the play he seems to do nothing about it. He is highly reflective but inactive until the very end of the play when he does.."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the figure of the adventurer, exile, or wanderer as the displaced representative or victim of institutions of power in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Shakespeare's The Tempest. The plan of the research will be to set forth in general terms the pattern of events and ideas in each work in regard to this figure and then to discuss the means by which the figure's narrative and symbolic significance is resolved.
The manifest action of The Tempest turns on the issue of rebellion and authority. The opening storm begins the revenge of the magician Prospero on Antonio, the Duke of Milan. As Prospero explains to Miranda in I.ii, he is the rightful duke. Some years earlier he had delegated most of his authority to his brother Antonio, who, by a combination of conspiracy with Alonso, King of .."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the representations of women in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, Midsummer Night's Dream, and Much Ado About Nothing. The plan of the research will be to set forth the pattern of ideas in each play as it relates to the representation of women and then to discuss the means by which the characterizations emerge in the plays.
Although the details differ from play to play, what these three plays share is a line of action that demonstrates the coping strategies of women who are obliged to find--and who proceed to enact--a specific and appropriate social role. The pattern of ideas in The Taming of the Shrew as a whole can be said to define the pattern of female characterization in the play as well. The action of the play builds around the methods.."
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the representation of the tragic hero or heroine in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth. The plan of the research will be to set forth the context in which the Shakespearean conception of heroism can be most efficiently understood, and then to discuss how tragic heroism is represented in each of the plays.
In his discussion of dramatic structure, H.D.F. Kitto distinguishes between Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, noting that "Greek tragedy presents sudden and complete disaster, or one disaster linked to another in linear fashion, while Shakespearean tragedy presents the complexive, menacing spread of ruin" (Kitto 337). Kitto applies this analysis to such Shakespearean plays as Hamlet and Macbeth, but it seems applicable as well to Romeo and Julie.."
Abstract Examines the dramatic impact of parent-child relationships on the development of ideas, action and the characters' fates in Shakespeare's plays
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the dramatic impact of the parent-child relationships in Hamlet and King Lear. The plan of the research will be to set forth the importance of these relationships to the pattern of ideas in each play and then to discuss the means by and extent to which parent-child interaction drives the action of and the fate of all the characters in each play.
The complex parent-child situation at home initiates and drives the action of Hamlet, and Hamlet is the hub of parent-child relationships with his mother, his new stepfather/uncle, and the ghost of his father. Hamlet's emotional ties have been turned upside down. He compares Uncle Claudius unfavorably to the elder Hamlet, "no more like my father / Than I to Hercules" (I.ii). He does not understand how Gertrude could forget memories of ..."
Abstract The relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is not a true love story. Instead, it seems to be the sort of relationship that everyone has long assumed and that has never developed to the degree others believe it has or perhaps wish it had.
From the Paper "The relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is not a true love story. Instead, it seems to be the sort of relationship that everyone has long assumed and that has never developed to the degree others believe it has or perhaps wish it had. Gertrude expresses such a sentiment as she places flowers on Ophelia's grave: "Sweets to the sweet! Farewell./ I hop'd thou shouldst have been my Hamlet's wife;/ I thought thy bride bed to have deck'd, sweet maid,/ And not have strew'd thy grave" (V.1.244-247). When Hamlet is feigning madness and wishes to tweak Laertes, he claims to have loved Ophelia, though his actions previously have not shown much love for her: "I lov'd Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers/ Could not (with all their quantity of love)/ Make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?" (V.1.280-282)."
Examines the meaning and significance of Act III, Scene 2, in which Hamlet speaks to and deceives Horatio, his would-be killers Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and others.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, 1999, $ 47.95
Abstract "The central character in Hamlet is charged with a duty to avenge his father, but in the broader sense, he is to avenge the natural order and so restore it. That natural order has been rent asunder by the murder of the king, and Hamlet is the instrument of divine justice who is told to destroy Claudius and Gertrude and so to set things right.
From the Paper "The central character in Hamlet is charged with a duty to avenge his father, but in the broader sense, he is to avenge the natural order and so restore it. That natural order has been rent asunder by the murder of the king, and Hamlet is the instrument of divine justice who is told to destroy Claudius and Gertrude and so to set things right. Yet, Hamlet does not act immediately, and instead he devises his ploy of a play-within-a-play and also toys with various characters as he prepares his revenge. One such instance of this occurs when he is speaking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act III Scene 2, two men who are ostensibly his friends and yet who have been ordered by Claudius to kill Hamlet. He knows this, and they do not now that he is aware of the fact. The banter in this scene therefore has a double meaning throughout, and Hamlet takes delight in confusing ..."
Abstract This paper performs a line by line close reading of Shakespeare's "Sonnet 138", examining the ways in which Shakespeare's careful use of language subtly adds layers of depth to the sonnet's meaning. The paper focuses its analysis on the themes of love, truth, lies, and self-deception ? the main themes of the sonnet.
From the Paper "In Sonnet 138, Shakespeare writes about the layers of deceit in a relationship between a man and a woman. The speaker and his lover each choose to believe the other's lies in order to remain secure about themselves. The speaker calmly explains his complex relationship with cynical wit and resignation, and without expressing a wish to change or improve the dynamic between himself and his lover. Shakespeare plays with words surrounding the central ideas of the poem such as belief, knowledge, truth, and simplicity, creating in them layers of meaning. Shakespeare also presents the reader with paradoxes and logic-plays. Each line builds on the last, so that every line of the sonnet adds new depth and complexity to the lovers? deceit. Also Shakespeare's language effectively conveys the speaker's tone and emotions through word choice and structure; Shakespeare communicates detachment and bitter humor on the part of the speaker, as well as a resigned and cynical outlook on love."
This paper discusses the mental status of the character Hamlet from William Shakespeare's play, "Hamlet", one of the most widely read and debated plays in the world.
720 words (approx. 2.9 pages), 1 source, 2000, $ 25.95
Abstract This paper discusses Hamlet's mental health that fluctuates greatly throughout the play. The author concludes that Hamlet's madness was genuine and was the consequence of a prolonged exposure to an unstable environment. The author believes Hamlet's fall from sanity was the result of his hesitation, indecision, the stress put on him by the constant caution and imitation of madness and by the loss of Ophelia.
From the Paper "Hamlet's uncertainty as to Claudius? guilt in the murder of the King, Hamlet's father, was what originally started Hamlet on the path to madness. He spend a great deal of time hesitating and wondering whether killing Claudius to avenge the King's death was indeed the right thing to do. Hamlet was unsure as to the authenticity of the ghost and the validity of its statements."
Tags: madness, genuine, environment, hesitation, uncertainty, indecision, stress, imitation, loss
Abstract Shows that the character of Hamlet is a very complicated one. The paper looks at his speeches as the main source to examine whether he is faking his madness or not. The writer concludes that Hamlet is sane and very intelligent.
From the Paper "Hamlet, the young Danish prince, is possibly one of the most complicated characters in English Literature. Shakespeare created a three-dimensional and multifaceted individual, whose constant in depth soliloquies ask the most significant questions that have ever been ask. Hamlet has the reader in a constant guessing game trying to decipher whether or not he is truly insane. Why does Hamlet feign madness? Is he really feigning? Was Polonius accurate in saying that there was a "method to his madness"? Hamlet's speech is the doorway to his soul, in which we find the answers to all our questions about him. His dialogue gives us hints as to his intentions and purpose. Shakespeare showed Hamlet's intentions in many of his speeches. "How strange or odd some" or I bear myself that you, at such times seeing me, never shall, with encumbered thus, or this headshake... Or such ambiguous giving out, to note that you know aught of me - this do swear...?"
