Abstract In this article, the writer looks at the issue of realism in drama, according to Gertrude Stein and Bertolt Brecht, in relation to Stein's play "Dr. Faustus Lights the Light" and August Strindberg's "The Ghost Sonata". The writer focuses on their views regarding realism and concludes that perhaps both Stein and Brecht are advocating alienation as a way of bridging the initial gap between the stage and the spectator in order to bring realism into sharper focus. The writer maintains that Brecht did it epically, while Stein did it psychologically.
From the Paper "Since there is an unavoidable gap between what one experiences in real life and what one anticipates on the stage, the actual present can never be really done on stage. Therefore realism isn't really real, only a fiction of reality. What one sees in the realism of "The Ghost Sonata" is a staid, set environment rather than an acting platform. The plot is very well set out, it leads us on without giving anything away, there are expected and logical reversals (and vice versa), the characters conform to the dress and modes of the period, the characters evoke our empathy or revulsion, and there is usually a social or moral message implicit in the play. We recognize those emotions and values to which we can relate or have experienced."
Abstract Seven page look at two American plays: Tennessee Williams' "Suddenly Last Summer" and Eugene O'Neill's "Desire Under Elms" examples of Realism in Drama.
An exploration of the contention that moderndrama activates psychological forces using specific reference to Henrik Ibsen, Anton Chekhov and Samuel Beckett.
Abstract This paper examines how moderndrama works closely with the concept of the repression of fear and aggression and how Freudian theory had a direct impact on dramatists after the 1920s. It looks at how Beckett's drama portrays the human condition through the depreciation of psychological forces and how, conversely, Chekhov allows his characters a sense of realisation through negative capability whereby the characters are respectively voiced without emphasis on any one viewpoint. It also shows how like Ibsen he allows the characters the freedom to speak almost randomly, in what Freud would term the technique of free association used to cure patients by articulating their repressed fears and aggressions.
From the Paper "Freud formed a theory of the id and the ego which attempted to explain the unconscious psychological forces of an individual, and can be illustrated through Beckett's Waiting for Godot (1952). Vladimir and Estragon are embodiments of a mind and body duality. By reversing Vladimir's epithet "Didi" it is possible to form Id-Id, where, by psychological definition id represents the desire for physical contact and body warmth, characteristic of babies. Estragon, or "Gogo" can be reversed to (e)go-(e)go, the ego, which forms the conscious and socially aware psyche developed in adulthood. The mind is purely conscious, and can detach itself from the more base instincts of the body, an extended reality, which is controlled by specific laws."
Tags: freud, aggression, fear, id, uncle, vanya, dolls, house
Abstract This paper is a general sketch about how modernism developed after World War I, with strong influence by 19th Century realism and naturalism. There is a description of firstly, the development of realism, and secondly, the development of naturalism, which leads to the beginnings of modernism and its purpose.
From the Paper "After World War I, American people and the authors among them were left disillusioned by the effects that war had on their society. America needed a literature that would explain what had happened previously and what was happening to their society. American writers turned to what is now known as modernism. The influence of 19th Century realism and naturalism and their truthful representation of American life and people was evident in post World War I modernism. "
Abstract The paper examines and analyzes three distinct styles of Greek drama, focusing on the Sophoclean style by giving several examples in drama history such as "Oedipus" and the modern movie, "A Few Good Men". By comparing these styles to what a modern audience expects of a film or play, the paper shows that the Sophoclean style is the most suitable for a modern production.
From the Paper "This shows the main aspect that makes the Sophoclean approach the most suitable style for a modern audience, the character focus. The Sophoclean styles focuses on the main character as the driving force of the play. This is the same approach taken by modern films and plays, where the plot of the play is based on the struggle of the main character. This usually involves a likeable character being presented with some problem and ultimately either overcoming this problem or learning from it. Importantly, the audience forms a relationship with the main character, with this involving the audience in the action. The film Titanic is a good model example of this. As history shows, the main event the movie is based on is the sinking of the ship and the drowning of hundreds of people. Yet, the film does not focus on this to engage the audience and drive the plot. Instead, the plot focuses on the story of Rose and Jack."
Tags: Antigone, Oedipus, Sophocles, Titanic, movies
Abstract This paper examines the history of drama and its steady and sometimes spectacular evolution over time. The paper reviews the contributions of the ancient Greeks to western dramaturgy and then proceeds to look at the innovations of the early moderns. The paper then examines the modern age and considers the peculiar development of what can best be described as non-realistic or some might say nihilistic drama.
From the Paper "The following paper will explore the history and evolution of drama over time while noting the constancy of tragedy, comedy and farce despite the steady parade of changes which have transformed western dramaturgy in fundamental ways. It will begin first by examining the development of "western" drama in the age of the Greeks and it will proceed from there to discuss the innovations of the early modern period (as especially typified by Shakespeare). Not content to end simply with Shakespeare, the paper will look at the modern age and the arrival of non-realistic (some might argue nihilistic) drama and its most fundamental features."
Abstract This paper examines the change in novel styles from the pre-modern to the modern period. The author discusses the new style that incorporates Romanticism, Realism and conception of love, fate and destiny. The author introduces and compares various literary styles such as of Chratien de Troyes, Joseph von Eichendorff"s, Gustave Flaubert's, Guy de Maupassant's, Anton Chekhov's and George Eliot"s.
From the Paper ""Although it is difficult to think of this being the case now, novels were once the province of the upper classes, for that thin segment of society that could read ? and not for the teeming masses stopping by the airport bookstore. Thus even when the world depicted in the novel was not that of the world of the upper classes, the readership was an elite one, and novels were thus written for them. Thus many of the changes that we see occur as we shift from the decidedly non-modern form of the chivalric romance to pre-modern form of the picaresque to the entirely modern styles of Romanticism and Realism are reflective of changes in the nature of reading and the reading public. Other important changes reflect changes in the conception of love, in the place that love held in society in general and in the biography of each person's life, and in attitudes about fate and destiny."
This essay covers a vast amount of information on William Shakespeare and his plays. This paper explores the ways that Shakespeare's drama has evolved and transformed over time.
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."
Abstract This paper examines two of the most important school in art and literature, that of Romanticism and Realism. The author discusses how although these schools tend to be assigned to certain specific and bounded moments in history, in fact the impulses toward the Romantic and the Realistic run throughout human history and across the cultural landscape.
From the Paper "Realism as a style in art and literature attempts to describe human behavior and surroundings or to represent figures and objects exactly as they act or appear in life in an objective and unidealized way. Attempts at realism have been made periodically throughout history in all the arts, however the term is usually applied to a movement that began in the mid-19th century that was a direct reaction to the highly subjective approach of romanticism. Realist artists as a group exhibited a profound sense of social consciousness and a high degree of commitment to addressing the political problems of their times; this was also in contrast to the Romantics who often sought to escape the problems of their day and who felt too alienated to try to intervene in the political process."
Abstract This paper attempts to define the term 'post-modern' and argues that a post-modern approach to the world we live in will enable us to understand current affairs better and thereby make better decisions.
From the Paper "While attempting to understand the world today, it is tempting to apply outdated theories such as liberalism and realism; these outlooks captivated many scholars throughout the years and, perhaps, rightly so, as each theory seemed more relevant at a different time period. But nowadays, thanks to the progress of modern thought, we know that each of these theories ? as well as less sensible and less prevalent ideologies such as Marxism and feminism ? has many limitations. To support this argument, one has to simply point out the waning self-confidence of liberals and realists. Realism ? in the United States, for instance ? is on the decline since the 1960?s, when the notion statehood suffered a major blow in Vietnam. Liberals, on their part, are currently getting more and more frustrated, since their attempts to yield international cooperation seems futile, as war and starvation are as rampant as ever in parts of the world. As we are embarking on a new millennium, anyone who wants to understand the intricacies of today's world must be familiar with post-modern thought."
Tags: ideology, international, liberalism, political, realism, relations, theory
Abstract This paper shows that there are clear connections between the classical and modern theater in Greece just as there are clear connections between the theater of classical Greece and the modern theater of the West in general. The writer explains that much of what we believe to be proper theater-making comes from classical works, including the same ideas about character, motif and plot.
From the Paper "The works of the ancient Greek playwrights are difficult for us to read within the context of the 21st century because most people today believe in the validity of the idea of free will. This inclination towards believing in the importance of free will is especially important for Americans, since we have all been (more or less) raised by the national philosophy that dictates to us from childhood onward that anyone can grow up to be president, that we can ? and indeed are responsible ? for making of our lives what we will."
Abstract This paper explores Realism in terms of both its classic assumptions and its contemporary revisions in the context of other theories of international relations and in particular that of Liberalism. It is argued that while there are challenges to Realism as the dominant theory of international relations, the flaws in Realism revealed by some of these challenges do not require the overall rejection of Realism and its assumptions. Rather, as is shown in this paper, no single theory can explain every situation in the international political environment.
From the Paper "The development and analysis of theories of international relations are necessarily complicated by the social and political context in which they are developed. Although international political theory is, of course, an intellectually autonomous field of study, historically the discussion of international relations "theories are largely shaped by what happens in the sphere of practical world politics" (Haque 135). For example, while the dominant theory of international relations during the Cold War - Realism - fell into abeyance in the 1990s with the end of the Cold War, after the events of September 11, 2001 variations on Realism reasserted their predominance in the field of international political theory."
Abstract This paper examines a host of issues in order to identify the main lines of argument that writers utilize in the criticism of realism, but the core issue of the ongoing debate between realism and its critics is the foundational realist assessment that the primary task of international relations is to secure relative peace and stability. For forty years, this basic realist position has influenced every aspect of the debate between advocates of realism and their critics, for it has generated justifications and objections to nearly every aspect of realism derived from it.
Abstract This paper explains that Larry Lauden in his article 'A Confutation of Convergent Realism' formulates an argument against scientific realism from the perspective of pessimistic induction. The author points out that Lauden rightly states that other philosophers' suggestions that epistemological realism is an empirical hypothesis, which is authenticated by its ability to explain the workings of science, is becoming a significant problem. The paper presents Lauden's methods of attack from which he tackles this assumption of reference and demonstrates how the historical, empirical evidence simply does not exist to support the realist claims. The author concludes that Lauden's debunking of scientific realism via their epistemological dependence on reference and retention is a useful and effective method of philosophical analysis.
From the Paper "Scientific realism is, most basically, the idea that "[m]ature scientific theories are (approximately true." Lauden delves into the meat of this basic statement by dissecting realism into bite-sized chunks that can be more easily analyzed and (in this case) refuted. While Lauden does debunk various aspects of scientific realism, one aspect of it with which he is particularly concerned is the matter of reference. Lauden lists five characteristics of convergent epistemological realism, which he has aggregated from the available resources on scientific realism."
Abstract Realism is an approach to the study and practice of international politics. It emphasizes the role of the nation-state and makes a broad assumption that all nation-states are motivated by national interests, or, at best, national interests disguised as moral concerns. This paper discusses Realism and the intricacies involved in this detailed topic. Theory development is also addressed as well as the critical limitations of Realism.
