Abstract Prince Henry is an excellent character study when it comes to lessons of maturity. This paper shows how Shakespeare paints the portrait of a character that grows from childhood pranks to admirable maturity in his play, "Henry IV". This paper examines this growth through quotes by the character and his interaction with other characters in the text.
From the Paper "While Prince Henry may appear to be lackadaisical, it seems as though he is fully aware that his carefree days are numbered. In addition, he is setting himself up for a glorious transformation when he finally discovers his true and noble self later in the play. However, it is important to note that while Prince Henry says these things and is apparently aware of them he must still live up to this reputation--something he is not quite ready to do at this point. This passage also provides insight into the overall world of the play in that Prince Henry, as well as everyone else, is aware that he will be king someday."
Abstract This paper analyzes the idea of kingship in Shakespeare's histories and focuses on the character of Henry V. The thesis concludes that Henry V learned from the examples of those who held the throne before him in order to keep the crown as long as possible.
From the Paper "In Shakespeare's Second Tetralogy, he poses many questions related to the temptations and consequences related to kingship. Henry V, the crescendo of the tetralogy, contains his ultimate answer to these questions. The character of Henry V has learned from the examples of those who have come before him. He avoids the traps of kingship and uses current ideas of the time to create the perfect public perception of himself. He does what is necessary in order to keep the crown while steering clear of the scandals that have tainted the English throne before."
Abstract This paper examines how Gertrude and Ophelia are the only female characters in "Hamlet" and how, although the male characters take lead in this Shakespearean play, the roles of Gertrude and Ophelia are both memorable. It demonstrates how although neither have an extreme amount of lines, both characters roles are set up a system of cause effect within the play.
From the Paper "Gertrude does seem morally frail. She never exhibits the ability to think critically about her situation, but seems merely to move instinctively toward seemingly safe choices, as she immediately runs to Claudius after her confrontation with Hamlet. When Hamlet says "... kill a king and marry with his brother", she seems to respond with surprise as she replies, "As kill a king!" Later in that scene, when Hamlet has tried to win her round, she says, "O Hamlet thou hast cleft my heart in twain", therefore we see that she's divided between the two (Claudius and Hamlet) rather than siding firmly either way, showing she lacks in moral fibre and strength. Gertrude follows Claudius and is seen to not think for herself as she mixes up the names of Guildenstern and Rosencrantz trying to follow in what the King had said when greeting them."
Abstract This paper reviews the play, "Hamlet," by William Shakespeare. The paper contends that "Hamlet" is a complex play and can support a wide variety of interpretations. The paper describes one aspect of the psychology of the main character that harks back to the ancient world and the story of Oedipus, who was ordained to kill his father and marry his mother, which he unwittingly did. This story would later serve as a source for Sigmund Freud as he developed his oedipal theory, and the paper explores a similar idea that is played out by Hamlet in terms of his mother and father. The paper explains that Hamlet does not kill his own father, but he does have to kill his step-father at the behest of the ghost of his father and plays out the idea of sexual jealousy because his mother has remarried.
From the Paper "In Hamlet as in other Elizabethan drama, the fate of kings is tied to the order of the universe, and dissension and tension in one is reflected in the other. Yet, the issue is complex, and while the usurper has no right to rule, it is not always clear who has the right to prevent him from ruling. The hesitation of Hamlet, much commented on by critics, may derive from the fact that while he knows Claudio to be a regicide, to kill Claudio would make him a regicide as well. The usurpation of the throne leads to a more dangerous and uncertain environment in the land, and nature concurs by expressing through storms and other travails visited upon the people that a great political wrong is also a great moral and religious wrong. The effects of a regicide are seen in storms and the like because such actions offend the gods, or God."
Abstract This paper discusses the theme of madness in the major characters of the three tragedies 'Hamlet,' 'Macbeth,' and 'King Lear.' Hamlet and Ophelia are compared and contrasted, then Ophelia is compared to and contrasted against Lady Macbeth. The witches in 'Macbeth' are related to the theme of madness, then madness is explored in Lear and Edgar. Emphasis is given to speech patterns and the allusion to madness. The paper ends with an analysis of the necessity and reason for the madness of these characters and how they contribute to the tragedy as a whole.
From the Paper "The theme of madness occurs repeatedly throughout the three tragedies Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear. Ophelia slips into madness after her father's death while Hamlet puts on an act of madness in Hamlet. Madness takes the form of visions in Macbeth, in both the spells and predictions of the weird sisters and of Lady Macbeth's nightmares. In King Lear, madness is shown through Edgar's mockery and disguise and through the natural descent of the king."
Abstract This paper examines the presence and lack of maternal figures in William Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" and "King Lear." It discusses both the societal and familial implications of maternal absence and acknowledges the fact that this trend is still common in modern fiction.
From the Paper "As in many contemporary stories, the tragedy King Lear begins without a mother present. Nothing is known of her; the reader is unaware of the circumstances of her death, or if she actually is dead. What is clear is that her presence is missing, not only throughout the course of the play, but in the lives of Lear and his three daughters. Seemingly the opposite, The Winter's Tale begins with an existent maternal figure, Hermione. Not only is Hermione present, she seems to represent all that maternity should. She is a just and gentle queen, and although her royal husband, Leontes, accuses her of adultery, this accusation stems from his own maddened jealousy, and has no basis in truth. In fact, Hermione spends a good deal of the play defending her womanly honesty against her husband's unfounded jealous rage."
Abstract This paper examines how the play "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare, is concerned essentially with deception on various levels. It looks at how although deception is often a comic device, in this play it is often a means of deepening the ideas, allowing the audience to explore gender and sexuality, mainly through Orsino and the Viola/Cesario plot.
From the Paper "With the part of Viola, Shakespeare immediately presents the idea of gender confusion and interchangeability between the sexes. When the play was first performed, the cast would have been entirely male, so by the end of the first scene, the audience is aware that we have a boy playing a girl who is playing a boy on the stage. These levels of ambiguity suggest that gender roles will be important. Shakespeare then continues to explore this throughout the play, through the character of Cesario (Viola in disguise) and his relationships with other major characters such as Orsino and Olivia. Orsino sends Cesario to seduce Olivia on his behalf, and, unfortunately for the duke, Olivia falls in love with Cesario. The reasons for this are dramatised at the end of act one, scene five. Olivia asks Cesario to explain what he himself would do if in Orsino's position of lust towards her, so effectively asking his opinion of Orsino's technique and encouraging him to imagine that he loved her himself."
Abstract This paper claims that, at first glance, Shakespeare's "Othello" and "The Tempest" could not be more unlike. "Othello" is a tale rooted very firmly in the here-and-now, the actual city of Venice, an important and central location for the Renaissance man. "The Tempest" is a fantasy taking place on a "marvelous" island. However, the paper explains, a closer look reveals that Venice, too, is marvelous and is, moreover, the perfect link between the civilized and the savage. It is no wonder then that the story of the 'noble savage' in the character of "Othello" was placed there. Nor is it any wonder that the less noble savage, Caliban, is found on an island that, while not straddling the literal old and new world orders, nonetheless bears representatives of each. The paper contends that both "Othello" and "The Tempest" are indeed exemplary of the statement, "Europeans contact with people of other cultures during the Renaissance period had a disorienting effect, as it raised the question of who was truly 'civilized,' and who was truly 'savage'." Shakespeare seems to answer that question in both plays, often in ways that may, at first, like the true meaning of Venice, be hidden.
From the Paper "The Renaissance was about discovery, artistic, scientific and geographic. The geographic discoveries led to European's 'finding' new lands-although the lands had clearly been there long before any Europeans sailed to them-and thus to European culture bumping into cultures far different. The Europeans, since they had 'discovered' those other people, found it easy to set themselves up as superior to the discovered populations; that being the case, they then began to colonize the natives of those places, to civilize them (or, as one might say in a more politically sensitive age, Europeanize them, although that sounds even more paternalistic than colonizing). Cefalu argues that hierarchy was central to the European concept of civilization; any culture that lacked masters and subordinates was, therefore, uncivilized. Such as the culture found in "The Tempest"; it paralleled, Cefalu argues, the lack of stratification in the American colonies at the outset (Cefalu 2000)."
Abstract This paper points out that ,although Macbeth and Lucifer seem extremely different, they demonstrate very similar things and are motivated by the same things. It talks about how neither of the two characters seek redemption, yet points out how Satan is redeemable. Many significant differences and similarities are pointed out throughout the paper.
From the Paper "Macbeth and Lucifer are the protagonists of Macbeth, by Shakespeare and Paradise Lost, by John Milton, respectively. Superficially, these two characters appear to have nothing in common, as there are many inherent differences between men and angels. They may have virtually no similarities in the physical sense, but their thought processes are in most cases almost identical. After careful examination, many connections appear between the tragic hero of Shakespeare and the one of Milton. The two aforementioned characters ruin their existence with one evil deed; after their first evil has been committed, an unstoppable chain of events occurs. Both the man and angel experience an extreme transformation to darkness and evil, making them much worse than they had ever been before."
Abstract This paper presents a comparison of William Shakespeare's "Richard II" and "Macbeth". The paper assesses to what extent these two plays endorse notions of divine right and royal absolutism. These terms are defined in order to facilitate an understanding of the thesis. The different motifs of the plays are examined in the paper.
From the Paper "Richard's eloquence and lack of propensity to enter into battle forms a strong contrast to Bolingbroke who is portrayed as a man of action. Shakespeare perhaps though viewed the latter as a bully as he wrestles the crown from an eloquently verbose Richard, 'With mine own hands I give away my crown, With mine own tongue deny my sacred state,'(4.1.199-200,Norton). Richard's words here abrogating his kingly, God-given status, but his actions on stage perhaps contradicting them. The semiotics of the crown are pivotal, the crown itself the symbol of a king. The crown though is a hollow void, and the mere possession of it does not confer the rightful status of a king. Bolingbroke himself is never completely at ease in his usurpation, as he acknowledges at the play's end, 'I'll make a voyage to the holy land, To wash this blood off from my guilty hand.'(5.6.47-48,IBID) The repeated Christ-like motif reiterates the injustice of Richard's fate."
Abstract Using the ideas and motifs of the contextual text "Il Pecorone", William Shakespeare constructs a play - "The Merchant of Venice" - with a focus on sexuality and gender, creating equal grounds to contrast the characters Antonio and Portia. This paper shows that, adding a depth to the play that was not present in the original document, Shakespeare presents a world of romantic rivalry in which the woman assumes characteristics generally associated with the masculine - such as power, authority and self-control, while the man is shown as a weak character victimized by his own emotional instability.
From the Paper "Inspiration for the character of Portia is the Lady of Belmonte in the original text, a woman who uses her sexuality and power to lure gullible men into her trap. Highlighting the benefits of their visit, she counts on men's sexual greed and vulnerability to get them to accept the challenge and loose their ships - in a way she is the equivalent of hazardous storms that sailors face. The fact that the Lady's name is not specified strengthens her association with the supernatural, and establishes her as a strong character unaffected by human flaws. Her life experiences and maturity allow her to preserve the authority over her possessions and to make decisions about her future. As a widow, the lady defies the stereotype of a virginal maiden."
Abstract Hamlet's most famous soliloquy takes place within the first scene of Act III. The paper posits that this is the central point of the play and also sets the tone for the rest of the act. It is the first time within the play that Hamlet explores suicide and provides insight into his motivations (III.i.55-88). In this paper, the writer provides an analysis of the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia in Act III. It first explores the events that lead up to one of their most important conversations. Next, It focuses on the passage within Act III Scene i, within lines 90-160 and also how this passage relates to the play as a whole.
From the Paper "First, Act III opens with Hamlet's soliloquy in which he metaphorically obsesses with a personal dilemma that ponders within his mind. The scene opens with the line, "To be or not to be..." (III.i.55). Not only is this one of the most famous lines in English literature but this is the first time the audience is exposed to Hamlet's subconscious side. It causes the audience to sense that there is something mysterious about the words that speaks. Almost as if there is something hidden within his words that he never truly leave his mouth. The audience begins to get an impression that these things are going on within Hamlet's mind but he can not think about them directly. With this famous line, Hamlet may be questioning something along the lines of, "Should I kill myself or not." This could prove a connection to Ophelia seen later in the play when she is also believed to have suicidal thoughts. Starting in act 4, scene 5, line 42, Ophelia states: "Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be" (IV.v.43). It seems here that Ophelia begins to go mad herself."
Abstract This paper explains that the character of Falstaff, in William Shakespeare's "Henry IV" is a completely independent organism; he is both a child, who needs nursing, and a mother, who gives nursing, which renders him emotionally self-sufficient. The author points out that Falstaff has no sense of history; he is devoid of the peripheral vision of past or future that tends to de-emphasize the present; thus, Falstaff lives like nature because he is not fiscally bound to dependence, conscious of himself or a partaker in history. The paper relates that Falstaff never fully believes in honor, but he does see practical value in wearing its mask, having a title, to the point that he will lie about killing Hotspur to have it.
From the Paper "Nature is self-sufficient; it is a perfect organism that harbors everything it needs to prevail within itself. By contrast, civilization is dependent on the dismembering and itemization of nature, the trade of which is its foundation; civilization persists on supply and necessitates demand -- "nature falls into revolt / when gold becomes her object" (2.IV.v.65-6). Nature, in its undivided essence, cannot be self-conscious; it is boundless, and as such, has no foreign counter-point with which to ascertain itself. Nature is not conscious of itself because conscious auto-determinacy necessitates spatiotemporal terminus. Civilization, on the other hand, sanctions self-consciousness by forcing a divide within its subjects; paying heed to their individual limits, what they lack, humans are able to procure demand and develop supply."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the historical from the literary Richard III, as portrayed by Shakespeare. There is a brief description of each portrayal as well as a short analysis of the two together. The representation by Shakespeare shows the villain-hero to be one that we both adore and abhor at the same moment, but the real Richard III was just as fascinating in his ability to twist the royal line to make himself king.
From the Paper "Being so repulsive, Richard learned to use beautiful words and delicate language to disguise his face and to gain the trust and love of others by speaking sweetly to them. Lady Anne, mourning over the corpse of her father-in-law, was won over by his honeyed tongue. Richard not only slew her father-in-law, King Henry VI, but he murdered Anne's husband, Prince Edward, on the battlefields as well. Richard convinces Anne that it was her beauty that forced him into killing her beloved family. Anne, so swept up by his voice and, perhaps with the sight of an empty future, ends her resistance, stays her curses of him, and agrees to become his wife."
Tags: battle, bosworth, lancaster, plantagenet, tudor, york
Abstract This paper examines how Tom Stoppard is able to use Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to create a contemporary perspective in his text "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" by exploring the values which Shakespeare presented in the 17th century in a way that reflects their reception in the modern context in which he composed. It looks at how the plays are vehicles for both writers to explore the values of language, death and fate in their respective eras.
From the Paper "Death in Hamlet is a significant occurrence. It is undeniably permanent and there are always consequences. The entire play in fact is sparked on by said consequences. Hamlet is driven to revenge by his father's "foul and most unnatural murder", as is Laertes. Shakespeare transmits the idea of the permanence, the inevitability of death. Hamlet refers to 'poor Yorick'. He reminisces about the court jester: "Here hung those lips / that I have kissed I know not how oft." He recalls joking and laughing with Yorick, but now all that remains is his vacant skull, tossed away to make room for Ophelia. "
