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The Warrior Hero: A Stranger in a Strange Land, 2002.
A look at the theme of alienation among heroes in several works of literature.
2,387 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 3 sources, APA, $ 73.95
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Abstract
The figure of the hero is set apart from the common herd of ordinary men by virtue of his special qualities and abilities. In some works, this separateness is literal - he is in a strange land apart from his own kin. To see how this alienation enhances the tale of the hero's conflict, this paper examines the works "The Odyssey" (Homer), "Beowulf" (author unknown) and "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice" (William Shakespeare).
From the Paper
"However, when they must rely on or cast their lot with other (lesser) humans, tragedy results. Odysseus nearly fails in the journey and his men are taken from him, when they unwisely slaughter Helios's livestock: "They lost their own lives because of their recklessness, the fools", (Odyssey, Book I, lines 7-8, page 3) and nearly Odysseus's life too. Similarly, when Beowulf fights with the dragon, his cowardly men run away, and the aged chieftain is killed, although he first kills the dragon. "Too few supporters flocked to our prince when affliction came," says Wiglaf. (Beowulf, lines 2882-2883, page 142) Poor Othello unwisely allows Iago to impose on him, and ultimately kills the innocent Desdemona and himself. Thus, the warrior hero survives and prospers only so long as he remains solitary."
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Women in Shakespeare's Times, 2002.
An analysis of the character Kate, in William Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" and a reflection of the role of women in society.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 57.95
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Abstract
The paper shows that despite the fact that a woman ruled England in the time that William Shakespeare lived, the place of women in renaissance society was limited to specific rules and limitations, guided by lessons of virtue and demure conduct. By examining Kate in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew", the paper discusses how she represents the way women of her temperament would be treated in Shakespeare's era - she would be broken of her waggish ways and learn decorum, humility and essentially her lowly place.
From the Paper
"While people today are allowed a greater range of acceptable personality traits in Shakespeare's time, there were greater limits place on how one manifested him or herself in the world; however the restraints placed on people doesn't mean that different personality types didn't emerge. As we know from modern psychology, personality is developed as a way to meet ones needs and despite how society might wish to limit expressions of those needs, personalities will develop independent of our best effort to control them. Women in seventeenth century England were not all of one mind or of one action. And that showed throughout Shakespeare's work."
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"Much Ado About Nothing", 2002.
This paper is a review of the Pittsburgh Public Theater's performance of Shakespeare's comedy, "Much Ado About Nothing".
760 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 27.95
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Abstract
This essay is a critical review of the Pittsburgh Public Theater's performance of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". Many of the positive aspects are highlighted, such as the liveliness and fun of the ensemble and the lighting, atmosphere, music and dancing. At the same time the flaws of the play are also mentioned such as the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick.
From the Paper
""Much Ado About Nothing" performed at the Pittsburgh Public Theater was a lively and entertaining performance of Shakespeare's play with this the main feature that stood out. Overall, all the aspects of the play worked together to make this a fun version. The one flaw that was apparent occurred in the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick, the pair never seeming to have enough chemistry together to pull off their relationship of trading insults."
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Shakespeare's "Henry IV" an "Twelfth Night"., 2002.
This paper explores Shakespeare's notion of romantic love, as illustrated by two of his plays.
1,220 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 0 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
The paper shows how Shakespeare links romantic love with power, greed and politics. It starts with an analysis of "Twelfth Night", discussing how the entire plot focuses on the love interests of the characters. It looks at Shakespeare's suggestion that love - only if politically feasible - is permitted. It looks at the character of Viola and the power issues raised by the fact that she is disguised as a man. The economic compatibility in the final twist of the plot is explored, as are Sebastian's unromantic motivations for marriage. The paper concludes by looking briefly at the theme of love motivated by politics in "Henry V".
From the Paper
"Ah love. It appears to be a rather simple emotion - at first glance. You find someone you are attracted to physically, then the attraction grows into affection, and the affection grows into love. The two of you marry, and live happily ever after. Right? It would seem that dear Shakespeare couldn't quite grasp the simpler aspects of love, and marriage, for most of his plays dealing with love are littered with unromantic things like politics, and economic gain. One obvious play is "Twelfth Night", and one less obvious play is "Henry V"; however both show Shakespeare's tendency to link romantic love with less romantic power, politics and greed."
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"Twelfth Night", 2002.
A review of William Shakespeare's love story "Twelfth Night".
1,892 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 60.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night" can be seen as comedic social commentary on love and marriage amidst the backdrop of a renaissance ducal court, such as those that predominated in northern Italy. It discusses how the play, about a young woman who disguises herself as her brother in order to gain favor with the court results in confusion and how by using Viola as a plot device, Shakespeare calls into question traditional conceptualizations of romance, as well as gender relations and the significance of titles. It shows how Shakespeare has a lot of fun playing with this mixed-identity, gender-bending premise. It outline the plot of the play and provides an analysis of the main characters.
From the Paper
"Malvolio is self-involved; full of "self-love," as Olivia noted in Act I; he believes himself to be irresistible to a young woman like Olivia, despite the fact that he is an old servant. Maria, Olivia's servant, decides to play a trick on him by forging a mock-love letter from Olivia. Before he reads the letter, he entertains a fantasy about being married to Olivia, and getting to strut around Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, due to his imagined rise in station. Malvolio's thinking out loud gets him in trouble; the party decide that Malvolio is being a perfect "turkeycock," which is a good image to describe Malvolio's pride. Maria and Feste, the canny court fool of Olivia, continue to torment Malvolio through the play, as the old servant is somewhat of a running joke who is unable to match wits with Feste."
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Oedipus and Hamlet: Tragic Heroes, 2002.
This paper discusses the features of the tragic hero, comparing and contrasting between is Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex" and Shakespeare's "Hamlet".
1,325 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper begins by looking at the differences between the classical tragic hero and the tragic hero of Shakespearian times. It then moves on to a closer examination of the characteristics of the tragic hero, as illustrated in is Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex". A brief outline of the plot is given and the paper explains how this work fits into the category of the mythological tale. The character flaws responsible for the tragic fall in the play are also discussed. Next the paper moves on to Shakespeare's tragedy, "Hamlet", comparing it with the former tragedy in terms of evidence or lack of "otherworldly forces" to spur on the tragedy and in terms of each plays philosophy concerning fate and free will. The paper concludes by explaining how both of these characters fit the mould of tragic hero.
From the Paper
"Understanding the Tragic Hero begins with an examination of Oedipus Rex. But, while he is the archetype of this particular literary character, Hamlet is, perhaps, the most well developed and psychologically complex of tragic heroes. For the Greeks, all things in life are preordained, which is what makes for the tragedy of Oedipus - his attempt to make his own destiny. Over the course of time, however, while the form of the tragic hero did not change, the reason for his being tragic did. The social world of the Renaissance had shifted from a philosophy of determinism to one of individualism - that we all have the choice to accept or deny our relationship with God. This makes Hamlet a tragic hero who is punished not for a flaunting of destiny, but because he is mad. It is the purpose of this paper to examine both Oedipus Rex and Hamlet as tragic heroes who, because of their different social contexts, made for very different men."
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The Times of William Shakespeare, 2002.
This paper traces the events of Shakespeare's life during the years 1602-1611.
1,467 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
Shakespeare composed his plays, including the ones discussed in this essay, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England from 1558 to 1603, and during the early part of the reign of her cousin, James VI of Scotland, who took England's throne as James I after Elizabeth's death in 1603. This paper shows that records of Shakespeare's plays first appeared in 1594, when the theaters reopened following the passing of an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague, which had closed them for 21 months. This paper focuses on the events of Shakespeare's life during the years 1602-1611, a period in which Shakespeare wrote prolifically and penned such plays as "Troilus and Cressida", "All's Well That Ends Well", "Antony and Cleopatra", "The Winter's Tale" and "The Tempest".
From the Paper
"While Southampton had been condemned to death in London Tower for his involvement in the rebellious scheme, he fortunately received a reprieve. However, the event left Shakespeare deeply shaken and ended his involvement with Southampton and his circle of friends. Furthermore, in 1607, Shakespeare's mother died. Surely, such death and chaos as he saw in those years played a crucial role in the switch to a darker, more tragic tone in his works.
Antony and Cleopatra was written around 1606 and deals with a different type of love than that discussed in Shakespeare's earlier tragedies, namely the passions of the Roman general Mark Antony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra."
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Role of Women in Shakespeare, 2002.
This paper examines how women were portrayed in the many different works by William Shakespeare.
1,305 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper is a discussion of Shakespeare's portrayal of women in his many different works. The author discusses how the female characters are portrayed in several of Shakespeares plays. In "Henry VI," the woman's placed is portrayed as being in the home, while in "Macbeth," Lady Macbeth's influence declines to the point where she becomes a nervous wreck. In "The Tempest," the heroine Miranda takes all of her cues from the male character, in "Hamlet" a women's involvement in political matters is suggested to be dangerous and in "The Taming of the Shrew," women who were beaten or treated badly by their husband were powerless to speak out against this abuse. The author uses many different sources to support their thesis that Shakespeare did not intentionally portray women in a negative light, but his works should be viewed as being a reflection of the world around him.
From the Paper
"In "The Tempest," Tarqfrler writes that the heroine, Miranda, again is portrayed as a "conventional woman" (Tarqfrler pg). Although Shakespeare give her a "bright and cheerful nature" filled with kindness and compassion, "she is also oppressed by the male society...a woman who has none of the exaggerated affectations of social rules and timid conventions" (Tarqfrler pg). Shakespeare's male representative, Prospero, trains her in the essential of life, such as "speech, dress, obedience, gentleness and modesty" (Tarqfrler pg). Miranda is naive of the world's social structure, the protocol of aristocracy, moreover, she had no clue as to her place in the scheme of things (Tarqfrler pg). So although, her character is praised for its naivete and beauty, "she lacks profound intellectual and moral content" (Tarqfrler pg). Tarqfrler cites the critic Mrs. Jameson, saying, "She says that beautified nonsense existing in a charming manner does not constitute life. And for this reason Miranda disappoints us considerably. Miranda is a puppet and she lacks the quality and capability of her father. She is guided by Prospero, especially, in her 'love affair'" (Tarqfrler pg)."
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Othello, 2002.
An analysis of one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, "Othello", focusing primarily on the theme of racism.
2,160 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 67.95
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Abstract
This paper portray's Shakespeare's "Othello" as a tragic play wherein the revolutionary attempt to overcome the racial prejudice is defeated. Each characters' part in the story is described. The racial discrimination aimed at Othello from the different members of the cast is explained. The paper discusses the ultimate insecurities which stem from Othello's race and the prejudice against him, and which prove to lead to his undoing.
From the Paper
"Othello, one of those great tragedies of Shakespeare was written in 1604. Shakespeare skillfully interleaves the bravado and the accomplishments of Othello along with racial discrimination against him. In fact the two things that run parallel in this novel are Othello's valor as a warrior and the racial prejudice that is harbored against him, albeit on the sly. Shakespeare's dexterity in creating the genre for his plays is something, which is astounding. This is a novel with clear undertones of racism in it. 'Othello' is considered a revolutionary and critical work of Shakespeare which exceeds all his other plays in terms of the sheer depth of emotions that the tragedy evokes. It is a tragic play wherein the revolutionary attempt to overcome the racial prejudice is defeated. When we study the play in depth we again and again encounter verses and epithets that carry this sting of racism in a plainly obvious tone."
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Hamlet's Madness, 2002.
A paper which argues that the mad behavior of Shakespeare's character Hamlet was faked.
1,351 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper questions whether Prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare's famous play, "Hamlet" was really mad or whether his madness was feigned. The paper argues, by bringing evidence from the play, that Hamlet faked his mad behavior towards an end - that of vengeance.
From the Paper
"The scenes involving madness have been contrived. Each of the scenes where Hamlet feigns madness is easily "seen through" by the audience or readers of Shakespeare's plays. The German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe described Hamlet as a poet, a sensitive man who is too weak to deal with the political pressures of Denmark. Goethe drew parallels of Hamlet to his own work "Werther." (Goethe, n.d.) Sigmund Freud, father of psycho-analysis, viewed Hamlet in terms of his oedipal urges: that Claudius had taken Hamlet's father's place. However, Freud is careful to note that Hamlet represents modern man. He does not kill Claudius in order to sleep with his mother, but rather kills him to revenge his mother's death. (Freud, 1900) Neither however, alludes to any madness."
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"King Lear", 2002.
A review of William Shakespeare's play "King Lear".
1,084 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 0 sources, $ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper examines "King Lear" by William Shakespeare and how it is a good example of how Shakespeare focuses his lessons on his audience through his characters. It discusses how the message is the meaningless violence that strips the world of justice and good and how the foolish (King Lear and Gloucester) are left with the realization of what they have done and the role they have played in the disastrous and brutal happenings throughout the plot. It shows how the deaths at the end keep the play what it is - a tragedy and how the characters had to learn through their mistakes and suffer the consequences that Shakespeare felt were fitting.
From the Paper
"In a similar way, Gloucester is deceived by the two sons in his life - his legitimate son Edgar, and his illegitimate son Edmund. Though Edgar is not quite the virtuous beauty that Cordelia is, he does represent some measure of loyalty and justice, which is completely lacking in the jealous, bitter Edmund. Gloucester is unwilling to see the true character of his son from an adulterous relationship, partially due to his guilt. "
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Revenge in Shakespeare, 2002.
A comparitive essay on Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and "Romeo and Juliet", focusing on the common theme of revenge.
1,274 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses two plays by William Shakespeare, "Hamlet" and "Romeo and Juliet". Specifically, it provides an analysis of the theme of revenge in both plays, and compares how revenge harms the characters in both the plays. The paper portrays revenge to be the undoing of the main characters in both plays, and illustrates how deadly the need to avenge can become.
From the Paper
"Revenge may be sweet, but in "Hamlet" and "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare shows the ugly side of revenge, the side that harms everyone it touches. Revenge is an ugly word that indicates evil and violence, and these two plays illustrate the tragic side of revenge. All the lives lost in both plays could have been spared if vengeance had not been such an issue for all the families, and that is the real and abiding tragedy of these works."
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Women in Shakespeare, 2002.
A comparison of two female characters from Shakespeare's literary works, Gertrude from "Hamlet" and Juliet from "Romeo and Juliet".
1,122 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the similarities and differences between Gertrude, from "Hamlet" and Juliet, from "Romeo and Juliet". The paper portrays Gertrude as a woman who is dependent on men, and Juliet as a young woman who has a very single-minded sense of purpose. The situations which cause both women to defy the status quo, are explained, illustrating the they also have something in common.
From the Paper
"It could be argued that Juliet and Gertrude are so different because Juliet seems to have a better-developed sense of right and wrong while Gertrude is able of behaving in ways believed to be wrong because it meets her emotional needs. Juliet is a very young teenager when she meets Romeo at a dance. She knows that Romeo will never be acceptable as a suitor because he belongs to a rival family. Her family and his have been involved in an extended feud, and the marriage of Romeo to Juliet would be opposed by both families."
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"Hamlet", 2002.
The role of the ghost in Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
1,889 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 60.95
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Abstract
Traditionally the role of the ghost in Elizabethan plays was to act as the messenger. In this paper about "Hamlet", the ghost of Hamlet's father is portrayed as a messenger of his own death and represents the vengeful spirit. The ghost in this case has a much more specific role than is generally seen in Elizabethan plays. The writer presents that this ghost is a crucial part of the play and manipulates the plot to its tragic end. The paper covers the themes of Hamlets delay in seeking revenge for his fathers death, the relationship between father and son, the nature of the ghost and Hamlet's insanity. In the conclusion the writer explains that it is through the influence of the ghost that Hamlet is shown his full range of human attributes and thus a meaning is attached to his life.
From the Paper
"The role of the ghost in the Elizabethan play was a familiar occurrence in this tradition. A ghost would usually act as a messenger. In Hamlet the ghost of Hamlet's father acts as a messenger of his own death and as a representative of the vengeful spirit. Thus in Hamlet the ghost has a more specific role than is generally the case in Elizabethan plays. This ghost, as will be seen, is a crucial part of the play, and manipulates the plot to its tragic end".
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"Othello", 2002.
A discussion of the themes of alienation and otherness in William Shakespeare's "Othello".
1,525 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews William Shakespeare's play "Othello". It examines how the theme of "other-ness" and "outsider-ness" that is evidenced by the ability of appearances to lie, rather than tell the truth, runs through the play, though it is most clearly embodied in the character of Othello himself. Othello is a Black man, a Moor, who is fundamentally 'other' or perceived as alien by the society in which he dwells. It discusses how Shakespeare represents alienation as not just being evil in terms of blackness, but alienation in "Othello" also means that a character is existing in a constant state of tension with his or her environment.
From the Paper
"The idea that one can become a stranger to one's self permeates even to the lesser characters of the play (2.3) Othello is deeply disappointed when he sees Cassio, the man he promoted, brawling in the street. Cassio blames himself and wine for his loss of a position, for the wine making him a stranger to himself. Of course, it is Iago who has skillfully manipulated Cassio to drink to much wine. Iago tells his wife Emilia that he wants the handkerchief that Othello gave Desdemona, which she promised him she would never lose. Emilia obeys him, becoming duplicitous in her actions if not in her thoughts to the mistress she loves. "
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