What are the main themes to emerge from the first three acts of 'The Changeling'?
What are the main themes to emerge from the first three acts of 'The Changeling'? Middleton and Rowley's Jacobean tragedy portrays a world in which the characters are often caught between their reasons and their passions. It is a play of contrasts; between judgement and lust, measure and obsession, appearance and reality, combined with the theme of madness, provided obviously by the sub plot but also evident in the main plot through the 'love sickness' of characters such as Alsemero and Beatrice. The play also considers the position of Women in a patriarchal society, their stereotypical expected behaviour and the effects of women on the men around them. In addition there is also the theme of deception, between characters and perhaps characters deceiving themselves. This is often done, in particular in the sub-plot, to comic effect which heightens the tragedian themes evident else where in the play. There are many parallels and contrasts between the two plots and although seemingly unrelated they share key themes such as madness and appearance vs reality. The theme of irrational passion is evident from the opening lines of Act 1 Scene 1, As Alsemero talks of his feelings for Beatrice and we see the two fall in love almost immediately. "I love her beauties to the holy purpose, And that methinks admits comparison With man's first creation" Alsemero's intent is to marry
The Use of Shocking and Stricking Visual Effects in Tis Pity She's A Whore
Early seventeenth century plays often make striking use of visual effects to shock the audience. Explain the ways Ford creates striking or shocking dramatic effects in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. Plays of the seventeenth century are notoriously known for being rife with gory representations and some critics have gone as far as to suggest that Ford is a prime example of the glorification of violence and sex on the stage. However, this stylistic use and representation was not unwanted by his audience - seventeenth century theatre goers of that age expected shocking scenes with the purchase of a ticket. This very apparent made it necessary for Ford to sometimes over dramatise or make more bounteous his shocking and striking scenes - John Ford, many would argue, went just that one step further. Undeniably, one of the most shocking moments that Ford creates is seen fairly near to the beginning of the play in an exchange between Giovanni and Annabella. The play's main plot revolves around the two siblings and their growing love for one another, and we see this love addressed and first reciprocated in Act I, Sc 2. Giovanni is first to admit his love, offering Annabella a dagger to "strike" him with if she does not requite this love. This moment is extremely dramatic and shocking to the audience, as Giovanni's desperate nature if revealed here; Ford establishes both his character and
"The Changeling" is a striking illustration of how the genius of a great dramatist can transform the most unpromising melodrama into the subject matter of a memorable and harrowing psychological tragedy.
THE CHANGELING: "...Beware of off'ring the first-fruits to sin..." "Women Beware Women"- Thomas Middleton "The Changeling" is a striking illustration of how the genius of a great dramatist can transform the most unpromising melodrama into the subject matter of a memorable and harrowing psychological tragedy. Una Ellis- Fermor, in "The Jacobean Drama: An Interpretation", describes the tragedy as the "most compact and pitiless in this drama", containing "elements of great beauty and subsequent action", resulting in their disintegration by the "spiritual evil set at work within them". Belonging to the decadent period of Jacobean tragedy, it is a key study in the history of post- Elizabethan drama- one that is psychological and realistic. It portrays a sombre and disturbing world, where driven by impulses and passions they can scarcely comprehend, leave alone master, Middleton's and Rowley's characters gradually disintegrate as moral beings. As T. S. Eliot has commented, it is the "tragedy of the not naturally bad but irresponsible and undeveloped nature, caught in the consequences of its own action." The play deals with complex ideas and feelings in such a way that the whole structure appears to rely on a sustained sureness and quickness of mind. It offers us a picture of the operation of folly and madness within the mind, and in doing so it explores 'abnormal' mental states;
Achebe portrayed Ekwefi(TM)s relationship
How has Achebe portrayed Ekwefi's relationship With Okonkwo? The relationship between Okonkwo and his second with Ekwefi come across in various chapters of the novels; snippets of their relationship make a clearer picture as the novel progresses. Looking at Achebe's language choices and narrative viewpoint their relationship shows a mixture of both anger and caring which comes apparent in the few scenes where Okonkwo lets his guard down around her. The fist glance at their relationship is a negative view as we see Okonkwo beating then shooting at his wife for going out "Okonkwo heard it and ran madly into his room for the loaded gun, ran out again and aimed at her" Okonkwo is easily angered this is apparent in all of his relationships with people but it also give Ekwefi a sense of character, strong willed as "the wife who had just been beaten murmured something about guns that never shot" showing a defiant streak then again resurfaces when she goes to look for her daughter and showing when she needs to be she possess a fiery spirit. In spite of this we learn there was a strong bond between them "many years ago when she was the village beauty Okonkwo had won her heart... a few years later she ran away from her husband and came to live with Okonkwo" It shows there certainly was a mutual feeling between them as time has passed we see that it is not as apparent. Okonkwo's
Medea's murder of her children means that she cannot be regarded as a tragic hero.To what extent do you agree that Europidies's presentation of Medea in the exodos agrees with this view.
'Unclean, abhorrent child - destroyer.' Medea's murder of her children means she cannot be regarded as a true tragic hero. To what extent do you agree with this in view of Euripides's presentations of Medea in the exodos? The image of Medea presented by Euripides in the exodos is undoubtedly largely horrifying and appalling to the audience. Medea manifestly presents her desire for revenge and it is difficult to sympathise with her character. However, in many respects her character fits the image of a tragic hero. Although, it is widely controversial to associate Medea with heroic aspects in modern days, from an ancient Greek's perspective her actions and personality might well match aspects of the tragic hero such as consistency, appropriation, noble state, and tragic flaw. This essay will explore whether her presentation in the exodos as well as her actions in other circumstances justify her tragic hero status. First of all, Medea has always enjoyed a good reputation and high-rank in society. Her heroic identity symbolises the fact that she is a grand- daughter of the Sun. Moreover, Medea was a princess of Colchis and displayed a vast knowledge of enchantments and medicine. When Jason abandons her in a foreign land she becomes a 'stateless refugee' and her pride suffers. It has also been stated by the Chorus in the play: 'Of all pains and hardships none is worse Than to
Vasquez is instrumental to the tragedy, but is not himself a tragic character. Exploring ideas about tragedy, consider the role of Vasquez in "Ts Pity She's a Whore"..
"Vasquez is instrumental to the tragedy, but is not himself a tragic character." Exploring ideas about tragedy, consider the role of Vasquez in the play. Vasquez is first introduced to us in Act 1, Scene 2 - he is the third character we meet, after the Friar and Giovanni, and, in a way that is telling of what we are to find out about his character later on in the play, he is engaged in a duel with Grimaldi, a man of much higher rank than his own - this immediately highlights a defining feature of revenge tragedies, in that lower ranked characters often interact with those of higher rank in a manner unbefitting of their social standing, and by intertwining Vasquez with such notions from the off, it gives the character an immediate link to the very nature of revenge tragedies, and allows Ford to introduce him instantly as an 'engine of revenge' for Soranzo. This allows Vasquez to commit gruesome acts (the plucking of Putana's eyes) while maintaining that he does so only to defend the honour of his master; indeed, in this initial meeting, Soranzo implies that Vasquez only duels with Grimaldi because the latter has insulted Soranzo ('and on this ground I willed my servant to correct this tongue'). Vasquez's subsequent triumph over Grimaldi, and the pleasure he seems to take in his victory over the higher-ranked Grimaldi is a recurring characteristic of his, in that one of his
How far do you agree that Wycherleys The Country Wife is an attack on marriage?
How far do you agree that Wycherley’s ‘The Country Wife’ is an attack on marriage? One of the primary focuses of William Wycherley’s comedy, ‘The Country Wife’, is the concept of satirising the pretence and artificiality surrounding marriage particularly during the Restoration era and its rebellion against the prior strictness of the Puritan rule. Traditional marital values of love, fidelity and trust are distorted by intense emotion and lust, and these qualities are applicable to the typical comic characters of rakes, and adulterous wives who cuckold their husbands. The play may simply expose the ignorance of conventional fools to provide humour using dramatic irony and may not be deriding the amoral quality of marriage. Yet, more commonly inferred is the critical denouncement against the hypocrisy of ‘respectable’ people and their attitudes towards marriage, mirroring the age in which Wycherley was writing. The characters’ lack of contentment in a relationship is obvious, and the quick craving and yearning that results from this, for other men and women. This is unmistakeable in both sexes alike; the wives are cast off and abandoned, and consequently look for other men to fulfil their romantic desires – initiating cuckoldry. Throughout the play, nearly all characters are preoccupied with their reputation, and thus lie; but as the play ends with the
social class
Explore the ways Sheriff presents social class for dramatic effects in 'Journeys End'. Compare the way in which Sheriff presents social class and compare the ways Barker explores class division in Regeneration. 'Journeys End', first produced in 1928, is a play which portrays a fairly realistic, picture of the front line in the First World War, as it was based on R.C Sherriff's experiences as an officer in the East Surrey Regiment. However, the novel 'Regeneration' published in 1991, is based on Pat Barkers research of authentic documents, such as letters, diaries and reports which shows a graphic description of the suffering endured by men in the trenches, focusing on their physical and psychological damage. In comparing a novel and a play, we can identify certain features of the genres. In the drama text 'Journey End', Sherriff creates a strong visual impact. When the characters are introduced he has to quickly demonstrate key features of their personality in order to capture the audiences' interest and help them to recognize different types of officers. He achieves this through stage directions and dialogue. However, in 'Regeneration' Barker uses detailed narrative to portray her characters which can help the reader build up an understanding of their problems, as the story progresses. Social Class is an important theme throughout both texts and through the presentation
In Lorcas Play The House of Bernada Alba examine Religion throughout the play and the significance it has.
In Lorcas Play - 'The House of Bernada Alba' examine Religion throughout the play and the significance it has. 'The house of Bernada Alba' was written by Garcia Lorca in the 20th century before the beginning of the Spanish civil war. Lorca uses the play to describe what it was like for women living at the time of the civil war. The play is about a family of women in which all the daughters all love the same man, a marriage is planned between the oldest daughter Angustias and the man, Pepe el Romano, however this marriage is for money not for love, Pepe actually loves Adela. In the play there is a strong male influence however no men actually speak in the play, it always shows men to be outside in the open whilst the women cooped up inside in the house. This shows that women at the time the play was written were oppressed and weren't aloud to be 'free'. In the play we see a lot of religion however we dont see much Christianity as the house seems to be lacking the simple moral rules set up by the Christian faith. There is a lot of imagery in the story however a lot of it stems from religion, for example the play begins with the ringing of church bells, they cause the servant to get a headache. We see this as she says "The sound of those bells is right inside my head." This quote could be seen as symbolism as at the time the church was very oppressive, this is where we see the
Throughout the play Arcadia by Tom Stoppard there is a distinct difference between the characters who have a science background and those who do not.
Throughout the play Arcadia by Tom Stoppard there is a distinct difference between the characters who have a science background and those who do not. One of the recurring themes is that those characters and actions of those characters which are against science often lead to conflict and disaster. Even those characters that are of logical thinking for the most part are prone to disaster when they let go of this rational thinking and give in to their irrational side. Bernard is a main character who is not a scientist and has basically no scientific background. From the moment he is introduced, he is portrayed as eccentric and odd. Here Bernard is described for the first time: "Bernard, the visitor, wears a suit and tie. His tendency is to dress flamboyantly but he has damped it down for the occasion, slightly. A peacock-coloured display handkerchief boils over is his breast pocket." (73) The term flamboyant refers to his ornate and rather bold outfit and personality. He is dressed differently than most other characters and behaves much different as well. He is as well one of the most irrational characters of the play. Bernard and his constant need to be successful and famous lead him to disaster. Throughout the play he acts with little regard to the truth. He rarely looks to proof when coming up with ideas and theories. He feels that if there is the slightest proof that he is