Discuss the significance of the ghost in Act 1
Discuss the dramatic significance of the ghost in Act 1. "It harrows me with fear and wonder." Horatio's expressive words on first encountering the ghost in Hamlet are reflective of the concerns that were preeminent in the minds of the Elizabethans of Shakespeare's time with regards the supernatural. The influence of the people's rampant belief in ghosts, witches and superstitious ideas is evident on the pages of such Shakespearean works as Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Richard III. This idea of ghosts triggered a sense of fear, and instigated thought on matters such as death and the afterlife. The appearance of King Hamlet's ghost is thus not only typical of the era in which the play was supposedly written, as well as typical of other Shakespearean works, but brings to mind issues which are still widely debated today. Act 1 begins with a change of guards at the Elsinore castle, an active scene which has been interpreted by some to set off the tension in the play. The guards on duty, Marcellus and Barnardo, attempt to convince Horatio of an 'apparition', a 'dreaded sight' which they had twice previously seen. Horatio, however, is filled with disbelief, proclaiming, "Tush, tush, 'twill not appear." The repetition of the word 'tush' in this alliterative statement draws our attention to his doubts of the ghost's appearance, and thus makes it even more dramatic when the
Of Mice and Men - An Analysis
Of Mice and Men The story Of Mice and Men is one of the most well known novels throughout the world. This very popular book is a favorite of many people. So many people can remember the name Lennie. I will explain some of the important factors as well as details in this story. One of the more memorable characters is definitely George Milton. He is Lennie's best friend. George is the kind of guy who will protect Lennie from anybody. He is a nice guy as long as you are nice to him and Lennie. George's best friend Lennie is probably the most memorable character in the book. His full name is Leonard Small. Which could mean he is strong as a lion but slow, as in dumb. One thing about Lennie Is the fact that every animal he touches he usually kills it. The reason he did this is the fact that he did not know his own strength. Curley, the bosses' son is a bully. He does not like Lennie because Lennie is big. Curley doesn't like big people because he is small himself. He believes he can boss people around because he is the bosses' son. His wife is a flirt. She wants everybody at the Ranch. Curley doesn't like that so he tries to keep her in the house. Slim is like the head of the ranch because he knows what is going on and everybody likes him. He is the kind of guy you would want as a friend. He is called a Jerkline skinner. He is a person that is very easy
'Ruthless leader....loving brother....boring Puritan....gracious victor.' Explore the way in which Shakespeare presents the character of Octavius Caesar in 'Antony
'Ruthless leader....loving brother....boring Puritan....gracious victor.' Explore the way in which Shakespeare presents the character of Octavius Caesar in 'Antony and Cleopatra' Shakespeare portrays Octavius Caesar as a very complex character in 'Antony and Cleopatra.' Shakespeare shows the audience how he has very strong feelings about War, leadership, the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra, and his sister Octavia. These attitudes can be seen as being too rational, too ambitious, and too efficient. However it is these characteristics which in some ways, form the particular contrast with Antony, which shows us his complex character, which also contributes to the conflicts which arise in the play. Shakespeare is very clever in the portrayal of Caesar; he uses Caesar as a foil for Antony, however he is a character in his own right. Shakespeare shows Caesar to be, what you could say, a contradiction. The audience see how Caesar respects Antony's soldier-ship yet still fights him; they see how he clearly loves his sister, but uses her unscrupulously as a political device; and they are shown how he is very rational and dull, yet he surprisingly tells his soldiers, as well as some Egyptians about how he would parade the defeated Cleopatra. He wants to do this because he feels that 'her life in Rome would be eternal in our triumph.' This shows the reader how Caesar has
With close reference to the language and action of the following passage, discuss Williams presentation of Blanches first appearance in the play.
Improvements Needed: I would like to improve the length of my essays, shorten my introduction and use far more quotations more effectively. With close reference to the language and action of the following passage, discuss Williams' presentation of Blanche's first appearance in the play. Introductions and first impressions play an important role in a novel. Streetcar Named Desire, the character of Blanche is the center of the play, in which all the problems that arise are as a result of Blanche's actions or simply her presence. Tennessee Williams conveys this in the beginning scene of the play, where Blanche is instantly distinguished as a stranger to the setting. She is seen being patronizing towards the other characters of the play, giving of the impression to the audience of a snobbish attitude. Blanche's character may just be the most interesting character, and arguably the main character, as we see her character evolve from the start due to the ways she finds ways to cover her true self, like by her clothing; she dresses as a noblewoman to come across as a classy Victorian lady, but this facade deteriorates significantly. When she enters, it is fairly easy to see that Blanche is new to the neighborhood, through her action of looking at "a slip of paper", which was an address. The numerous ornamental accessories ("necklace", "earrings of pearl") give the feeling that
All of the characters who experience misfortune in Othello bring it upon themselves. Discuss the truth of this statement
Essay: Othello All of the characters who experience misfortune in Othello bring it upon themselves. Discuss the truth of this statement. Many of William Shakespeare’s tragedies portray characters that eventually experience misfortune by the end of the play. Othello is a prime example of depicting various characters that each come to their own downfall because of a critical weakness. In the play, Othello’s mislead insecurities in his wife’s love for him, Roderigo’s foolish trusting nature, and Desdemona’s submissive naivety all illustrate Shakespeare’s usage of a critical weakness in creating each character’s own downfall. Othello, who slowly becomes increasingly jealous of Cassio, begins to reveal his key weakness of being mislead to insecurity in his innocent wife’s love for him. Scene 3 of Act 3 is crucial as it outwardly reveals the slow but important transition of Othello’s peaceful state to one of constant insecurity, shown through the short and direct dialogue given by Othello. In the previous acts, he would rarely ask such questions; he would openly display his thoughts. However, it becomes clear that he starts to respond much differently. He starts to demand Iago many direct questions such as, “Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?” (3.3.38), and, “Why of thy thought, Iago?” (3.3.108). These regard the touchy circumstance of Cassio’s
Alfred Tennyson and Wilfred Owen present different ideas about war in their poems, "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "Dulce et Decorum est". Write about these poems and their effect on you.
Lucy Victoria Haig Friday 3rd December Alfred Tennyson and Wilfred Owen present different ideas about war in their poems, "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "Dulce et Decorum est". Write about these poems and their effect on you. "The Charge of the Light Brigade" was written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, about The Battle of Balaclava which took place in 1854. Tennyson wrote the poem using information from an article in The Times and it remembers the bravery of the outnumbered cavalry men who were wrongly sent into battle. "Dulce et Decorum est" was written by Wilfred Owen during the First World War. It was written to show the truth about war and to illustrate that it is not a good thing to die for your country. "The Charge of the Light Brigade" has six verses. The third, fourth and fifth stanzas concentrate on the battle itself. The main part of the battle is depicted in verse four and tells how the soldiers were "sabring the gunners" and how "Cossack and Russian reeled" portraying the victory of the Light Brigade. The final stanza is a message from the poet to "honour the Light Brigade" and not to forget what the six hundred men did. The poem has a constant rhyming pattern all the way through with words like "blundered", "hundred", "thundered" and "wondered" or "shell", "fell" and "well". Having this rhyming pattern throughout makes the poem seem to flow
Analyse William Golding's choice of language during and after the killing of Simon. Why does the language use change?
Analyse William Golding's choice of language during and after the killing of Simon. Why does the language use change? "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" This is the chant that begins the section, increased in its violence as it now says "kill the beast" representing the feelings of the boys. They want to destroy the beast but can't find it as it is inside each of them. This causes them to get ever more angry and frenzied, starting a ritualistic "dance" with "the chant" beating "like a steady pulse". This is reminiscent of Simon's experience earlier when a "pulse started to throb in his temple", just before he went into a fit. This suggests that the boys are also going into a trance or fit, but a much more dangerous one, unaware of their actions. They lose their individuality and start "the throb and stamp of a single organism", again with the throbbing and stamping inducing images of a trance-like ritual. Also the symbolisms of circles and the weather are repeated. The circle now "yawns emptily" waiting to catch someone inside. The weather is threatening, "Thunder boomed...the dark sky was shattered...scar...blow of a gigantic whip". This is a great contrast to the clear skies earlier in the book that symbolised peace. Now they begin to become terrified by the weather and the trance and out of this terror "rose another desire, thick, urgent, blind". This is
thomas hardy
Comparisons of "I look into my glass" and "mirror". I have compared the two poems "Mirror" by Sylvia Plath and "I look into my glass" by Thomas Hardy. I believe "Mirror" is about a mirror describing an old woman's reflection, she can't accept they way that she looks "whatever I see I swallow immediately" and is sad. "I look into my glass" is about an old man who looks at himself and believes he is dieing, he knows he has grown old. "Mirror" is about an old woman's reflection and how the mirror thinks she looks unhappy and depressed. "In me she has drowned a young girl," here she says her young self has drowned, which implies it's died and only the old in her is left. Sylvia also says that the little girl who used to look into the mirror is gone and her old self rises to the mirror "like a terrible fish". This shows how much Sylvia hates her self. In the poem we get a sense of time like she has been sat looking at the mirror for a while as the poem says things like "over and over" and "day after day". While reading "Mirror" the audience considers the mental state Sylvia was in when she split up with her husband, Ted Hughes and how she was on the edge from her father's death as a child. This makes the reader believe that the poem is about Sylvia Plath's life. I believe that the beginning of the poem describes Sylvia as a young woman who is beautiful and popular. "unmisted
What is the importance of the land in Twentieth Century Irish Poetry?
What is the importance of the land in Twentieth Century Irish Poetry? Land in the Twentieth Century was very important to the Irish nation, and this is portrayed through the works of certain pieces of poetry, written by native countrymen Thomas Kinsella and Seamus Heaney. The poem 'Wormwood' is expressed by Thomas Kinsella in a powerful and descriptive manner where the reader can experience the deepest thoughts of the writer, in his or her own way. The reader feels a sense of involvement as Kinsella sets the scene in the dank woods: "In a thicket, among wet trees, stunned, minutely Shuddering, hearing a wooden echo escape." Kinsella informs us of a tree, which he is in fact bewildered by. How he has never come across a tree like this before. It has a certain grace and elegance due to its individuality. The sheer size of the tree he finds mesmerizing, and describing the slenderness of how the tree appears to the naked eye: "The two trees in their infinitesimal dance of growth Have turned completely about one another, their join A slowly twisted scar..." Then Kinsella's dreams are shattered, as a kind of axe breaks the bond between these two trees. As this axe shatters the tree it also shatters the dreams of Kinsella: "A wooden stroke: Iron sinks in the gasping core. I will dream it again." Wormwood was one of Kinsella's poems which he wrote during the twentieth
Why is Bottom such a well-loved character? Explain with reference to 'A Midsummer Nights Dream'
Why is Bottom such a well-loved character? Explain with reference to 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. It was written in 1595 so was one of his earlier plays. Nick Bottom is one of the main characters in the play and is easily the funniest and most well loved. By well loved, I mean that he is well liked my other characters in the play and especially by the audience. He figures in many of the scenes in the play and crosses into the different 'worlds' within the play. He wanders into the world of the fairies during the play and also into the Royal World! Both of these worlds give Bottom a chance to show a bit more of his comical character. The play itself was aimed at an audience of Kings and Queens. It was written just after the plague had swept through the country killing thousands of people so this may have influenced Shakespeare into writing a play with a touch of humour in it. Shakespeare is undoubtedly the best play write that has ever lived and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' has always been one of his most popular plays. There are many main characters in the play that all have an important role within the play. Bottom may not be the main character, however he is the character that the audience will remember the most about once the play has finished. Bottom gets his slightly comical name from being a working
