Abstract
The paper briefly explores the significance of dreams in Shakespeare's "Richard III", "Macbeth" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". In particular, the paper looks at how dreams serve chiefly to add depth and complexity to main characters, reflect the belief systems of the audience Shakespeare was trying to enthrall, and - not least of all - underscore the subjective nature of human "reality". Ultimately, the paper argues that if there is a common link between all three of the plays it is that each one takes it as a "given" that the supernatural world does indeed exist and can play a role in the lives of men. The paper concludes that Shakespeare's audience, if not the playwright, cleave to the view that dreams are a portal into the "otherworld" which shapes the fates of humanity regardless of a man or woman's station.

Tags:macbeth, richard, midsummer

Abstract
This essay is about William Shakespeare and the ways in which his art has changed and evolved with time. This essay covers many of Shakespeare's plays and many modern film adaptations of his plays. The paper discusses much of the history behind Shakespeare's works and the many sources from which his drama was derived. The essay also deals with Shakespeare's language and the aspects of his invented language that have become a part of our everyday vocabulary. It covers the many characters, plots and genres of Shakespeare's works. The main theme of the paper is centered around the ways modern history has invented a Shakespeare of its very own.

From the Paper
"Who is Shakespeare? What is Shakespeare? Nearly four hundred years following his death, the Shakespearean debate trudges on. In his lifetime, William Shakespeare wrote a phenomenal cannon of dramatic literature. He managed to create an astounding thirty-seven plays in scarcely the span of twenty-five years. Individually, these plays constitute some of the best art ever written. Collectively, these works secure Shakespeare as the principle literary draftsman of the Elizabethan Age. In his dedication to William Shakespeare in 1623, Ben Johnson wrote: "He was not of an age, but for all time." To this day, Shakespeare's creative genius has yet to be exceeded. No writer in any language can rival the eminence and immortal perpetuity that Shakespeare has relished. And no man, in any creative enterprise, has ever impelled a cultural influence as ample or as profound. Shakespeare's language and extensive lexicon of coined phrases are more ubiquitous in trite conversation today than the myriad of cliched aphorisms present in the King James Bible. His hundreds of characters-the very mirrors of human nature-are equally as recognizable. From small amusements like Bottom the Weaver, to such unparalleled manifestations as Falstaff, Shakespeare has enriched civilization by mimicking it."

Tags:caesar, chronicles, coriolanus, dream, edward, elizabethan, england, renaissance, literature, enlightenment, play, stage, drama, falstaff, henry, holinshed, idaho, iii, jacobean, julius, king, henry, richard, dream, midsummer

Abstract
This paper explains that, for his 1999 film, "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream", Michael Hoffman rewrote the original Shakespeare play, put it into a more modern context and emphasized artistic visual expression over Shakespeare's expression through the poetry of language. The author points out that Hoffman modernized the gender roles by creating a dialogue for Bottom's wife, thus increasing her importance; wherein, in the original play, her role consisted of a stare. The paper relates that, to appeal to modern cultural standards, the movie has been made more aesthetically pleasing by the fantasy theatrics of the costumes and makeup.

From the Paper
"The first and most evident difference between the 1999 film adaptation and the original play by Shakespeare is the setting. Shakespeare's work is set in Greece, while Hoffman's is set in the turn of the 20th century Tuscany. It was also filmed in Tuscany. "Hoffman moves the action forward in time and sets it in late 19th-Century Tuscany" writes Welsh, but it is questioned whether this "new setting makes sense". Thus Hoffman's version has an immediate difference between that of Shakespeare's which took place in the traditional classical setting."

Tags:dialogue, iconography, fantasy, gender, marketability

Abstract
This paper analyzes the writings of Shakespeare and identifies the related themes of his plays, such as love, power, and jealousy. The historical evidence and research are presented in each chapter so as to give the readers the real meaning of these themes, which are used by Shakespeare. The initial chapters of the research paper introduce the writings of Shakespeare and the era of Shakespeare. These chapters describe the topic related to Shakespeare and his plays. The entire discussion is based on the description of the plays and the description of the scenes, as well as speeches, which are illustrated in the plays of Shakespeare.

Outline
1. Statement of the Hypothesis
2. Review of Prior Works on the Subject and Related Subjects
3. Identification of the Methodology
4. Analysis of the Problem
5. Summary of Findings and Conclusions

From the Paper
"William Shakespeare and his plays are the main topic of discussion in this paper. William Shakespeare is one of the greatest names whose literary contributions and writings are considered as assets for the literary world. Shakespeare's plays and writings are of considerable importance for the readers all around the world because his writings and power of expression are unmatchable. William Shakespeare and his plays have in fact formed the foundation of the English literature and therefore, William Shakespeare is still read by the students of English literature. The paper will be divided into five chapters, the analysis and observation of these chapters will help the reader to understand the paper's main topic of discussion."

Tags:character, theme

Abstract
This paper explores the theme of magic in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', and discusses how Shakespeare uses supernatural elements throughout the play. It considers the boundaries between good and evil, and comments upon the ways Shakespeare presents the play as a supernaturally charged adventure.

From the Paper
"There was a strong belief in the supernatural in Shakespeare's era and subsequently, some form of the supernatural realm is a common theme throughout his plays. The supernatural is a central theme in A Midsummer Night's Dream which is set in an enchanted fairyland wood and the play clearly demonstrates the power of the supernatural and the dramatic influence the spiritual world has upon the natural order of things. "

Tags:evil, fairies, magic, supernatural, woodland

Abstract
This paper discusses the ways in which drama and painting can serve as interpretations or explanations of one another. The paper begins by introducing William Blake (1757 - 1827) and Henry Fuseli (1741 - 1825) as two chief illustrators of William Shakespeare's plays. It then describes some of the scenes from which the artists drew their inspiration using three major themes - the supernatural and the nightmare, the world of dreams and fantasy and the human condition and history.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
The Supernatural and the World of Nightmare
The Fairy World of Dreams and Fantasy
The Human Condition and History
Conclusion

From the Paper
"The painting encapsulates all the drama we can expect from a work by Fuseli. As a matter of fact, the artist did several versions of the scene, including book illustrations and a painting that was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1808. It is worth mentioning that the Cardinal's death was a popular subject for painters: Sir Joshua Reynolds, for instance, illustrated the same scene for the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, and even Nicolas Poussin was inspired by that very passage. Fuseli introduces agitated figures in a very fluid composition, but there is a clear allusion to an earlier work, especially the way of gathering the figures around a central character, along with the arm pointed upward, paying homage to a drawing by Poussin, whom Fuseli admired a lot. The painting is a good example of the human condition, because it encapsulates various philosophical themes, such as life and death, guilt, suffering, and so forth."

Tags:fantasy, nightmare, dreams

Abstract
This paper looks the theme of duality that is present in most of Shakespeare's early plays. The paper explains how, whether the play is a comedy, a tragedy or even a history, the theme worms its way into the plot of the play either as a dramatic device or a source of comic relief. To help illustrate the duality theme, the paper looks at plays such as "As You Like It," "A Midsummer's Night Dream," "The Merchant of Venice," and "Romeo and Juliet."

From the Paper
"There is a theme of duality that runs throughout Shakespeare's repertoire. From his comedies to his tragedies to the histories, Shakespeare exposes the dual nature of human beings at every available opportunity. Whether the character is an attention-starved daughter or a prospective king, having them pretend to be something that they are not is one of Shakespeare's most common plot devices. It is an easy way to manipulate other characters, create dramatic irony, or to set-up a comic situation. "

Tags:shakespeare, duality, dual, nature, play, comedy, tragedy

Abstract
This paper discusses William Shakespeare's use of the technique chiaroscuro, an emphatic juxtaposition of light and dark hues. It examines how both of the plays "Romeo and Juliet" and "A Midsummer Night?s Dream" present images of distinct night and day worlds and how the interrelations between these two worlds are central to the plays? themes. It shows how in both plays, the night worlds symbolize alternate universes in which the characters are free from the physical, legal and social constraints that bind them during the day. It looks at how Shakespeare depicts the night world as simultaneously liberating and trapping those who move within its moonlit realm, thereby strengthening his theme that both personal freedom and social restrictions have the potential to be either constructive or destructive forces, depending upon their applications. It shows how "Romeo and Juliet" concludes with an emphasis upon the destructive forces of the night world, whereas "A Midsummer Night?s Dream" presents a more optimistic view of the constructive potential of this alternate universe.

From the Paper
"In both Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, the unstructured and supernatural atmosphere of the night world contrasts sharply with the rigid hierarchies and social constraints of the public world of daylight. The deliberate juxtaposition of these alternate universes serves to heighten this contrast and to strengthen the theme that both totalitarian rule and unmitigated anarchy can produce disastrous consequences when applied to emotional issues. Romeo and Juliet opens with a public display of violence in broad daylight between members of the Capulet and Montague houses; in the very first scene of the play, Shakespeare links the day world to the bitter rancor between the two families and the strict codes of honor that govern their relationships with one another. In an extension of this rigid and violent day world, the sharp divisions of the feuding families and the stringent codes of masculine honor reach their violent culmination in the climactic deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, which occur under the blistering sunlight of high noon."

Tags:dream, light, alternate, universe, totalitarian, rule

Abstract
This paper presents a literary analysis of the role of kinship in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream." The paper explains that these two plays may seem at first to have little in common. The former is a tragedy, the latter is a comedy. True, their settings are surprisingly similar, in that Shakespeare chose to set his play in ancient Greece. However, as most of Midsummer Night's Dream takes place in an enchanted forest, the geographical setting is not especially relevant. This paper examines the treatment of kinship in these two plays, and consider why family relationships are such a frequent subject in these genres.

From the Paper
The Treatment of Kinship in Oedipus the King and Midsummer Night's Dream Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream are two plays which seem at first to have little in common. The former is a tragedy, the latter is a comedy. The paper notes that their settings are surprisingly similar, in that Shakespeare chose to set his play in ancient Greece; however, as most of Midsummer Night's Dream takes place in an enchanted forest, the geographical setting is not especially relevant. This essay will analyse the treatment of kinship in these two plays, and consider why family relationships are such a frequent subject in these genres. It is not surprising to find family relationships to be such a frequent

Tags:Greek, play, family, conflict

Abstract
The author states that Shakespeare's plays live on with great popularity because they deal with life's basic issues intertwined with valuable moral lessons. The author points out these issues in various popular Shakespearean plays. The paper believes that Shakespeare's plays also continue to be popular because of the beauty of his words.

From the Paper
"In fact, it would appear that Shakespeare's keen sense of human nature and the repetitive nature of life caused by the same basic issues led to his being quite a philosopher and a visionary. Issues such as jealousy and racism (Othello), the futility and destructiveness of senseless feuds (Romeo and Juliet), the dispersal and reunion of a family (A Comedy of Errors), foolish young love (A Midsummer Night's Dream), and the consequences of power, greed and lust (King Lear and King John) are pretty much at the center stage of modern life. "

Tags:playwright, themes, moral, othello, romeo, juliet, comedy, errors, midsummer, night's, dream, the, king, lear, john, masses, entertainment