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Tragic Hero, 2007.
This paper analyzes Shakespeare's character of Othello as a tragic hero.
1,812 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer presents a detailed examination of the Shakespearean character Othello as a tragic hero. The writer discusses the character Othello, as held against the standards of philosopher Aristotle and compared to the character of Creon in Sophocles. The writer explores the six attributes that Aristotle believed were needed to become a tragic hero and argues that Othello fits this description more completely and convincingly than Creon did. The writer concludes that when it comes to Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero Othello clearly outpaces Creon in all six categories of definition.
Outline:
Introduction
Comparing the Characters to the Six Elements
Conclusion
From the Paper
"According to Aristotle there are six significant elements to being labeled a tragic hero. They include nobility and greatness, imperfection, faults or a downfall, punishment exceeding a crime, in other words the misfortune of the hero is not completely deserved by the hero, and there must be a discovery of self or something learned by the hero during the tragedy itself. The final criterion is that the audience is not left feeling a total sense of loss or sadness. When one holds Creon from Sophocles and Othello, from the play Othello against each other one can easily see that Othello is the more convincing tragic hero of the two."
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Supernatural in Literature, 2007.
An analysis of the depiction of the supernatural through some of William Shakespeare's works.
1,266 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the depiction of the supernatural in literature. It specifically looks at the ways that the supernatural is portrayed in William Shakespeare's plays and focuses on the witches in "Macbeth" and the fantasy and illusion of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The paper concludes by mentioning other works that have depicted the supernatural, such as Rudolfo Anaya's novel, "Bless me, Ultima."
From the Paper
"There are no significant actual dreams in the play but rather some dreamlike situations that add to the magical quality of the story. For example, after Titania, the fairy queen whom Oberon wanted to fall in love with someone other than the little boy of her friend's, wakes up from her sleep with love potion on her eyes and under the spell of that charm, immediately falls in love with a clownish figure Bottom. This may appear to be a very hilarious situation to the readers but it is situations like these that were responsible for bringing about a significant change in the course of the play. During that period when she was under the influence of the charm, she dotes on the clown but as soon as the spell ends, she starts loathing the very same person. Whatever has taken place during the spell was a beautiful dream to Bottom who lacked the intelligence to fathom what had happened to him. (IV, i., ll.205-214) Another very important role of dreams can be understood by the speech of Puck in the last Act when he offers an explanation for dreamlike situations to other characters. He wants them to think of their past as nothing but a dream because this explanation could answer whatever questions they had in mind. (ACT V)"
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Outsiders and Communities, 2007.
An analysis of the common theme present in Shakespeare's "Hamlet", William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily", and Robert Frost's "Design".
1,518 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how the Shakespearean play "Hamlet", William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily", and Robert Frost's poem "Design" all have a person who is alienated from his, her, or its community as their central figure. The paper illustrates how rather than becoming increasingly integrated with the rest of the community, the central character finds him or herself ostracized from what might constitute society. The paper demonstrates how only by studying outsiders like Hamlet, Emily and the spider, which stand outside of their worlds, does the arbitrary nature of our own morality become clear.
From the Paper
"Hamlet stands apart from the Danish court, and Miss Emily stands apart from her town. Emily sense of separateness is reinforced by William Faulkner's usual choice of narrating her tale from the collective point of view of the town, using the second person pronoun "we." Unlike Hamlet, this allies the reader with the townsfolk, rather than with the outsider. That Emily is an outsider is clear, however, by her unrelenting sense of entitlement. Emily believes that she should not have to pay taxes. Even when she has lost her beauty, she says in no uncertain terms: ""I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves."
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"Hamlet" on Film, 2007.
A review of the 1990 Franco Zeffirelli film of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
1,081 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the depiction of Hamlet in Franco Zeffirelli's cinematic version of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." It describes how our view of various relationships in the play are altered due to Zeffirelli's use of imagery throughout the film. The paper concludes that Zeffirelli produced a positive introduction to the play of "Hamlet," however that the viewer is left with memories of the images used, rather than the words of Shakespeare's play.
From the Paper
"Gibson's Hamlet is thus an active, sexualized man in a pared-down version of the tragedy, as envisioned by the director Zeffirelli. Zeffirelli cuts any speech that can be reduced to images, making even the editing of the film seem as unreflective as its central character. Also, gentle and potentially contrasting aspects of the characters that remain are cut as well. In the play, a shaken Ophelia goes to Polonius to verbally reports Ophelia's encounter with Hamlet after Hamlet has first seen the ghost. By dramatizing the scene, this places the focus on Hamlet's emotions, rather than Ophelia's inability to articulate herself, and Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia rather than the girl's frightened difficult relationship with her own father. Overall, what little chance she is given to speak, Helena Bonham Carter's Ophelia seems strong and beautiful, a fit adversary for Hamlet in the "nunnery" scene, which also makes his abuse of her seem less frightening and unjustified than it seems on paper."
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"The Winter's Tale", 2007.
An analysis of "The Winter's Tale" by William Shakespeare.
2,111 words (approx. 8.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 66.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how, in William Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale", the idea of time and time passing are key elements in the drama. The paper analyzes how time is constantly expressed in the play through direct methods such as the use of Time as the chorus at the beginning of Act IV and, more indirectly, in the development and situation of characters. The paper examines how the two characters most controlled by time are Leontes, King of Sicilia, and his beautiful and devoted queen, Hermione.
From the Paper
"It seems that late in his career, Shakespeare chose to play with new forms of drama. However, like his earlier works, The Winter's Tale is based on a story that already existed. In this case, a prose romance called Pandosto by Robert Greene inspired Shakespeare's play (Biemen 67). It is the changes that Shakespeare made to the existing story that make this such an interesting play for the famous playwright. Greene's version ended in complete tragedy. However, Shakespeare's play finds its way out of the tragic mode to end much like many of his comedies. Shakespeare's reason for this change is unknown, but it has raised many questions about his intentions."
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Puck and Fool - A Comparison, 2007.
This paper compares and contrasts the roles of Puck from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to Fool from "King Lear."
1,045 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 2 sources, APA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the plays "King Lear" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare. Specifically it compares and contrasts the character of "Puck," the mischievous fairy, with "Fool," King Lear's professional court jester. The author argues that although both are minor characters in the plays, they are quite important to the overall impact and import of the works.
From the Paper
"Puck, whose real name is Robin Goodfellow, plays the jester to his fairy king in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." He is the head fairy in this delightful work, and some critics call him the central character or the most important part in the play. Much of the play's action revolves around him or something he has done. He is comical, infuriating, and is part of the reason this play is so magical and still popular today. The "Fool" is also a jester but he is a more serious type of character, who often chides Lear or guides him with his seemingly nonsensical words, such as, "The codpiece that will house / Before the head has any, / The head and he shall louse; / So beggars marry many. / The man that makes his toe / What he his heart should make, / Shall of a corn cry woe, / And turn his sleep to wake" ("Lear," 1993, 3.2.25-32). Fool actually speaks wisely but clouds his wise words with nonsense. Puck, in contrast, is often nonsensical and witty. His part plays for laughs, while Fool may gain laughter but his real purpose is to advise and influence his king. In addition, Fool is hired for his jesting and advice, while Puck serves freely and without pay or responsibility."
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Othello, 2006.
An analysis of the character of "Othello" as reflected in the character's first and last speeches of the play "Othello" by Shakespeare.
1,235 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 42.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews the role of the character "Othello" in William Shakespeare's play of the same name. According to the paper, the character of Othello begins as a marginalized figure, both in the eyes of the other men of Venice and in the eyes of the audience. It concludes with the idea that Othello is a man of principle, and except for one tragic mistake, the rest of the actions of Othello's life, including his death, uphold his principles.
From the Paper
"Desdemona does not simply pity Othello; she is inspired by his stories, and wishes that heaven had made her a man, a striking statement of the power Othello wields over his audiences, even though Othello is no longer young. "Desdemona, although still the house-affairs would draw her thence:/Which ever as she could with haste dispatch, /She'ld come again, and with a greedy ear/Devour up my discourse." In other words, more than housekeeping, Desdemona loved to hear Othello's inspiring stories of valor, and he approved of her interest in his manly escapades, rather than thinking a woman should only be concerned about her womanly duties. Although the later events of the play will seem to indicate that Othello has a very narrow or immature view of female fidelity, before becoming poisoned by Iago's misogynistic ideas, here Othello seems to approve of Desdemona's boldness, as it is she who almost proposes to him: "she thank'd me, / And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her, /I should but teach him how to tell my story. /And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake."
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Gender and Shakespeare, 2007.
A discussion on the balance of the genders in William Shakespeare's works.
1,335 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper explains William Shakespeare advocates a balance between feminine and masculine elements within every human being for the purpose of creating a more ideal society. It claims that when an imbalance between masculine and feminine impulses occurs within either a society or a powerful individual, dangerous elements are released and the world becomes potentially chaotic. The paper reviews this phenomenon in a few of Shakespeare's works.
From the Paper
"Full masculinity and murder are conjoined in the play's ideology, but not in a positive way. Lady Macbeth states that for Macbeth to be fully masculine, he must be a murderer: "When you durst do it, then you were a man." (I.7) His embodiment of strength and masculinity also means that Macbeth is marginalized by his society after the world shifts to peacetime. King Duncan appoints his own son Malcolm to be king of Scotland, ignoring the fact that without Macbeth, Duncan would have never been able to hold onto his crown. "We will establish our estate upon/Our eldest, Malcolm." (I.6) Duncan's establishment of the royal bloodline honors the feminine virtue of familial loyalty--in contrast Lady Macbeth says she would kill her own child for her husband, demonstrating that she believes in the need for valor and heroism, rather than loyalty to children."
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Contrasts of Character, 2007.
An analysis of the contrasting sets of lovers in William Shakespeare's plays "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Much Ado About Nothing."
1,668 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the themes of contrasts, of honor and deceit, spinsterhood or bachelorhood and marriage and honor and betrayal that are found in William Shakespeare's plays "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Much Ado About Nothing." The paper focuses on the main contrast of character type in both texts which is achieved by pairing two contrasting sets of lovers against one another. It discusses the articulate love of the couples of Petruchio and Kate in "The Taming of the Shrew" and Beatrice and Benedict in "Much Ado About Nothing."
From the Paper
"Shakespeare suggests that all relationships are to some extent dependant upon mendacity. However, the question is how harmless these lies might be. The greater lie is in fact Claudio's perception of Hero as perfect, not the fact that Beatrice has not been dying of love for Benedict. In fact, as the audience is well aware if not the lovers themselves, Beatrice and Benedict are ideally suited for one another. They alone speak the same language of all the characters in the play, a dialogue of witty repartee. When engaged in dialogue with other characters, quite often the other characters are overcome by their wit, like Don Pedro when he attempts to woo Beatrice, and Claudio when Benedict expresses his dim view of love at the beginning of the play. In "The Taming of the Shrew," until she meets Petruchio, Kate is utterly dominant over her father and her sister. Only by finding a man who can match her barb for barb is she re-integrated into the society, just as Benedict is not reintegrated into peacetime society after war, until he finds a match in Beatrice."
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"Romeo and Juliet", 2007.
An analysis of the role of the nurse and Friar Laurence in William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."
1,619 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses William Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet." It analyzes the various ways the nurse and Friar Laurence, in particular, function as key supporting characters. It then looks at how their roles, actions and respective relationships to Romeo and Juliet themselves are used by Shakespeare to help develop the play's motifs and themes of illness, sexuality, violence and death.
From the Paper
" Later in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the truth of Friar Laurence's implied statement is proven when Juliet, having taken Friar Lawrence's sleeping potion to create an appearance of her death, instead of waking to find herself reunited with Romeo outside Verona, wakes to find him dead beside her, in the Montague family crypt. Due to an unpredictable confluence of circumstances, none possible for Friar Laurence to control or predict, the poisonous concoction that had put Juliet temporarily to sleep also causes Romeo's death. As Romeo's suicide illustrates, it is humans who turn inherently neutral natural substances into evil-acting ones."
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William Shakespeare's "Othello, the Moor of Venice", 2006.
This paper discusses the use of animal imagery in William Shakespeare's "Othello, the Moor of Venice".
1,115 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper explain that the use of animal imagery in William Shakespeare's "Othello, the Moor of Venice" reflects the base instincts, which bring about the tragedy of the main character and his innocent wife. The author points out that negatively characterizing Othello as an animal might imply that he is as base and beastly as Iago, but his honor and nobility throughout the rest of Act I makes the reader doubt that Othello is the animal. The paper concludes that comparing the characters to animals suggests that the play is not about race, politics or social convention but rather about the predator and the prey, which is something deeper and more innate than the trappings of society. The paper includes several quotations.
From the Paper
"The innocent and good Cassio is deceived into believing himself a beast because of the machinations of Iago. Knowing that Cassio cannot tolerate alcohol, Iago encourages him to get drunk and orchestrates a fight in which Cassio appears the violent aggressor. Such behavior, especially because it interrupts the marriage bed of Othello and Desdemona, is perceived negatively by Othello who dismisses Cassio from his service. Cassio then likens himself to an animal, disparaging the effect of alcohol that "put an enemy in their mouths ....transform ourselves into beasts!""
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"Macbeth", 2007.
A discussion on Shakespeare's "Macbeth".
1,641 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 53.95
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Abstract
The paper begins with a discussion on the difficulty of writing plays in
Elizabethan England. It explains that Shakespeare was an actor first, which was advantageous to his writing. The author also explores Shakespeare's ability to appeal to the audience, of all classes. In the conclusion, the paper expands on Shakespeare's use of language. The paper offers quotes from "Macbeth" to qualify points made.
From the Paper
"Writing plays during the time of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I could be challenging. One issue that was a chronic problem was the closing of the theaters due to the plague and to Puritanism (Foakes 142). By the time Shakespeare was in London and writing plays in about 1590 most of those dangers had passed and the aristocracy and public were free to enjoy the performances. The challenge for Shakespeare was entertaining all ends of the social and economic spectrum. The task was to "offer poetry for the cultured, shows and a strong plot for the citizens, clowning and bawdy for the illiterate" (Foakes 141). It is Shakespeare's skill in appealing to the whole audience that has made his plays so popular at the time and given them the ability to stand the test of time."
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"Hamlet", 2007.
This paper explores the nature of humanity as presented in the soliloquies of Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
1,100 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how Hamlet kills Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to avoid his own death, but he submits to the duel at the end of the play because that is what fate deals out to him. The paper describes how rather than trying to orchestrate violent plots and plays, Hamlet learns that one cannot appoint one's self the judge of humanity, but one must be ready to submit to fate. The paper shows how in the end Hamlet dies, but he sees justice done, makes peace with his mother and has a sense of accomplishment from killing the king as an open act of vengeance rather than a private act of anger.
From the Paper
"At first, the play "Hamlet" seems to support the idea that revenge is justified. King Claudius is the murderer of Hamlet's father. Claudius also schemes to kill Hamlet. Fortinbras, the Norwegian king, takes over the Danish throne at the end of the play, partly as a result of his expedition to avenge his own father. Laertes wishes to kill Hamlet because Hamlet accidentally killed Laertes' father Polonius. But despite the presence of all of these other avengers in the play, Hamlet's doubts about committing murder makes him the most sympathetic, and also the most significant character for the audience. Hamlet suggests that it is critical that human beings reflect upon their lots in life, and act with reason and passion in a state of balance."
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The Theory of the Humors, 2007.
A discussion on the characters in Shakespeare's "Henry V" and "Much Ado about Nothing" and their congruence with the theory of the humors.
1,269 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the Elizabethans believed that all human beings were made up of four humours or bodily fluids. These fluids were associated with certain personality traits. The paper continues to use Shakespearean characters to qualify and quantify the theory of the humors.
From the Paper
"In contrast, according to the theories of the humors, a choleric person would have an imbalance of yellow bile within him. The most obviously choleric person of "Henry V" would be the Dauphin of France. According to the theories of the humors, these persons were usually slim, wiry, and showed a great deal of color in their face when they were angry. They are, like Dauphin, ambitious, energetic, and direct. The Dauphin angers Henry V by sending the king tennis balls, a foolish and rash action. He constantly proclaims the French superiority to the English, and rages at every chance he has about the English actions."
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Two Domestic Tragedy Plays, 2006.
This paper compares William Shakespeare's "Othello" and Henrik Ibsen's "The Doll House".
1,170 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, in both William Shakespeare's "Othello" and Henrik Ibsen's "The Doll House", a major source of conflict is some serious misunderstanding between a man and a woman. The author points out that, while the plays differ in significant ways, they also have some traits in common such as a third person who wants to improve his position and attempts to manipulate the man's wife in an effort to reach his goal. The paper compares the three characters in each play to explore the similarities and differences related to this third-party plotting: the third persons Krogstad ("Doll House") and Iago ("Othello"), the husbands Torvald and Othello and the wives Nora and Desdemona.
From the Paper
"While there are differences between Torvald and Othello as well as between Iago and Krogstad, the most important differences may be the ones between Desdemona and Nora. Desdemona is faced with the most terrible of dilemmas: the husband she loves is about to kill her, and she does not know why. He tells her to "think on thy sins," and she repeatedly tells him she has done nothing against him. Even as she dies she protects Othello, calling out to a companion that she has killed herself."
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