"Hippolyta and Titania are consorts who defy their Lords, but ultimately submit to their lordship". Examine how Shakespeare treats the female characters and explores the role of women in the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

"Hippolyta and Titania are consorts who defy their Lords, but ultimately submit to their lordship". Examine how Shakespeare treats the female characters and explores the role of women in the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is said to be written between 1594 and 1596. It is also thought it was written around the period 'Romeo & Juliet'. Similarities between the two do occur between the plays, for example the play of 'Pyramus and Thisbe' which is performed by Peter Quince's men has the same tragic ending as 'Romeo & Juliet'. William Shakespeare at this time was the play writer for Elizabeth I .Shakespeare therefore gave the female characters in his plays, some sort of power. By doing this Shakespeare could not irritate the Queen by creating a play which was based on male characters. During the time of Queen Elizabeth I's reign, there were religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants. The Queen tried to treat the two religions equally and by encouraging them to live in peace. (1). Despite her attempts to bring about peace within the religious community, she was ruling a country torn apart by religious tensions. Also during the time of Queen Elizabeth's life was in danger, her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots wanted to have her killed. Fortunately for Queen Elizabeth, her cousins' plot was uncovered and she was tried and sentenced to death in

  • Word count: 1903
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"How far do you agree that we are moved to sympathy, even to admiration, by Richard's journey to awareness?"

"How far do you agree that we are moved to sympathy, even to admiration, by Richard's journey to awareness?" Because King Richard is the eponymous character of this play, it is his emotional journey which readers follow in details. Through the play, numerous traits of his personality are clearly exposed, giving readers plenty of evidence on which to form opinions. In the opening scene of the play, Richard at first comes across as an authoritative ruler, with full control over the situation and an evident sense of fairness and justice. This gives readers scope to feel admiration for him, because he is apparently displaying vital qualities in a good monarch. However, it is not long before Richard slips up and allows his weakness to be exposed. After regally announcing, "We were not born to serve, but to command", he immediately falters and adds "Which since we cannot do..." This shows from the beginning that Richard is not a king capable of impressing us with authority and strength of mind, which I found to weaken the chance of me admiring him. "Richard II", as well as being a play about history, can also be seen as an exploration of psychological depth. Richard is a character who always makes his emotions known, through introspective, lyrical and highly metaphorical poetry. This allows us to trace his journey to awareness far more empathetically. Personally, I agree at

  • Word count: 871
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"How is Brutus portrayed as a tragic hero?"

English Essay "How is Brutus portrayed as a tragic hero?" Throughout the works of Shakespeare, tragedy has always been a vital foundation and a key to his immense successes. His fine mastery of the art became legendary amongst the audiences that watched his various plays. Romeo and Juliet is a prime example of the tragedy he could combine into a stage performance. An Irish poet named Oscar Wilde who was a novelist, dramatist and critic in the late eighteen hundreds once wrote, "There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." This has an exact correlation to the play Julius Caesar where the tragedy lies in the greed of a man who wants too much. This particular play is based entirely upon dreadful choices leading to demise. The character Brutus in particular is a key personality to the structure of the play in his fall from honour. Being a man of utmost glory and loyalty becomes his biggest weakness. In Act 1 Scene 2 we are presented with the pressure that Cassius weighs upon Brutus' mind. In lines 79-80 the truth of Brutus' troubles become clear. In the heat of conversation he says "What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king". This is the turning point in the play as the stepping stones begin to fall in place and Brutus reveals to the viewers his deep down uncertainty to the decision of

  • Word count: 1269
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"In 'Antony and Cleopatra', Shakespeare is particularly interested in the psychological burdens that those in positions of power must endure". Examine the different representations of leadership in the play.

"In 'Antony and Cleopatra', Shakespeare is particularly interested in the psychological burdens that those in positions of power must endure". Examine the different representations of leadership in the play. As is often true of the study of history in general, the people who dominate Shakespeare's historical plays are those in positions of power and authority. This is simply because such people will be the ones to effect history in the most significant way. In 'Antony and Cleopatra' we see several different leadership figures, who show all of the range of burdens, strains and qualities that those in positions of power can have (such as Antony himself, Cleopatra, Caesar, Lepidus and Pompey). In terms of leadership, Classical Renaissance ideas can be very helpful when trying to approach Antony and Cleopatra for the first time. The traditional idea of heroism and leadership was summed up in the quality known as 'virtus', which describes the characteristics of a virile nature, military strength, and old ideas of chivalry and honour. Renaissance artists such as Machiavelli in 'The Prince', modified this to emphasise calm ruthlessness and intellectual power. As we shall see, these two opposing views of what a leader should be (the traditional and renaissance ideals) are reflected in the struggle between Antony and Caesar. Antony, representing the old 'virus' values, is defeated and

  • Word count: 1948
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"In the play Hamlet, Ophelia and Gerturde are both victims" How far do you agree with this view?

"Ophelia and Gertrude are both victims" How far do you agree with this view? Ophelia and Gertrude are the most prominent female characters in "Hamlet" and as a result they do seem quite susceptible and vulnerable in the patriarchal society of Denmark that the play is set in. Many of the ideas and suggestions presented in the play are put forward by the dominant male characters. Since both women seem to have a loving attachment to Hamlet, when it comes to suggestions for establishing the cause of Hamlets madness, they are often used by the men as "bait" to lure him in. This in itself could testify for the idea that both Gertrude and Ophelia are collectively victimised. This is demonstrated in the scene just before Hamlet talks to Ophelia about his real feelings for her. Claudius declares he and Polonius will act as "lawful espials" and they then "may of their encounter frankly judge". Ophelia does not voice her opinion of their plans, although she is present for the entire discussion. Through this, she is shown to be passive with no strength to defy the orders of others. This could be due to a weak character or the fact that Ophelia is forced to conform to the ideals of the time and doesn't know any better. Through this repression, Ophelia is some what victimised as she feels and knows she must respect her elders wishes and obey her father. In one of the earlier scenes of

  • Word count: 1414
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Hamlet is a character about whom we are told so much, yet we know little. Do you agree?"

"Hamlet is a character about whom we are told so much, yet we know little. Do you agree?" This essay will discuss the character of Hamlet and the ways he potrays himself across to the reader. It highlights his introspection, puns, and thoughts of death, thoughts of women and his "madness". These all help to find out more about Hamlets character. Hamlet first introduces us to his character through famous soliloquies however this is not the only way of finding out who or what he is. In his first scene Hamlet speaks to his mother, and mocks her lack of grief for his father, her dead husband. "I have that within which passeth show" and "These but the trappings and the suits of woe". At this point in the speech, Hamlet may merely mean that his grief for his father is genuine, but "passeth show" may also mean that he has some sort of feeling that can't be shown by "the trappings and suits of woe"--his black clothing and cloudy face. Hamlet says that the King is "My father's brother, but no more like my father, than I to Hercules". This comment, which appears in Hamlet's first soliloquy, makes it appear that Hamlet does not consider himself particularly strong or heroic. He uses extreme examples to show his "cowardliness". "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!" says Hamlet at the beginning of his second soliloquy. He blames himself for lack of passion and accuses himself of

  • Word count: 1319
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Hamlets Character is contradictory". Discuss.

"Hamlets Character is contradictory". Discuss Shakespeare gives Hamlet a very indecisive character in this play. This in turn leads to Hamlet becoming contradictive, more and more so throughout the play. His main problem is that he is more of a 'thinker' than a 'doer'. This causes him many problems throughout the whole play. The first example we get of this comes in Hamlets first soliloquy. Here we find out what Hamlet truly feels about the situation he finds himself in after his fathers death. After initially seeming to be willing to go along with Claudius's and his mother's marriage here we find out how he truly feels. He expresses his disgust at the hastiness from which his Mother has married to Claudius so soon after his fathers death. He also expresses how devastated he is at the death of his father and Claudius taking the crown, which Hamlet believes should rightfully be his. Hamlet once again shows this when he goes with his Fathers ghost. He comes back from this encounter determined to take revenge on Claudius but then passes up many chances to do so in order to make sure that the ghost is telling the truth. Hamlet continues this throughout the play and ironically this leads to him doing exactly the opposite of what the ghost wants by hurting his Mother and not taking revenge on Claudius when he has many chances to. Another appearance of Hamlets contradiction

  • Word count: 559
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Macbeth's ambition caused him to commit the crimes - Nobody else influenced him" - Discuss.

"Macbeth's ambition caused him to commit the crimes. Nobody else influenced him." Discuss. Throughout the play Macbeth commits a number of crimes. This is due to a number of reasons; some when other characters in the play influenced him, however they are only reflecting his own secret desires, and some when his "ambition caused him to commit the crimes". Macbeth is first perceived as courageous, strong and a good general. He is co-leader of Duncan's army along with Banquo. He is described as "brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name" and "Noble Macbeth" and even "Bellona's bridegroom" - a fit husband for the Roman goddess of war. All hold him in high regard. He is rewarded with the title of Thane of Cawdor, although Macbeth is unaware of this yet. In Act 1, Scene 3, the three witches meet with Macbeth for the first time, whilst Banquo accompanied him. He is initially shocked by their appearance and is stunned by their prophecies that he will become Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland. "Second witch: All hail, Macbeth! Thane of Cawdor! Third witch: All hail, Macbeth! That shalt be king hereafter!" Macbeth questions their prophecies but the witches vanish. Soon after, Ross and Angus arrive and tell Macbeth that he has become Thane of Cawdor. He then chooses to see this as a sign that he is also destined to become king of Scotland and for the first time we see his

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Long Days Journey into night - Analysing a scene The place of the scene is the dramatic resolution of the play, to be more exact, the end of it. In this scene, the conflict

Long Days Journey into night - Analysing a scene The place of the scene is the dramatic resolution of the play, to be more exact, the end of it. In this scene, the conflict completely revealed, the reader knows the past and the conflict as well. All the four characters has been there. Jamie and Edmund are in the room, Jamie is sleeping and simultaneously James is coming into the room. He wanted not to speak to Jamie, however the drunken Jamie woke up and started to say poetic sentences and cite from different works in order to make his father furious and start an argument. Edmund is the one who makes them to stop that before Mary comes from her room with full of morphine. Jamie starts to make comments on his mother and creates another conflict with Edmund and James. Mary starts to speak to herself ignoring everyone in the room while the others are staring at her. They are trying to make contact with Mary, without any result. The men start to drink and ignore her; Mary is still speaking to herself. The tensions are very obvious, because in that part of the plot everyone knows what happened to Mary and what is the relationship among the family members. Like in the beginning James Tyrone doesn't want to be with Jamie in the same room, and later their conversation full of anger and hatred, these acts are revealing that they don't like each other. Later on, when Mary comes into

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Choose three significant scenes during the course of Romeo and Juliet to illustrate Juliet's character - Looking closely at Juliet's words, behaviours and responses indicate how she develops as the play progresses towards its tragic conclusion.

Choose three significant scenes during the course of Romeo and Juliet to illustrate Juliet's character. Looking closely at Juliet's words, behaviours and responses indicate how she develops as the play progresses towards its tragic conclusion. Juliet's character is dramatically portrayed in this play. The two main characters, Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague both change and mature over the progress of the play but Juliet changes from what could be seen as 'girl to woman' in just under a week. There is a definite difference in her personality from the meeting of Romeo to her marriage to him. As the play progresses, we see Juliet maturing and developing into an independent young woman, which is quite different from the beginning of the play when Juliet never thought of marriage or of defying her parents and family. In Scene 1 Act 3 Juliet enters the play alongside Lady Capulet and the Nurse, who approach her to talk about a forthcoming marriage that Lady Capulet and her husband have planned. They want her to marry Paris at the age of thirteen, however with Juliet being so young and unsure of herself, and of what marriage entails, she does not really have anything to say on the issue. Before they start to talk about this subject, the Nurse and Lady Capulet talk about Juliet's age, and Shakespeare seems to make sure that the point she is only thirteen stand out among all other

  • Word count: 1914
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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