Abstract This paper examines in how the film version, director Kenneth Branagh takes viewers into a far different Messina than what is generally interpreted from the play's text. From the costumes to the background settings, from the addition of scenes to the emphasis on certain characters, Branagh reserves his right to interpret "Much Ado About Nothing" as he sees fit. This paper sorts through these differences and outlines and details the logic and reasoning behind Branagh's actions.
From the Paper "Film direction and production of plays allows the viewer to see with their own eyes the relationships between characters, the focus of the themes, and the other aspects of plays such as costumes, the representations of the players, and so forth. In other words,the viewers are given the opportunity to let their imagination and curiosity come to fruition. When I read a play I try to visualize what I am reading and really explore my imagination to see the action as it is occurring in my mind. Often times however, my imagination is shattered somewhat when I see the film production. Such is the case with Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing". "
Abstract This paper elaborates on the importance of the motif of darkness and light in "Romeo and Juliet". There are several scenes which incorporate this theme throughout the play and a complete discussion is offered as to the importance of this imagery.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, encapsulates several different themes and motifs. The most obvious theme of the play is romantic love and the relationship it shares with death and violence. Fate, and the role it plays in the characters tragic deaths, is another theme that clearly permeates throughout Romeo and Juliet. However, I believe a complete explication of the play would not be possible without the inclusion of a less apparent motif, the imagery of darkness and light. Several of the important scenes in Romeo and Juliet, are set either late at night or early in the morning, and Shakespeare often uses the contrast between day and night to explore opposing alternatives within the context of the scene."
Abstract This paper argues that the demise of William Shakespeare's "Richard II" was not due to Bolingbroke's invasion of England but due to Richard's own failings to act as an appropriate king. It develops the idea that Richard's character failures, his passivity and inability to act decisively, result in his loss of kingship. It examines how his numerous failures as king, such as his disconnection from his people and land, contribute to his removal form the throne. It shows that despite Bolingbroke's presence in the play, Richard's downfall is ultimately his own doing.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare's Richard II, is the dramatic portrayal of a king's downfall. The action of the play surrounds the deposition of an anointed but unworthy king, Richard II. Although he is stately and poetic, he fails miserably in his public role as a king because he is disconnected from his land and its people. Consequently, he is overthrown by his cousin Bolingbroke and eventually assassinated. However, despite Bolingbroke's connection to Richard's removal from the throne, Richard's fall ultimately is a result of his own inability to perform the duties of kingship. His continuous passivity and readiness to succumb to despair prove to be his definitive weaknesses and result in his final defeat. Richard is not fit to be king."
Abstract This paper examines the causes (Ambition, Lady Macbeth, Witches) of Macbeth's downfall from a loyal soldier to a brutal murderer and also the events that led to his tragic death at the end of the play. Manipulation, the supernatural, and ambition are discussed.
From the Paper "The play "Macbeth" gives the audience many opportunities to consider the reasons for the main character's actions. At first, Macbeth is a brave and noble warrior. His thirst for power causes him to murder his friend, his king, and an innocent family. By the end of the play he is full of despair and has lost all interest in life. His ambition, his dominating wife, and the manipulative witches all contribute to his downfall.
At the beginning of the play Macbeth is a brave war hero. When Malcolm is named Prince of Cumberland, Macbeth becomes jealous. He admits his "black and deep desires". He also says to ? let the eye wink at the hand?, or, to let the eye be blind to the hand's deed. This is when Macbeth first realizes that he may have to play an active part in making the witches? prophecy come true. He is even willing to do something drastic in order to become king. Before killing Duncan, Macbeth says that he has no ?spur to prick the sides of [his] intent, but only vaulting ambition.? He is tired of simply being a warrior. He wants to have more power. Instead of letting fate take its course he is going to kill Duncan to get what he wants."
Abstract In the story of "Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Brutus is essential to the plot development of the play. The paper shows that his character is gullible in the way he lets people take advantage of his naivete towards other characters in the play. Brutus is also facing an inevitable death due to the fact that he has a dying patriotism to his country. The paper examines Brutus' conflict between being a friend to Rome and a friend to a Caesar. This conflict made Brutus agonize over the idea of Caesar being murdered. It shows that this conflict led to the tragedy in Brutus? life. Brutus inflicted the wound that may have been the one that killed Caesar and eliminated the one thing that Rome required - Caesar.
From the Paper "In the play, Brutus has the utmost pride in and love for his country. On p.11 lines79-80, Brutus states "What means this shouting" I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king.? This is earlier in the story when Brutus first fears Caesar blooming into a king. Brutus acknowledges at this point that he does have some sort of hatred brewing inside of him towards Caesar. On p.11, lines 88-89 he states ? For let the gods so speed me as I love the name of honor more than I fear death.? He would rather die with honor then to wallow in his life with a great dishonor. He must return to the vociferate ways which Brutus had before. If he had loved Caesar he would have made an outcry for help and to at least influence Caesar's head with rumors of a conspiracy. There is no doubt that he tried his best to make the government not suffer by Caesar's death. Brutus always will have a dying love for his country."
Abstract This paper illustrates the specific idea that appears to be evident in a majority, if not all, of Shakespeare's works - that the works are mainly concerned with the concept of the disruption and restoration of order at various levels. Examples are provided of this "breakdown" at various different or parallel levels, including personal, intimate, political and spiritual. The paper examines several Shakespearean tragedies including "Hamlet", "King Lear" and "Macbeth".
From the Paper "Hamlet at the very moment of killing Claudius and thus restoring both personal and political order himself dies. He then cannot take his rightful place on the throne, nor as head of his family. This has been denied him as the price for its very restoration. This also holds true for Lear. His kingdom is restored and those who sought to destroy him are no more. Yet it is Albany who now rules. In addition at the personal level, Lear finally discovers his love for Cordelia only just before her death. Having finally found her, she is now lost to him for eternity. Lear has also paid the ultimate price for restoration."
Abstract This paper examines the purpose of mankind in William Shakespeare's time, looking specifically at the character of Malvolio ("Twelfth Night"),in order to emphasize the importance of character flexibility in the changing world. The paper examines how the character of Malvolio shifts from a man who holds the respect of others to a comic figure, but his downfall occurs because he follows his societal role too strictly and cannot learn to shift mindset and attitude, a characteristic that marks the successful protagonists, Viola, Olivia, and Orsino. The paper shows that in "Twelfth Night", Malvolio is set in his decision to win Olivia's hand, but he fails due to his inability to adapt to new situations, revealing Shakespeare's view that a man who cannot alter himself to fit new situations will not be able to succeed.
From the Paper "From the beginning of the story, Malvolio entertains the idea of becoming husband to Olivia, as when he daydreams, "Maria once/ told me she did affect me; and I have heard herself/ come thus near, that, should she fancy, it should/ be one of my complexion" (II.v.22-6). Malvolio sees himself as a fit suitor for Olivia, and is determined to act in ways that he believes will win her hand. As a Puritan, many of Malvolio's characteristics are serious and somber, his natural dignity and grave conduct preventing him from joking and outwitting others. Believing Olivia to be a state of honest mourning, he views his similarly serious demeanor to be appropriate to win her trust, and eventually her hand. The first appearance of Malvolio reveals his inflexible nature; after the Clown tries to win back Olivia's favor, Malvolio insults him and is in turn mocked. Olivia explains to him, "To be generous,/ guiltless, and of free disposition, is to take those/ things for birdbolts that you deem cannon bullets" (I.v.91-3). Malvolio cannot take any matters touching him lightly, because he is set in his ways and unable to adapt. Rather than dodging criticisms and jokes as Olivia suggests, Malvolio turns to insults and reveals his immovable nature. His somberness is suited to fit Olivia's state of mourning, but as Olivia moves towards a normal life again, Malvolio's somber attitude grates on her nerves and a complete outward change is needed to keep her interest."
Abstract This paper briefly discusses how the fantasy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" involves magic and a belief in fairies and sprites. It explains that the first of several conflicts of opposites in the play is between reality and fantasy, between the reality of life in the city and fantastic nature of life in the woods.
From the Paper "In A Midsummer Night's Dream, one reason for the fantasy element is to create a dramatic stage on which to test human constancy and human worth. Lysander states that "the course of true love never did run smooth" (I.i.134), and this represents a theme that runs through many of Shakespeare's plays and indeed through much of world literature. The statement itself embodies several ideas. First, it assumes that there is such a thing as true love and that it is a conception based on the idea that two people are literally meant for each other. Second, it states that these two people, though meant for each other, may have to endure a good deal before they can actually achieve the love that is their destiny. In terms of A Midsummer Night's Dream, this statement helps characterize Lysander in a way that makes it evident the objections raised to the young man by Egeus are wrong and that Lysander is not one to feign love at all as Egeus believes he is doing. Lysander does indeed love Hermia as she loves him."
Abstract The paper analyzes the differences between the two stories that make them unique and important in their own way. According to the writer, Smiley's modern version of the King Lear tale is easier for a reader today to understand. The paper gives examples of Smiley's more feminine point of view. The writer also brings passages from Shakespeare's text to illustrate the style of the classic master.
From the Paper "When reading a tragedy it is necessary to know what constitutes a tragedy in plays. A tragedy usually involves some sort of disaster such as death or plague. The plot of the tragic story focuses around the reaction of the characters to the disaster. Usually a tragedy will be about the main character, or protagonists struggle with moral issues, (as with Hamlet in Hamlet, or King Lear in King Lear). Tragedies raise questions about the morality and psychological stability of human kind. The outcome of a tragedy often seems to be inevitable if the reader is aware that they are reading a tragedy. The main almost always dies along with the main characters nemesis and others along the way. Good does not always win in tragedies either, and that is another aspect of tragedies that makes them more tragic in those cases."
Abstract This paper discusses how Shakespeare's sonnet describes the speaker's inability to rest, even in bed, because of the absence of his beloved and his mind's insistence on keeping him awake thinking of her. It shows how the poem is really about an insomniac whose restless mind is plagued by thoughts of a person he desires but cannot possess.
From the Paper "There is no sign that the speaker's love is returned and no catalogue of remembered pleasure that would indicate that it had ever been returned. The longing that drives the speaker has the quality of something unavoidable and beyond his control, much more of a burden than a pleasure. The night's longing is equated, for example, with the work that the speaker performs during the day. There is no sign of any pleasure in this work. "
Abstract The paper examines how "King Lear" is an epic tragedy, which has been passed down through generations as a masterpiece. It looks at how the mastery does not lay in the character of the work's anti-hero, but in the lowliest servant in the kingdom, the King's fool. It evaluates how because the tragedy is so thick, the fool is needed to provide the leverage the audience needs in order to still obtain a lesson. It analyzes how the fool never ceases to be obvious and blunt with the King and how he is the only one who can do this without being offensive.
From the Paper "When discussing how well The Fool aided the King in both the realization and potential correction of his mistakes, we must see the final product of his work throughout the play, which is solely the task of opening his master's eyes in hopes of changing his behavior. Of course, how much could Lear have rerouted his inheritance through a more sensible direction, such as giving his land all to the daughter who loved him most, Cordelia, so as not to break up the kingdom, once the initial damage was done? This would have been nearly impossible to wholly correct, and is what makes the play a sure tragedy. It can be seen how effective The Fool was by his final sightings in Act III, scenes ii, iv, and vii, because as the play proceeds, more and more of his character, and Lear's character are shown, it is just like getting to know a friend, who at first may seem like a simple person to figure out, but who in reality has several layers of depth."
Abstract This paper discusses that the similarity between Shakespeare's Sonnets 57 and 58 is significant enough that one might wonder on first reading if one does not render the other redundant, but close reading of the poems shows that they not only function as a pair but also the order in which they occur in the Quarto of 1609 is essential to their meaning. The paper explains that the Sonnet sequences do "allow for the construction both of a narrative and of an inward-looking 'I' figure", but it is not at all possible to read the sequence as one might read a novel or narrative poem. The author believes that there is a strong hint of the speaker's agonizing discomfort with the young man's heterosexual involvements buried in Sonnet 58's puns that is a harbinger of the agony to come. Annotated Bibliography.
From the Paper "The sense of the poem resides, however, in the anaphoric use of negatives which can be read, at least initially, as a simple litany of the prerogatives that a slave surrenders. As the negatives mount in intensity, the description of what the speaker gives up expands. In the first quatrain, the statement of self-abnegation is plainest, and there is a hint of some sort of reciprocity in the commercial terminology of "precious" "spend" and "services," an indication that the speaker may be or should be compensated for what he gives up. This vanishes in the second quatrain as the metaphor of "sovereign" is joined to that of "slave" and the feelings of the speaker begin to surface. In the third quatrain he identifies the key to his concern, which is his "jealous thought," and the consequence of this feeling, which is the "sad" state in which he "think[s] of nought" but the young man."
This paper briefly discusses the nature of the overall sequence of Shakespeare's Sonnets and then, based on readings of their structure, proceeds to analyze the thematic connection between Sonnets 57 and 58.
Abstract In this paper, a connection is drawn between Shakespeare's Sonnets 57 and 58, which are one of a number of thematic pairs that occur within the larger sequence of poems, to show that the Sonnets not only function as a pair, but that the order in which they occur in the Quarto of 1609 is essential to their meaning.
From the Paper "Shakespeare's Sonnets 57 and 58 are one of a number of thematic pairs or small groups that occur within the larger sequence and subsequences of poems. Indeed the similarity between them is significant enough that one might wonder on first reading if one does not render the other redundant. But close reading of the poems shows that they not only function as a pair but that the order in which they occur in the Quarto of 1609 is essential to their meaning."
Abstract This paper compares the stereotypes of indigenous people using Caliban in "The Tempest," then contrasts it with a real life narrative from Olaudah Equiano's "The Life of Gustavas Vassa, the African."
From the Paper "In Shakespeare's "The Tempest", Caliban is reflected as an abhorred slave (19), who is tricky, savage-like and has monstrous mannerisms. Caliban is an indigenous portrait that is supported by that time periods stereotypes of non-European persons. Caliban is also shown as uneducated, foul-mouthed, and barbaric; both in nature and physical appearance. Sixteenth-century Europeans believed that natives of another land were composed of these things and more. This including that these people were wild men and beast-like. Olaudah Equiano's The Life of Gustavas Vassa, the African, paints a very different picture from that of the stereotypes mentioned. Olaudah is educated, well versed, and has pleasant mannerisms. He is also an honest slave, whose intelligence and patience buys him the freedom from his bound life."
This paper looks for the definition of love in four sources: Ovid's "The Metamorphoses", C.S. Lewis' "The Four Loves", Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" and the New Testament.
Abstract This paper, in the search for definition, explains that the Greek word agape (love) seems to have been virtually a Christian invention. The author cites another type of love, affection or friendship love also know as phileo. The author finds many types of love in "Romeo and Juliet", in which Shakespeare managed to combine love of God with love for humans. Long quotations.
From the Paper "Throughout the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet various types of "love" are displayed. Benvolio believes women are interchangeable, while, at the beginning Romeo believes love is pain. At the beginning, Juliet does not even have a definition of love. Paris's and Lady Capulet's definition of love is in appearance. It is obvious that Shakespeare wants the audience to believe that the only "true" or "real" love is the love that exists between Romeo and Juliet. The first type of love the audience is introduced to is the "interchangeable" love of Benvolio. According to Benvolio, a man should "love" a woman for only the duration of their relationship. If their relationship should end, the man should feel no grief. If the woman rejects the man initially, he should still feel no grief. In either situation, the man should simply start a relationship with another woman. Benvolio's definition of love shows the audience two things about Benvolio: he is a womanizer and he has never before experienced "true love.""
