TO WHAT EXTENT CAN A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE BE CALLED A TRAGEDY?
TO WHAT EXTENT CAN 'A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE' BE CALLED A TRAGEDY? 'A Streetcar Named Desire' was written by Tennessee Williams in 1947, eliciting the most critical commentary of any of his works, as well as being highly divisive: upon its release, one reviewer defined it as the product of an "almost desperately morbid turn of mind"1; George Jean Nathan criticised the "unpleasant"2 nature of the play, calling it "'The Glands Menagerie'"3. Williams' focus on realism, and the subsequent omission of clear-cut protagonists and antagonists in 'Streetcar', also drew glowing reviews, from the pre-eminent theatre critic Brook Atkinson, for example, who called Williams "a genuinely poetic playwright whose knowledge of people is honest and thorough"4. This difference in opinion does not stop at subjective criticism of the play, but even the specific genre which 'Streetcar' falls into. Many assume it to be a tragedy of some type, and there is indeed much to commend this view. However, the ambiguous nature of many aspects of the play and Williams' inclusion of alternate dramatic devices has led many to believe that 'Streetcar' should not be classified as a tragedy, but as a melodrama. In any tragedy, the tragic protagonist is of vital importance: everything is centred on the protagonist, their flaw and subsequent downfall. However, in 'Streetcar', there is large uncertainty as to who
Deception in Othello
Deception in Othello Deception is a reoccurring theme throughout the play which touches all protagonists at various levels. The plot is based on the dishonesty and delusion of the characters. It is difficult for the audience to judge who is deceiving whom. the audience Often becomes part of the trickery and remains unaware that they themselves are being deceived. Deception is performed by all characters, however to different extents and purposes., The three main characters in scene one, Iago, Othello and Desdemona, become involved in a mutual.. Iago is a character which leaves the audience dubious about his true intensions. Nevertheless, Desdemona and even Othello himself can be found guilty of trickery. Deception is perceived as a powerful and destructive force. In the first scene it becomes the main source of tension between the protagonists, and continues to degenerate their mental state throughout the play and eventually leads the final downfall of the characters. Throughout the first scene deception becomes a method applied by all characters in order to establish their power and control over others. The structure of the plot is based on Iago's self-centered plan, which aims to promote his position. He intends to trick other in order to achieve his plan. He announces to the audience that he will follow Othello "to serve my turn upon him", which prove his dishonest
Explore the way Shakespeare presents the relationships between Hamlet and his Mother, Gertrude, making particular reference to Act III Scene. IV
Explore the way Shakespeare presents the relationships between Hamlet and his Mother, Gertrude, making particular reference to Act III Scene. IV In the Play, the relationship between Hamlet and his mother is presented in various different ways. One critical point in the play where their presentation can be fully analysed is Scene IV, of Act III. The 'closet scene' as it is known, is one of the dramatic climaxes of the play. It is the only time we see Hamlet alone with his mother. Apart from a brief exchange during 'the Mousetrap' this is the first conversation since Act 1 Scene II. The scene begins as a repeat of the 'nunnery' episode (Act III Scene I) with Polonius eavesdropping and Gertrude refusing to communicate with her son. Again, as before, with the exception of Ophelia, Hamlet is now talking to somebody with whom he was once very close, but has now been deliberately separated from. Hamlet enters the scene with great antagonism, as he has just returned from Claudius praying, Gertrude's Husband and Hamlet's stepfather, and of course his Uncle. Hamlet's intentions were to kill Claudius as he prayed, so his intentions when entering this scene are not much different than before. His wrath towards Claudius is still at its worst, so Hamlet is prepared to kill him at any chance, thus he kills Polonius instead. The place in which this scene is situated is very important to
The Downward Spiral of Hamlet.
The Downward Spiral Hamlet is one of the great tragedies written by Shakespeare. It is the story of a young man and his struggle to deal with the recent death of his father. This death he soon learns was no accident, and that his mother is now married to the man who killed his father. This man being the late kings own brother, Hamlets Uncle. While reading this play it becomes apparent that nothing really is what it seems. The court of this castle is two faced. Several characters hide who they are and their actions, lies, and deceptions add to the plot and make the ending so tragic. Many characters in the play hide behind masks to hide their true selves and true motivations. Some of the characters being Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the king Claudius as well. They hid behind these masks to protect themselves from the lies they have told, the tricks they have done, and the evil that manifests in them. For starters Polonius is the kings royal assistant, and he appears to be like a loving and caring person. Not only does he appear to be a loving and caring person but also a loving and caring father. Polonius shows us he is not who he would like us to think he is with his son Laertes. When Laertes requests to go to France Polonius gives him his blessing, and best wishes. He gives his son advice to help him while in France, but this is only so he can look like a
How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play?
How does Williams use dramatic devices in A Streetcar Named Desire to heighten the tragic aspects of the play? Williams uses many dramatic devices to develop the play as a tragedy including: symbolism, stage directions and sounds. A Streetcar Named Desire can be seen as a modern domestic tragedy as the characters are not of noble birth and the play has specific focus on a female protagonist and anti-heroine, in this case Blanche. Blanche is often difficult to have an affinity with as she can come across as snobbish and over dramatising however, her fragility leads her to be a truly tragic figure much like that of Ophelia in Hamlet. Both characters are destroyed by the death of their loved ones and both suffer deaths themselves; albeit, in different ways. Williams uses symbolism to great effect within the play. In scene 1 the stage directions describe Blanche as “a moth”. William’s uses stage directions as a crucial dramatic device, making them highly detailed so when performed on stage it could be exactly as described; they became a signature of his. Instantly, a scene of tragedy is set as a moth is fragile however essentially a creature of self destruction, in its quest towards light it often ends up destroying itself. This sense of foreshadowing intensifies the tragedy from the very beginning, suggesting no matter what Blanche does, or how hopeful things are the
'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark' - At the end of the play, how might an audience have decided what this 'something' is and why it is 'rotten'.
Rebecca 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.' At the end of the play, how might an audience have decided what this 'something' is and why it is 'rotten'. Marcellus comments that something is rotten in Act One scene four, after Hamlet has seen the ghost for the first time and has departed to talk to it. In a short space of time, Marcellus has seen the ghost of the old King in arms and Hamlet, the heir apparent to the Danish throne airing his suicidal tendencies. Horatio his fellow officer of the watch has similar foreboding and morbid thoughts 'This bodes some strange eruption to our state.' Primarily this would appear to be the situation of Denmark as it prepares for war with the Norwegians, but could be a prophecy similar to Marcellus's that this would bode badly for their nation state. Wilson Knight wrote that if we were to see the world through Hamlet's eyes, we would find: 'Claudius as the blackest of criminals, Gertrude as an adulteress, Polonius as a fool and Ophelia as a deceit and decoy'1 Certainly at the climax and conclusion of the play this would appear satisfactory to an audience as an answer as to 'what is rotten?' but there are other issues which change the situation. Claudius is corrupt; he has committed fratricide, and reaped the rewards of doing so. We never learn why Claudius murdered his brother, but the reasons could be numerous. It
How does Shakespeare present ideas of disorder, corruption and decay in Act 1 of Hamlet?
How does Shakespeare present ideas of disorder, corruption and decay in Act 1 of Hamlet? Hamlet was believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 by William Shakespeare, and is considered one of Shakespeare's most prestigious and renowned plays. It is a tragedy and therefore traditionally ends with a death. The numerous accounts of disorder, corruption and decay throughout the play link with the theme of a tragedy and this may be why Shakespeare made many suggestions of this throughout. The play's opening scene is at night in Denmark, where it is very cold. This immediately gives a sense of anxiousness. There are two sentinels (guards) to stop intruders. This means that the people they are protecting are possibly at war and have enemies. Immediately, Shakespeare is suggesting an unpleasant start to the play, it being at night, very cold, and guards protecting people from enemies. The first line of the scene, 'who's there?' immediately gives a sense of urgency and panic. Barnardo is challenging everyone who approaches. Francisco's words, 'tis bitter cold, and I am sick at heart' gives a sense of death and illness. Then he Barnardo repeats himself when Horatio and Marcellus enter, saying 'Stand! Who's there?' This makes the reader or viewers of the play question why he is so anxious and alert. Not too long after, you find out that Barnardo is on alert because he is
Through its portrayal of human experience, Shakespeares Hamlet reinforces the significance of loyalty. To what extent does your interpretation of Hamlet support this view?
Through its portrayal of human experience, Shakespeare's Hamlet reinforces the significance of loyalty. To what extent does your interpretation of Hamlet support this view? In your response, make detailed reference to the play. Why is Shakespeare considered to be one of the greatest playwrights of his time? Shakespeare lived in the Elizabethan era and had to write for an Elizabethan audience and theater. By today's standards, this was no picnic in the park. Under those circumstances, he wrote some of the greatest works in history. These works, still popular today, prove him to be a consummate dramatist. Shakespeare knew how to craft dramatic scenes full of external and internal conflict and emotion, something the Elizabethan audience delighted in; he also intertwined superstitions of this era and pageantry, which the Elizabethans also loved. Hamlet is arguably the greatest dramatic character ever created. From the moment we meet the crestfallen prince we are enraptured by his elegant intensity. Shrouded in his inky cloak, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He meets his father's death with consuming outrage and righteous indignation, yet shows no compunction when he himself is responsible for the deaths of the meddling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the pontificating lord chamberlain,
To what extent does Shakespeare present the catastrophe of Othello as inevitable?
To what extent does Shakespeare present catastrophe of 'Othello' as inevitable? The play 'Othello' has derived from opposites and opposition, and many contradictions contained in the play are embodied in the tragic hero, this basic plot alone could have well been presented as a catastrophe and so it is almost certain that Othello could be seen as inevitable because this plot later on spirals out of control within a short timescale due to the fact that Shakespeare has deliberately compressed the timeframe down which makes the play almost too fast for the audience to take in, which demonstrates the catastrophe of Othello as inevitable because there is no time to think thoroughly and make wise decisions which leads to his own downfall. The concepts from Aristotle are also evident throughout the play because the three main factors present are: the protagonist, who inevitably acts disastrous, the unities, in which the timeframe is tightly packed and limited and the catastrophe, in which the protagonist (Othello) and other main characters die, and so the sense of tragedy is reinforced as the play used all the required elements for a tragic play in Aristotle's view. At the very beginning in Act I Scene 1, Shakespeare makes Iago inform the audience that he will follow Othello to "serve my turn upon him" which instantly suggest that inevitably something deceitful from Iago will
Absolute Power Simply Seems To Corrupt Faustus. Once He Can Do Everything, He No Longer Wants To Do Anything; Discuss.
Absolute Power Simply Seems To Corrupt Faustus. Once He Can Do Everything, He No Longer Wants To Do Anything; Discuss. Marlowe's representation of Doctor Faustus changes direction through the play. We follow the change in ambition and greed of a human being who seeks pleasure so much that he sells his soul to the devil for a number of years. Does the power that Faustus obtains corrupt him or is he merely dissatisfied with the power he has and is greedy for more. At the start of the play, Marlowe uses powerful language when referring to Faustus' search for knowledge. "O, What a world of profit and delight, of power, of honour, of omnipotence, is promis'd to the studious artisan". This is what Faustus wishes to obtain, the forbidden knowledge that he feels he can achieve, however it seems strange that Faustus should want to learn more and to be taught and able to understand this forbidden knowledge as he previously bids a farewell to thinking "Divinity, adieu!". Faustus is striving for a great power and his intentions are on a grand scale. "I'll have them read me strange philosophy and tell the secrets of all foreign kings; I'll have them wall all Germany with brass and make swift Rhine circle fair Wittenberg". This is what Faustus thinks he will have the ability to do, but later in his same speech we see signs of his arrogance and the way in which he is governed by greed
