Discusses how William Shakespeare's character, Iago from his play, "Othello" fits the characteristics of a true Machiavellian figure from "The Prince".
Abstract The paper begins by examining how Machiavelli portrayed the characteristics of a true leader in his book, "The Prince", which was meant to offer sound advise to those in power. The paper then looks at Iago from William Shakespeare's "Othello" as an example of how selfishness can sometimes lead to success and how one might use evil powers of manipulation and ruthlessness to destroy the life of one's enemies.
From the Paper "Iago possesses the genius of Machiavelli's prince. He is ruthless and cares about no one but his own goals and ambitions. Secondly, just like the prince, he is least concerned about morality or ethical aspects of his actions. He simply believes in winning by hook or by crook and that is exactly what Machiavelli wanted his prince to do. Iago is aware of the evilness of his intentions as he says, "To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,/Directly to his good" Divinity of hell!/When devils will the blackest sins put on,/They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,/As I do now:? (Act 2, Scene 3)"
Abstract This paper examines there the several distinct characteristics of misery and madness that abound in both Hamlet and Ophelia. It explains how their lunacy each stems from similar sources of grief, but the true evolution of their madness is methodically different due to their gender and their status in Elizabethan society.
From the Paper "Throughout Hamlet, Ophelia appears in a mere five scenes and is only one of two females present in the play and therefore stands not to pose as a prominent member of the play. Ophelia's father, Polonius, whom is the chief advisor to the new King Claudius, and a highly respected man, demands that his daughter tell Hamlet that she can no longer be with him even though she desperately is in love with him."
Abstract This paper looks at the economic role marriage had in Shakespearean times and the importance of women in that role. The paper then goes on to analyze the relevance of marriage as an economic institution to Shakespeare's plays "The Taming of the Shrew" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
From the Paper "Both Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream deal significantly with the theme of marriage. In both plays, a daughter causes difficulties for the father who is attempting to marry her off. In The Taming of the Shrew, Kate's shrewish behavior makes it almost impossible for her father to discover a willing suitor, whereas in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hermia refuses Egeus attempts to marry her because she is in love with another man. In the case of the former, Kate is eventually "broken" and convinced to become a loving and subservient wife. This play upholds much of the Shakespearean social order of what it was to be a wife. A Midsummer Night's Dream, on the other hand, ultimately allows the daughter's forbidden love to prevail. Why the difference in the two plays?"
Abstract William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (1600-01) is regarded by many scholars and critics as his finest play. The main protagonist, being Hamlet, the so-called "Dark Prince" of Shakespearean tragedy, is an extremely complex man with a great depth of personality who "suffers from insecurity and a sense of the absurd. . . and as a man and a revenger, shifts from an external struggle for vengeance to an internal one". This paper analyzes Hamlet's character and discusses whether his madness was real or feigned.
From the Paper "Another incident closely related to a form of mental torture occurs when Hamlet finds himself alone with Claudius and slyly decides against instituting his revenge towards the new king until he is in a position of utter debauchery. "When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in the incestuous bed" (III.iii. 92), Hamlet will then kill him and send his soul to eternal damnation. This may seem like an act of pure brutality, but in fact it is quite fair, due to Hamlet's father being murdered before given the chance to confess his sins to God."
Abstract This paper reviews the historical background of music in the Shakespearean era and discusses how and why music was used in Shakespeare's works. It looks at how Shakespeare used music in most of his plays as a dramatic device to effectively evoke certain moods and sometimes to reflect the state of minds of some characters. The type of music used by the playwright as well as some examples of music in specific plays are also described.
Outline
Historical Background of Music in the Shakespearean Era
Music in Shakespeare's Plays
Vocal Songs
Ballads
Instrumental Music
Conclusion
From the Paper "Instrumental music has been sparingly used in Shakespeare's plays, in part because of the lack of facilities for such music to be played in performances other than at the Court. Hence in plays performed at the court such as the Twelfth Night and The Tempest we find nearly three times the amount of music normally present in Shakespeare's plays. In these plays, Shakespeare may have had the services of court singers and instrumentalists. In public theater productions, instrumental music was normally provided by a trumpeter, a wind player who doubled on shawm, and a couple of string players who were competent at the violin, viol, and lute. (Springfels) Therefore, the use of instrumental music in most of Shakespeare's plays is sparse."
Abstract The plot of Shakespeare's "Othello" relies on interpretation rather than observation. Iago is able to shift the way that Othello interprets what should be meaningless observations. The paper shows that by doing so, Iago is successful in making Othello believe that his wife is cheating on him when she is not. This illustrates that what is observed is given meaning by how it is interpreted. It also illustrates how one can be fooled into interpreting things incorrectly, especially when another person has the ability to deceive effectively.
From the Paper "It is worthwhile to consider exactly how Iago manages to convince Othello that an affair is happening. The first important aspect is that Iago uses Othello's own nature against him. From the beginning, Iago recognizes that Othello is prone to jealousy. He specifically chooses to make Othello believe that his wife is having an affair because he knows that Othello's nature will compel him to experience jealousy. As Iago says, "The Moor is of a free and open nature, / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, / And will as tenderly be led by the nose / As asses are? (I,iii). This is exactly what Iago does, using Othello's nature to make him believe what he wants him to believe. One of the most important aspects is that the more jealous and angry Othello becomes, the less rational he becomes."
Abstract This paper discusses how Othello seem to change, but in reality, he never changes but simply reveals his true self. It shows how Shakespeare keeps the readers guessing about Othello's true nature by making him appear good in the beginning of the play but allowing us to see his true nature only after he kills Desdemona.
From the Paper "To introduce us to the complexity involved with Othello's character, Othello's reputation is under attack from the beginning of the play is because of Iago's remarks. Because we do not really get a glimpse of Othello until the third act of the play, Shakespeare has created suspense within us concerning Othello. Shakespeare at the same time is creating a sense of dislike within us for the character of Iago. Our dislike moves from Iago to Othello."
Abstract The falsification of the audience's expectations and Hal's miraculous emergence as a great English king, alongside the Hal-Falstaff relationship out of which the future king's identity is gradually constructed, are the main critical puzzles in most studies of the William Shakespeare's "King Henry" series. The paper examines concepts of fraud and politics in parts one and two of "King Henry IV" and in "King Henry V". It discusses notions by literary critics such as Stephen who claim that Hal is one of Shakespeare's most Machiavellian characters. The paper argues that Machiavelli's Prince is not sufficiently cruel or sophisticated to be ranked with Prince Hal, despite the fact that Falstaff's cry for help, voiced in his paradoxical accusation that the Prince has corrupted him, seldom succeeds in inverting the audience's impression that Falstaff is Hal's misleader.
From the Paper "The concept of necessity, as it arises from the morality-patterned Phychomachia, reinforces providentialist notions, an idea first advanced by Tillyard but in a rather different context. Religious providentialism fuses the personal and political domains and Hal's borrowing from the theatrical and diachronic anthropological deposit causes the interweaving of theatrical illusion with politics, thus displaying their common structural patterns. The fusion of religion, politics and theatre culminates in Hal's gradual conversion to virtue, which is at once a milestone in Hal's allegedly privileged relationship with God, a major political event, and a stock trick of Elizabethan drama."
Abstract Edmund, the illegitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, is at the center of many of the horrific events in "King Lear" by William Shakespeare. The paper shows that his actions are motivated by the circumstances of his birth, as both illegitimate and younger than his brother Edgar, Edmund is unlikely to ever have the power and influence his father enjoys. The paper shows that he is the "unholy" son, the one that will never be fully accepted by society. The paper explores how the economic and social consequences of Edmund's birth shape his personality and behavior.
From the Paper "Edmund's knowledge of and exposure to circles of power and influence has only whetted his appetite for the title, wealth and power that legally must go to Edgar. Edmund plots to usurp his brother's birthright for himself. He goes about this logically and calmly. Quoting Edmund, William J. Bennett (1998) points out that although in this age of science and research we have many explanations for why people act as they do, Edmund scorned making excuses for his behavior (Bennett, 1998). Edmund is remarkably frank and honest about himself. He says he does not mind being a bastard, because it allows him to maneuver outside society's rules."
Abstract This is a film review of Michael Hoffman's 1999 portrayal of William Shakespeare's play, "A Midsummer Night's Dream". This essay isolates the weaknesses in Hoffman's art, arguing that Hoffman takes so many liberties in filming his adaptation, that the final product is void of anything Shakespearean, save the original language. The paper also highlights several moments of cinematic genius and mentions the excellent acting by Kevin Kline.
From the Paper "Kevin Kline's Nick Bottom is the film's sole redeeming character. Klines shines as Bottom, combining joy and apprehension throughout his oscillating plots. Delivering one of his better performances, Kline plays Nick Bottom as a tragic-comic champion-a despondent drudge with big stage aspirations. The play-within-a play subplot works well with Hoffman's rough mechanicals. When Bottom is transformed into an ass, the object of Queen Titania's affection, it is poignant to note how his moment of grandeur renders him completely oblivious to his physical state. Bottom alone gives flight to the central idea that love is both maddening and redeeming, and the comedy seems to soar whenever Kline appears."
Abstract This paper explores the similarities and differences between the character of Julius Caesar in the Shakespeare play, and the George Bush. It discusses how "Julius Caesar" explores the social and political underpinnings of perhaps one of the most famous assassinations of all time and likens this to current events of the war with Iraq and the present international turmoil.
From the Paper "George W. Bush has recently returned home after making an appearance in a flight suit on an aircraft carrier. The President emerged from his plane and made a speech about the war that the United States recently participated in. During this war, Bush was faced with an enemy whom his father faced before him. The enemy, personified by Saddam Hussein, and the nation's interest in the adversarial relationship between Bush and Hussein is quite similar to Rome's interest in Caesar's nemesis. This coupled with the President's televised appearance on the flight deck was in many ways similar to the appearance of Caesar in the streets of Rome after his victory."
Abstract This essay analyzes William Shakespeare's final play, "The Tempest." The essay explores the organic nature of Shakespeare's art and poses a thesis regarding themes of colonization and homogeny in Shakespeare's final work. Art, Drama and Literature all begin as a great artistic tempest, but without a powerful agent like Prospero or Shakespeare and helpful sprite like Ariel or the muse, it would be difficult to tie the artistic tempest into a feasible order. This essay attempts to look at "The Tempest" from a colonial perspective and explain how diverse entities come to merge into one cohesive mass.
From the Paper "Somewhere in the shadows of every masterful creation, there lurks a steadfast draftsman with an extraordinary proclivity to build things formerly unimagined. A pivotal moment dividing substance from nonexistence resides at the fundamental core of all things real. In Shakespeare's The Tempest, chaos serves as a facilitator of order. Following Antonio's rebellious usurpation of power, a merciless storm dispels his ambition. Antonio and the subjects of Alonso are left to redefine a gravely ruptured social hierarchy and erect a government philosophy when they find themselves heedlessly discarded on a sparsely inhabited island. Performed in 1611 at the height of British colonization, The Tempest functioned "as a fascinating tale that served as a masquerade for the creation of a new society in America" (Takaki 142). Completed at the end of his career, The Tempest brilliantly epitomizes the organic nature of Shakespeare's art by cultivating his various genres into one adeptly seasoned play."
Abstract This paper examines the first of Shakespeare's sonnets. It explains the technical aspects of the sonnet and also its major themes and concepts. The first part paper focuses on explaining the sonnet in order to make it more readily understandable. It shows how Shakespeare crafted the idea that it is a tragedy if the beauty of the world is not perpetuated through reproduction. The second part of the paper follows-on from the first part and offers an in-depth analysis of the sonnet. It looks closely at the tone of the sonnet, cultural influences and the concept of profusion.
From the Paper "Indeed, there are a multitude of other Biblical and cultural references in sonnet 1 that are very important in allowing us to understand the poem effectively. In the second-from-last line, we see a reference to gluttony one of the seven deadly sins. There is also an allusion to Isaiah [32.5]. In Shakespeare's medieval culture, the rose of beauty was an often-quoted symbol. Similarly, the central concept of the sonnet (i.e. the dynastic obligation to produce heirs) was heavily rooted in medieval culture. Shakespeare so immerses us, the reader, in such cultural references that one wonders whether he is really intending to make a political point in this sonnet rather than just generally musing over a young man's inability to procreate."
Abstract This undergraduate literature paper analyzes three novels and how they can be related to situations happening in today's world. This paper focuses on and compares both King Lear and Paradise Lost. It also reviews the nature of evil portrayed by writers through their characters in both Paradise Lost and Marlowe's Dr. Faustus.
Abstract Madness in Shakespearean plays has distinct and multiple meanings and purposes. On one level, the madness of insanity is clearly felt in the tragedies like "Lear". On another, madness is also felt in the frenetic pace of impossible situations and comedic errors in judgment as is found in "Twelfth Night". Madness is, then, both tragic and comedic. But, it is much more than that. Madness represents a loss of control, of being borne by unnatural impulses, drivesa nd, perhaps, voices. Being mad is to not be yourself, it is to have lost touch with humanity, with life and with reality. The mad are excused from the rules of man and at the same time, tragically bound by them. For some, in madness is found freedom. Lear is wrapped, tightly, within a horrible prison created by his inability to see through the duplicitous daughters and embrace the one person in his life that loves him enough to refuse him. His madness, in the end, is what sets him free of the binds that his daughters and his pride had him in. The madness, however, is like the release from an intense and long-term drug addiction, it is horrible to watch, but leaves Lear in a better state afterward, free of poisons. Madness also allows otherwise straight-laced, bound by social rules (which were oppressive in Elizabethan England), to freely express inner passions, make mistakes and be fools in the eyes of others without fear of recourse, as is the case with nearly every character in "Twelfth Night". It is the purpose of this paper to examine the nature of madness in the Shakespearean context, how it plays out in both King Lear and Twelfth Night, and the meaning behind the madness in both works.
