Abstract This paper compares and contrasts two William Shakespeareplays: "Antony and Cleopatra" and "Romeo and Juliet." It provides biographical details of Shakespeare's life. It also looks at the common themes of political and romantic issues in the two plays, the lyrical poetry of both plays and the different appeal of both plays.
Tags: William Shakespeare, plays, Antony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet
Abstract This paper studies Shakespeare's usage of evil in his plays. The essay attempts to reveal the function of this device by analyzing its usage in seven Shakespeareplays: "Macbeth", "Henry VI", "Hamlet", "Julius Caesar", "Richard III", "King Lear" and "Othello". The author includes complete character and plot summaries, and supports his theses with quotes from the texts.
From the Paper "'Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair'. Unfortunately for Steve Bartman and the 2003 Chicago Cubs, this famous phrase does not apply to baseball playoffs. William Shakespeare wrote this line to describe the relationship between good and evil in his play Macbeth. By casual definitions, good is right and evil is wrong. However, Shakespeare operated with larger concepts that go beyond passive terminology. In his works, balance, harmony, justice and righteousness represent good. Evil is represented by disorder, temptation, corruption and immorality. There is inherent tension created when these principles collide."
Abstract This paper analyzes the Shakespeareplay "A Midsummer Night's Dream", one of the English master's love stories. The paper asserts that Shakespeare's romantic comedies were known for their lightheartedness and unassuming plots, but they were also a serious dramatic outlet for the representation of love. The author concludes that "Midsummer" proves that love's paradoxical qualities and its fickle nature play surprisingly well on the funny bone.
From the Paper "The dramatization of Pyramus and Thisbe, though comically performed, tells a tragic story of doomed young love and is perhaps the best example of love's paradoxical quality, both foolish and profound, in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Although performed by a group of ridiculous, lumbering amateur actors whose day jobs included weaving, tailoring and joinery, the play still resonated with intense drama."
Abstract This paper examines organized religion through two plays, "Othello" and "The Merchant of Venice." Of particular note is is the shift during the Elizabethan era away from the Catholic Church, as enforced by Elizabeth's father, King Henry VIII. Some of the theological issues of the time are reflected in Shakespeare, who commented on many of the issues of his own day even when writing about characters and situations from a much earlier period of time.
From the Paper "The Elizabethan era was a period of change in terms of religion, brought about primarily by the shift away from the Catholic Church enforced by Elizabeth's father, King Henry VIII. Some of the theological issues of the time are reflected in Shakespeare, who commented on many of the issues of his own day even when writing about characters and situations from a much earlier period of time. Two of the plays containing some critique of religion are Othello and The Merchant of Venice. The Church of England had originally been part of the Catholic Church, but the break was made when the Pope severed relations during the reign of Elizabeth I after centuries of resistance in England to the Papal supremacy. The Reformation was thus not a sudden event, and ecclesiastically it covered the reigns of four English sovereigns, from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I."
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 explains that Shakespeare's "Othello" follows Aristotle's principles for creating the perfect tragedy. It has a plot that is easily remembered and structured to arouse pity and fear within the audience, with importance placed on the action, and events turning upon surprises. The author points out that the suffering of Othello meets the essential requirements to be considered a tragic hero. The paper stresses that, in "Othello", the reader witnesses the genius of Shakespeare; Othello changes from a loving husband and great warrior to a jealous, murdering husband. The reader loves him, hates him, and then feels sorry for him.
From the Paper "Additionally, Iago also tells Roderigo that Othello "Is of a constant, loving, noble nature,/And, I dare think, he"ll prove to Desdemona/A most dear husband? (II.i.280-3). In reaction to Othello's character, A. C. Bradley states, "Othello's mind, for all its poetry, is very simple. He is not observant. His nature tends outward. He is quite free from introspection, and is not given to reflection. Emotion excites his imagination, but it confuses and dulls his intellect . . . he has little experience of the corrupt products of civilised life, and is ignorant of European women" (Bradley). Our first impression of Othello is a positive one. This fact will help us to feel pity for Othello later in the play."
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. "
Abstract This paper discusses the work of William Shakespeare, focusing primarily on one of his trademarks, the use of humour and wit. From Falstaff to Beatrice, Shakespeare's wittiest characters set the bar for scathing humor that is still unmatched to this day. The paper then discusses one of Shakespeare's most humorous plays, 'As You Like It', which contains perhaps two of his wittiest characters, Rosalind and Touchstone. While Rosalind is the heroine and the focus of the play, and one of Shakespeare's most charming creations, Touchstone, the jaded and cynical clown, is perhaps the wittiest character in the play.
Abstract This paper is an in-depth analysis and examination of the contribution that William Shakespeare made to the literary world. The author details Shakespeare's mysterious life, including speculation as to who he may have really been. The paper covers the many different themes covered in his many plays including ambition, cruelty, justice, reconciliation, madness, betrayal and destiny that were found in Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet and Julius Caesar. The author finds that Shakespeare also used his plays to comment on political events such as in Julius Caesar, Comedy of Errors and Henry VIII. Throughout the paper the author details his masterful understanding of the human character and unparalleled mastery of the English language, a rich imagination and commentary on life in the early 18th century. Shakespeare also wrote over 150 sonnets and there is some speculation that they may have been autobiographical, but once again the author finds that there is no proof.
From the Paper "How is Shakespeare viewed by great figures of the theater? Shakespeare is the greatest discernible influence in the work of Orson Wells (Gottlieb 2000). ? a theatrical and cinematic director, actor, entrepreneur, public figure, and educational and political activist. Wells describes Shakespeare as embodying the fulfillment of almost utopian personal and sociopolitical desires, a figure of considerable stature, power and popularity, a truly great one who bridges the worlds of critical and commercial success. Shakespeare, in Wells? mind, merges individual imagination and artistic independence with tradition and social responsibility, and emphasizes that he has that unparalleled capacity ?to entertain, educate, transport and ultimately unify divergent audiences, high and low.? (Gottlieb)"
Abstract This paper discusses how it is it is Shakespeare's masterful use of language that makes "Romeo and Juliet" a remarkable play. It shows how Shakespeare's language is used to create characters, to add emotion and to express meaning in the play. The author explores each use of language, how the different characters speak, the use of imagery and how Shakespeare uses language to add emotion and heighten the romance of the play.
From the Paper "The first consideration is how Shakespeare uses language to create characters. The characters in the play come from many different classes and backgrounds and have different characteristics. The challenge for Shakespeare was to capture the characteristics of these characters without having to describe them. Shakespeare manages this by paying careful attention to how characters speak. It is noted here that the importance is on not just what they say, but how they say it, a factor many other works are not as aware of. As one author says, speaking of Romeo and Juliet, "the character is discovered through the verse" (Van Tassel, xvi)."
Abstract This drama study historically critiques the theme of political corruption as it evolves in the play, "The Tempest", by William Shakespeare. The paper analyzes the various characters of this play to illustrate how the struggle for power is complex and that power and greed are the basis of corruption. The paper also points out that ,although Prospero dissolves the aggression set against him in the play, Shakespeare uses "The Tempest" to reveal a commentary on political intrigue and corruption that reflects the historical Elizabethan monarchal class system and the politics of Shakespeare's times.
Abstract This paper explains that, for his 1999 film, "William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream", Michael Hoffman rewrote the original Shakespeareplay, 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."
Abstract This paper explores and compares the psychology of the Ego and masks that are worn by two of Shakespeare's characters; Malvolio(Twelfth Night) and Angelo(Measure for Measure). Using concepts of the Ego laid down by Freud and Jung the author demonstrates how Shakespeare uses this flaw, of imagining oneself as an ideal persona, in both a comedic, and later, tragic play. The paper cites examples from Shakespeare's plays to demonstrate his points. Also, the author references known critics in the field of literary criticism to further elucidate his meaning. The author concludes that by using the Ego as a flaw, Shakespeare created characters that are easy to relate to and provides valuable insight on how to deal with ones mask.
From the Paper "In C.G. Jung's book, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, he described what can happen to one who is "possessed" by what Freud would call the Super-ego. This is an idea Shakespeare was well aware of. He used the concept in his writing as a means to bring about both comedy and later to develop a more sophisticated plot, with a more developed conflict. This flaw of imagining oneself as an ideal persona is supported by critiques of Shakespeare's comedies. Richmond, states that Shakespeare's comedies suggest, "that we should test higher sentiments against the implication of facts"(p.2). He argues that Shakespeare finds virtue in what might be called compromised relationships and only destructiveness in single-minded commitment to an ideal. This is not because this harsh world will not tolerate ideals, but because ideals are self-destructive. Through the characters of Malvolio, in Twelfth Night and Angelo in Measure for Measure, Shakespeare explores this character theme, and creates, not only internal conflict, but external as well ."
Abstract This paper examines the life of William Shakespeare and compares and contrasts it to one of his most famous plays, "Hamlet". Shakespeare's childhood, education and early attempts at writing are all discussed and finally his adulthood - including relationships and emotional hardships. These experiences are compared to those of Hamlet.
From the Paper "William Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. He was an English dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. As with all writers, Shakespeare's life has probably affected many of his plays, but one which stands out most strikingly in this manner is ?Hamlet.? "
Tags: dramatist, english, literature, plays, poet, theatre, william
Abstract Shakespeare wrote several plays with "Hamlet" being one of them that shows the constant themes of love and revenge. In many of the plays it is like changing names and having the plots the same.
