"Comment on the imagery in 'Macbeth'".

"Comment on the imagery in 'Macbeth'" In 'Macbeth', Shakespeare has produced some very powerful images that can, and definitely did, induce certain emotions in the audience. The play to an Elizabethan audience would have been both scary and horrifying. The way Shakespeare achieved this was through the use of the imagery of- clothes, light and dark, the unnatural, blood, animals and disease. The opening scene with the witches is full of imagery, such as the storm and dark weather. This is important because the opening scene is the scene that captures the imagination of the audience and persuades them to stay. One of the most obvious themes in 'Macbeth' that recurs throughout the play is the theme of clothing. Clothes are used as metaphors for positions of power, with titles and Thane-ships being described as robes- "The thane of Cawdor lives, why do you dress me in borrowed robes?" (Act 1 Scene 3) In this section of text Macbeth is basically trying to find out why the title of 'Thane of Cawdor' is being given to him if the current thane is still living, it is just that the metaphor of clothes is being used, in this case 'robes'. Just a few moments later while Macbeth is contemplating what the witches prophecy means in the light of what has happened in the last section, Banquo murmurs- "New honours come upon him like our strange garments." (Act 1 Scene 3) Yet another

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Compare the way Shakespeare presents Hamlet's 'antic disposition' to the way Ophelia's madness is presented to us in Act V."

"Compare the way Shakespeare presents Hamlet's 'antic disposition' to the way Ophelia's madness is presented to us in Act V." In this play, Hamlet, Shakespeare shows us the different ways that madness can be portrayed and the various ways that others surrounding the central characters can perceive it. From the beginning it is explained that Hamlet would "put an antic disposition on" and this signifies that Hamlet's madness would just be an act, not something that is actually true. Hamlet confides in Horatio and asks him not to look knowingly if he sees Hamlet behaving oddly by saying "some doubtful phrase" that might be "ambiguous" in its meaning. This immediately reinforces the notion that Hamlet is only play acting his apparent madness and in actual fact, is sane. Shakespeare presents Hamlet's "antic disposition" as a means for Hamlet to bide his time and figure out how to avenge his father's murder "by a brothers hand." Hamlet's madness is not meant to be seen as madness by us, but as something that has a purpose i.e. it could enable Hamlet to kill Claudius and it could be perceived by others that the killing was unintentional and was because of Hamlet's "madness". However, in the case of Ophelia, Shakespeare presents her form of madness as something that is real and tangible. She has a reason to be mad; her father is "dead and gone." Shakespeare enforces the idea that

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Consider how and why Shakespeare uses natural images in Sonnet XVIII, "Shall I compare thee..." and act two, scene two, of "Romeo and Juliet".

Response to Shakespeare Coursework "Consider how and why Shakespeare uses natural images in Sonnet XVIII, "Shall I compare thee..." and act two, scene two, of "Romeo and Juliet". In my coursework I am going to analyse two works of Shakespeare, these will be Sonnet XVIII and Romeo and Juliet. Both of these poems show share similarities, the main one being the theme - love. In Sonnet XVIII, a man is talking about a woman, and is trying to find a comparison to her, that will do her beauty justice, whilst Romeo and Juliet follows a love story, between these two characters, it is a romantic play, which ends in tragedy. Another shared feature of both plays is Shakespeare's use of 'Natural Imagery'. This is a technique that is often used by writers, and is a favoured method of writing used by Shakespeare. Natural imagery is used in writing for description and/or comparison. In these two instances, it compares characters and feelings to that of nature. In Shakespeare's era, nature was enjoyed by most people, as it was all around them - it was something that everybody understood, Shakespeare used natural imagery as something that people could relate to - they knew that the Sun was warm, that the night was mystical, and that fire was passionate, therefore if something or someone was compared to one of these, they knew exactly what was meant. Act two, scene two in Romeo and

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Consider the dramatic functions ofthe fool in King Lear".

"Consider the dramatic functions of the fool in King Lear" Hannah veseli The fool's dramatic functions reach far further than is first obvious on the surface of his character. Although he is not without wit and humour, his usually gaiety has been soured to suit the high tragedy that is paramount to King Lear. His presence in King Lear, is not just to show the folly of the king (which is his actually job) as in other Shakespearean plays, but rather he has many other important dramatic functions. Having said that his gaiety is soured, he does provide a contrast to the otherwise perennial gloom that surrounds King Lear. This is used for a number of reasons; firstly if Shakespeare was to simply concentrate on the tragedy and not include any 'comical moments', the gloominess would become monotonous. However by adding contrast, almost by juxtaposition, it emphasises the depth and seriousness of the tragedy. This is especially true when one thinks that the fool's gaiety is less humorous than his predecessors, and in many cases simply common sense. This common sense provides a comparison with Lear's madness, once again emphasising the depth of it. A prime example of the fool's common sense, compared with that of Lear's madness is in the 'mock trial scene'. When Lear is 'putting Goneril on trial' (using a stool to represent her), the fool says "Cry you mercy, I took you for a

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Death of a Salesman is a play about love". Arthur Miller.

"Death of a Salesman is a play about love" "It's all relationships. I wanted plenty of space in the play for people to confront each other with their feelings..." [Conversations with Arthur Miller, edited by Matthew C Roudine]. Love in the Loman family either brings them together or tears them apart. During the play we see the different ways in which they express their love for each other. There's the love between Willy and Linda, Willy and 'the woman', Willy and Biff and the lack of love between Willy and Happy and even the love and admiration that Willy has for Charlie. The love between Willy and Biff is the most controversial of all, a love so powerful that it does more harm than good. Biff and Willy have different ways of expressing their love; they both detest confrontation and rarely express their feelings for each other. If we go back to when Biff is in high school we can see why. The relationship between Willy and Biff was at an all time high for the play. The fatherly-son activities such as rooting for Biff at football games, praising his accomplishments and defending him from the critical comments of Bernard shows us the father Willy could be. Once Biff finds out about Willy's affair with the woman we see the side of Biff that is expressed throughout the rest of the play. Part of Biff still loves and admires his father, but the other half (the half that

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Drama shows us that those who control language dictate the events of the play" Compare and contrast your chosen texts in the light of this opinion.

Saturday, 17 May 2003 Jad Salfiti A2 English Literature "Drama shows us that those who control language dictate the events of the play" Compare and contrast your chosen texts in the light of this opinion. 'The Tempest' written by William Shakespeare and 'Translations' written by Brian Friel both look at how those who control language can dictate events. Despite the disparity of context, both plays share many core themes and explore the importance of language and how it can be used as a means of control. Both plays show linguistic hegemony, and demonstrate how one language can take dominance and displace another and how language can be stigmatised, so that it becomes dirtied and debased. In 'The Tempest', Caliban's original language is belittled to "gabble" and "babble" by a Eurocentric Miranda. While in 'Translations' Lancey's snobbish attitude to the townspeople and his use of circumlocutory beaurocratic jargon exposes his personal discomfort at being with "foreign civilians". Prospero is in control of language within the Tempest, he is the most educated and he also has magical powers. Throughout the play Prospero uses language to coerce characters to do what he wants; his linguistic and magical authority is used to dictate the events of the play. Prospero foregrounds the plays fictionality "my charm the magicalism of art", and he

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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"Each of these two characters is fundamentally incomplete." Examine the contrasting personalities of Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski in the light of this comment.

Oct 13 Daniella De Silva "Each of these two characters is fundamentally incomplete." Examine the contrasting personalities of Blanche Dubois and Stanley Kowalski in the light of this comment. To examine these characters, their backgrounds must first be uncovered. Blanche is a middle aged, former Southern Belle. She grew up in a dream world, on a beautiful country estate called Belle Reve. Her entire childhood was spent doing whatever it was that she pleased and being waited on by the family's servants. She was never forced to work hard, unlike Stanley. He grew up in America: More than likely right there in Elysian Fields. He too enjoyed his childhood, although they were very different from each other. Stanley has had to work hard all of his life for things that he wanted or cared about. These different upbringings and ideas on life create their personalities to clash continually. Blanche, although she portrays quite a self-controlled character, has endured some tough situations. She mentions in the play how while trying to hang on to Belle Reve and her childhood, she, "stayed and fought for it, bled for it, almost died for it." She also mentions her dead husband and how the music, especially the Varsouviana makes her reminisce on him and the homosexual situation. She tries to escape from the reality of these things by "misrepresenting things" to people

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Examine how Shakespeare explores the role of women in Hamlet. What might the response of a modern audience be to this aspect of the play?

AS English Literature Coursework: Examine how Shakespeare explores the role of women in Hamlet. What might the response of a modern audience be to this aspect of the play? Gertrude and Ophelia, the only two women in Hamlet, reflect the general status of women in Elizabethan Times. Women were suppressed by the males in their lives (brothers, fathers, and partners) and were always inferior. Ophelia and Gertrude have little or no power due to restricted legal, social and economic rights that were found in Elizabethan society. The male characters in Hamlet reflect this sexist view point, represented by Hamlet's judgement that "frailty, thy name is woman". This view was not uncommon in Shakespeare's time and heavily influenced Shakespeare to present women the way he does in Hamlet. In a critical essay, Judith Cook1 noted that in many of Shakespeare's plays major women characters 'die because of direct association with the fate of a tragic hero'. This could be seen as Shakespeare trying to convey women's fate being a 'by-product' of the fate of men- men are superior. On the other hand, Ophelia is crucial in understanding Hamlet as a character and gives an insight into different motifs of the play. Some may argue that Ophelia is one of the causes of Hamlet's 'madness' and his recoil from love. The reaction Hamlet has to Ophelia, at the play for example, allows us to watch Hamlet's

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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I am writing to inform you that I have been chosen to play the role of Juliet in the forthcoming 21st century film 'Romeo and Juliet'.

51 Firle Road Eastbourne East Sussex BN22 8EE 8th April 2003 Dear Mr Sibley, As you are my drama teacher, I am writing to inform you that I have been chosen to play the role of Juliet in the forthcoming 21st century film 'Romeo and Juliet'. I am extremely pleased to have been chosen to play such an important role and I am writing to request some of your professional guidance. I have already thought through how I intend to approach the role in various scenes. However, I am unsure whether my ideas fit Shakespeare's description and actions of Juliet. I would be extremely grateful if you could spare some time to read over my thoughts and point me in the right direction to getting the most out of playing this role. I see Juliet as a lonely, young girl who spends most of her time inside with her closest, if not only friend The Nurse. Juliet is 'yet a stranger to the world' said by Lord Capulet (Juliet's father) and had known none other than to obey her parents. The Nurse brought Juliet up from a small child, as her Biological mother would have nothing to do with it because of her own importance. This meant that whenever Lady Capulet went to speak to her daughter it was for an important reason and it would be a formal conversation with the Nurse in the same room. Whereas The Nurse spoke very openly to Juliet expressing all her thoughts and opinions giving Juliet all the

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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Macbeth

Macbeth Coursework Lady Macbeth "Is Lady Macbeth a fiend-like Queen?" Macbeth is a play written by an author called 'William Shakespeare'. He has written very famous plays such as, 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Hamlet'. He was born in Stafford-upon-Avon, England in 1564. Macbeth is a play about a man called ''Macbeth'; he is called the 'Thane of Glamis', in Scotland and a general in 'King Duncan's army. The play opens with Macbeth returning from a battle one day when he meets three witches. They tell him he's going to become the 'Thane of of Cowdor' and the 'King of Scotland. This seems impossible to Macbeth until he becomes 'Than of Cowdor'. Macbeth sends a letter home to 'Lady Macbeth' about what has happened to him; As soon as she receives this letter she immediately has ideas about killing 'King Duncan' so Macbeth can take his place' One of the main themes in the play is deception -things not being what they seem. "Fair is foul and foul is fair, this contradicts itself. It means good is bad and bad is good, the witches chant it in the opening scene of the play. I think this brings an interesting feel to the start of the playas it gives the audience a sense of mystery. We first see 'Lady Macbeth' appear in the play when she is reading a letter from her husband, Macbeth. He addresses her as "My dearest partner of greatness", we get the impression he is very much in love with

  • Word count: 1839
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: English
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