Shows that although it is a comedy, Shakespeare's play, "The Comedy of Errors" contains a great deal of insight into the religious state of Shakespeare's era.
Abstract This paper explains in what ways Shakespeare was quite critical of the practice of Christianity and its hypocrisies. Ephesus, the town where "The Comedy of Errors" is set, contains a great deal of religious history. It is one of the places where St. Paul preached Christianity, as told in Acts of the Apostles in the Biblical New Testament. Ephesus was the source of much witchcraft and sorcery, and subsequently much Christian reform. It shows how through scene setting, Shakespeare had many things to say about Christianity in his play. We see the way in which the characters deal with the Christian hypocrisy of their time. The church focuses power in a patriarchal way; the men abuse this power while the women and servants (Adriana, Dromio) are expected to abide by biblical ideals. The paper addresses all these themes, including detailed adverse effects of the Christian society on the female and lower-class characters. Included are an overabundance of textual quotes, as well as some direct biblical references.
From the Paper "In moving the location of Plautus's play, The Brothers Menaechmus, from Epidamium (in Ancient Greece) to the Turkish city of Ephesus, Shakespeare placed the action in a newer and more dramatic religious environment for The Comedy of Errors. The missionary St. Paul, whose travel and imprisonment in Ephesus are recorded in the Christian Bible's ?Acts of the Apostles,? associated the city with witchcraft and evil sorcery, but also sought to refine it. There are several places in Ephesus whose names hark back to the mythology of Ancient Greece, such as the "Centaur" (Antipholus of Syracuse's inn) and the "Phoenix" (Antipholus of Ephesus's home). Yet this sets up a religious conflict within the city of Ephesus, for most of the characters indicate themselves to be Christian. Antipholus of Syracuse directly states, "I am a Christian"? (23), while characters like Luciana and Adriana suggest it in their moral counsel, or even simple exclamations (LUCIANA: "God for Thy mercy"!? (123)). At the beginning of Act IV, the Second Merchant reminds Angelo the goldsmith, "You know since Pentecost the sum is due" (87), demonstrating that the Christian calendar is instituted so that it guides even business dealings. However, Shakespeare does not praise Christianity in this play; at times, the manipulation of Christianity is equally as bad (if not worse) than the paganism that St. Paul had originally set out to dispel. It serves as an oppressor to selected characters throughout the play."
A discussion on the narrative voice in Giorgio Bassani's novel "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis'" (Il Giardino dei Finzi Contini), as well as an analysis of the book and the film by the same name.
2,395 words (approx. 9.6 pages), 2 sources, 2002, $ 73.95
Abstract This essay explores the narrative techniques used by the Italian Giorgio Bassani in his novel "The Garden of the Finzi Continis" (Il Giardino dei Finzi Contini), the effects and reasons for the 'floating' and diverse way he narrates the novel. It also explores the film of the same name, and sees whether the director has employed the same techniques, why, and how.
From the Paper "Bassani's Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini is a novel of multiple viewpoints . The central (unnamed) figure acts as the dominant protagonist, yet his narrative voice is partnered by large quantities of text, the function of which is to express directly the dialogue of other characters. Such text brings to life the myriad of opinions held by the novel's cast by often doing away with the narrative convention of recorded speech. It also serves to highlight a certain transparency in the young man at the centre of the novel. Vittorio De Sica, in his transformation of the novel into a filmic text, adopts this "floating" narrative by taking advantage of the many visual techniques offered by the genre of film. The result is a multi-dimensional narrative, or view point, much like that of its literary companion. The transparency of the protagonist is diminished, however. The range of outlooks act simply to integrate a range of perspectives within the filmic text."
Tags: giorgio, il, italy, jews, novel, Adriana, Micol
