Discuss the theme of ‘Human Dignity’ in Willis Hall’s ‘The Long and the Short and the Tall’.
Discuss the theme of 'Human Dignity' in Willis Hall's 'The Long and the Short and the Tall'. Willis Hall, author of 'The Long and the Short and the Tall' has personally expressed his belief that the primary theme in his play is the idea of human dignity. In this essay we shall attempt to analyse the reasons behind and arguments against this belief, and to explore other themes discussed in the play. We shall begin by exploring Willis Hall's proposed theme of human dignity. Given that the author of the play expressed this belief himself, it would be arrogant to say that this interpretation is wrong. However, we shall look at how well this theme is conferred within the play. First, however, we must look exactly at what the author means by the phrase 'human dignity'. My original view of the phrase was that it was to refer to trying to maintain those external barriers that most humans build up to present a respectable facade to other people, while also dealing with the horrors of war. The view taken in the 1965 Hereford plays edition of the book is slightly different. Here, it talks of how the book was referring to the maintenance not of emotional barriers, but of morals and ethics, while also facing war. Both these themes make sense in terms of the play, and those also in terms of the phrase, human dignity. It is therefore possible that perhaps the author was referring to both
EXPLORE THE VIEW THAT MALES VALUE WOMEN PREDOMINANTLY FOR THEIR CHILDBEARING ABILITIES, BUT THAT ACTUALLY, MOTHERHOOD HAS MORE ASPECTS TO IT WITHIN THE MERCHANTS TALE, THE CLERKS TALE AND THE HANDMAIDS TALE
The role of mother is one that has existed for as long as we have, as one of the most prominent and defining roles in society, civilised or not. Functions and priorities differ across cultures, but views from the Western world have, for a long time, idealised the mother as tender, and over protective. The holiday of Mother's Day epitomises the view of the mother, with flowers, cards, and giving the mother the "day off" to "relax". It almost appears as though the bond between mother and child is somehow stronger than that between father and child. Controversy has surrounded the role of the mother in debates regarding, for instance, pro-life/choice, fathers4justice, and surrogacy. What this conflict arises from is the question of what it really means to be a mother, and what the role entails. The ability to bear a child has long influenced male attitudes and treatment of females. Primarily, it is a determining factor that separates the two sexes; secondly, it arguably adds more purpose and value to the existence of women. Within the selected texts it is evident that often the male simply values the woman for this ability, and that to the male, the role of being a mother is solely the ability to have the child. They do not consider the complex layers of motherhood; the effects of which we can see on characters like Offred and Professor Higgins. At the time of 'The Merchant's
Compare and contrast the presentation of the villain in Othello, Wuthering Heights and The Collecter.
Compare and contrast the presentation of the concept of the villain in ‘Othello’ by William Shakespeare, ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte and ‘The Collector’ by John Fowles. Othello by William Shakespeare, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and The Collector by John Fowles each has a villainous character woven into the text. My idea of a traditional villain is someone guilty or capable of a crime or wickedness, this suggestion shall be used in my evaluation of the characters in each text to decide whether the characters have been presented as convincing villains and if they fit the description of ‘the villain’, as someone who is evil and devious. It could be said that the main villain in the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare is the character Iago. He is a typical villain in the fact that he is completely capable of causing wickedness. He quotes in the play “By Janus, I think no” this is a good indication of Iagos personality as Janus is a two-faced Roman god. This is significant as Iago manipulates Othello by pretending to be loyal and trustworthy, when in reality he is deceitful and only interested in personal gain. Iago’s character has no redeemable qualities as even when he is kind to people it is false. This is a contrast to the character Fredrick Clegg in John Fowles’ novel “The Collector”. Clegg kidnaps a young woman and holds
Compare and contrast the ways in which the writers of 'Frankenstein' and 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' encourage the reader to apportion blame for the crimes committed in the novels.
Compare and contrast the ways in which the writers of Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray encourage the reader to apportion blame for the crimes committed in the novels. Throughout Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde influence the way in which blame is apportioned to certain characters for the crimes committed in order to communicate the underlying themes and morals of the novels. The apportioning of blame is necessary in both authors' examination of the causes of criminal behaviour, particularly the common 'nature vs. nurture' debate. Throughout the novels the authors question and criticise the motivations of their protagonists, contrasting the concept of an intrinsically evil being with one who is born innocent and later corrupted. Both authors strive to expose the essential duplicity of existence: the concept of the shades of light and dark contained within humanity, but also of how the expectations and pressures of society can force a person to lead a double life. It is particularly interesting to compare the characters of Frankenstein's monster and Dorian Gray in light of this, as despite their obvious differences both are depicted as committing horrific crimes. Both authors link physical appearance to an assessment of character. The initial physical description contributes to how a reader would immediately respond to a
"How do the authors portray love in their texts?" Macbeth By William Shakespeare, The Song of the Old Mother by William Butler Yeats, The Last Duchess by Robert Browning and Porphriya's Lover by Robert Browning
Shakespeare and English Literary Heritage Controlled Assessment How do the authors portray love in their texts? Over here, I will be exploring the different ways in which love is portrayed by authors in their texts. We see love as being supportive in “Macbeth” and “The Song Of The Old Mother.” As we progress, we also see love between individuals as being disturbed. We see this in “My Last Duchess” and “Porphyria’s lover,” as the speakers in the following poems are very possessive, but the way they treat their partners is very disturbing. In many texts the authors portray love as being supportive and we see many examples of this in “Macbeth,” by William Shakespeare and in “The Song of the Old Mother,” by William Butler Yeats. The only major difference between these two is the supportive love is shown in two different relationships: in Macbeth it is shown between a husband and wife relationship and in the Song of the Old Mother it is shown in a parent child relationship. Macbeth is a play written by the famous William Shakespeare in 1606, during the early reign of James I. James I originally was from Scotland but had just become the king of England and was a patron Shakespeare’s acting company, The King’s Men. In Macbeth, the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth is a very close. They both love each other very much and we get to know
A Comparison of the imagery and symbolism in Birdsong and Fair Stood the Wind for France
A Comparison of the imagery and symbolism in Birdsong and Fair Stood the Wind for France Both Fair Stood the Wind for France by H.E. Bates, and Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks are novels concerned with and set during the time of World War. Because of this, both authors use symbols and imagery endlessly to both deliberately enhance their plot, and to subjectively give different meanings and ambiguity to details. The stories are both loosely categorised as love stories, and this theme is used as the backdrop to which the writers build their imagery and symbolism upon. Of course, with both being set amongst World War, symbols can be seen in many things, including, most obviously, war items such as ammunition, the Somme, and emotions; yet I believe there are many specific to the two novels which show a deeper comparison of the two works and general similarities in war literature as a whole. In both of the two novels there are heavily used and deliberate symbols throughout the story; none more so than the eponymous inclusion of birds in Birdsong. We as an audience are introduced to the definitive use of birds as a symbol from the introduction Faulks includes in his newest edition of the novel. Faulks states that: "the eponymous sound is not meant to symbolise 'new life' or 'fresh hope'; it is intended to bear several meanings, but the most important is to suggest the
There is no room for individual identity in South African literature Discuss.
'There is no room for individual identity in South African literature' Discuss. Literature has often been used as tool to capture a sense of the self in society. The issue has clearly had pertinence in South Africa since the introduction of apartheid policies. Apartheid was the system of legal racial segregation imposed by the National Party government of South Africa between 1948 and 19931. Under apartheid whites were given a political-racial identity which was synonymous with superiority. The 'coloured' characters in Athol Fugard's play 'Boesman and Lena' were left helpless by the racism, as Lena's song illustrates when she sings about how 'Boesman' is not merely a name, it is also a label and an identification of one's culture. The sense of individuality appears to have been superseded by the need to conform in a malicious, segregated society. The thought of being exposed to such a hostile land is discussed in poems such as 'Landscape of Violence', where Currey uses a simile to liken the politics of South Africa at the time to 'hailstorms', showing just how crippling the results of prejudice can be. Indeed, those 'caught outside' the comfortable life of the elite are depicted as having only a horse to shelter them from the hail. Racial prejudices are by far the most obvious restriction on personal identity; the characters I have studied are defined first and foremost by
Trying To Find No Place
Trying To Find No Place By: Alec Glenn-Cooke For: Mr. E. Mellow Period 1, Grade 11 University Preparation English Thursday, January 18, 2007. Alec Glenn-Cooke Mr. E. Mellow Period 1, Grade 11 University Preparation English Thursday, January 18, 2007. Trying To Find No Place A dystopia does not pretend to be good, while an anti-utopia appears to be utopian or was intended to be so, but a fatal flaw or malefactor has perverted it (Maven Word of the day). Far to often these two terms are thought to be synonymous. Although they are similar, as said in the quotation above, there is a difference between dystopias and anti-utopias. The concept of an anti-utopia is quite prevelant in George Orwell's 1984, Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, and Siegfried Sassoon's The Hero. The lifestyle somebody leads may seem to people to be acceptable, fun, or even create the illusion of a utopia, when in actuality their actions either wind up hurting themselves or the ones they love. The danger of false allies can also tie in with this concept; somebody who is making a character feel safe, may actually be a person who would do nothing to hinder the character's demise, or even be the one plotting it. Characters take actions that they think will improve their situations, but deluded by hubris they often cannot. Rather than free them their actions put them in jeopardy. The
How are male/female relationships explored in the texts? William Shakespeares Macbeth; Carol Ann Duffys Havisham demonstrating the bitter, loneliness, Christina Rossettis Cousin Kate presents the betrayal and William Shakespeares Sonnet 130 an
How male/female relationships explored in the texts? Male and female relationships are portrayed in different ways, like the power and struggle in William Shakespeare's Macbeth; Carol Ann Duffy's Havisham demonstrating the bitter, loneliness, Christina Rossetti's Cousin Kate presents the betrayal and William Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 and how he shows that relationships should be honest and truthful. Yet their attitudes are in stark contrast as a consequence of how these intensely personal feelings have impacted on their respective lives. At the start of act one scene seven, Macbeth's soliloquy considers all the arguments for and against murdering Duncan which are very weighted toward staying loyal to his king. However, upon almost completely persuading himself not to kill Duncan, Lady Macbeth enters. The reader notices an instant change in the mood, as if an evil presence had entered the room with Macbeth's long speeches being reduced to short sentences. Bravely, Macbeth decisively states "We will proceed no further in this business" showing no option for doubt or debate. He takes the traditional role of a man in this and acts like the strong and tough like the warrior he is. In the Jacobean times the man was meant to be the one in control of the relationships and how things are supposed to go, he took this power and said that that was it his final decision. However
The enticing themes of human desires and dreams in the city acts as a vessel for the American Dream, reinforcing its slow emergence into reality. This is demonstrated in both Toni Morrisons Jazz and Arthur Millers A View from the Brid
English Coursework A2 The enticing themes of "human desires and dreams" in the city acts as a vessel for the American Dream, reinforcing its slow emergence into reality. This is demonstrated in both Toni Morrison's "Jazz" and Arthur Miller's "A View from the Bridge" by using the city as a focal place of "possibility, success and threat", contributing to the assertion and erosion of the American Dream. In this way, the American life can either be fulfilled by the prosperity and opportunities it brings or shattered by the falsity of its ethos. The protagonists in "Jazz" are Joe and Violet; both of whom have experienced the gradual transformation of the city, which has become the central point in the American society, and compels them into uncertainty. In "A View from the Bridge", Eddie plays the role as the Invidia; where in roman mythology suggests a sense of envy and jealousy. The emotional experience of the Invidia might also be passive; the odium that is incurred in others results the catastrophe experienced at the end of the pivotal scene. He refuses to let go of his niece Catherine of which he has incestuous desires for, and becomes the "animal" resulting him being alienated from American society. Evidently, the "human desires and dreams" within the city is asserted or obliterated through the collective society as a whole, where only the submissive characters are allowed
