"Lady Windermere's Fan is a moral play about immoral people". Explore Wilde's presentation of attitudes in Act One.
"Lady Windermere's Fan is a moral play about immoral people". Explore Wilde's presentation of attitudes in Act One. Oscar Wilde wrote Lady Windermere's Fan, it was first performed in 1892 for a Victorian audience. As it is a comedy of manners, his portrayal of different characters is satirical. When he wrote this play, his ideals were to criticize the attitudes that the upper social class attached to morality through the presentation of different characters within the play. Members of Victorian society could relate to at least one of the characters, which would allow them to self-reflect and maybe change their ways. Ian Gregor states the play is concerned with "the hazards of precipitate and inflexible moral judgement. The subtitle of the play; "A play about a good woman" immediately shows us that the play shall revolve itself around the theme of morality. This is evident in Act One where attitudes are being explored through Lady Windermere's conversations with Lord Darlington, the Duchess of Berwick and Lord Windermere each in turn. Wilde presents different interpretations to morality through these characters's varying social position and their particular social mores. He is challenging the principles that distinguish between right and wrong held by this social milieu. In Act One, Wilde exposes different issues concerning morality and how different characters view
"Linda: I don't say he's a great man... He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being... Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person.
"Linda: I don't say he's a great man... He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being... Attention, attention must be finally paid to such a person. Using two or three critical views as a starting point, write an analytical response to the character of Willy Loman in the play. Towards the end of act one, Linda says that Willy is 'just' a common man, but that he still deserves sympathy when something terrible occurs in his life. Simultaneously Arthur Miller speaks through this character to persuade his audience that Willy's fate is vitally important, in spite of his humble status. The implication that Miller is making is that if a person doesn't receive the human dignity they deserve, they can be viewed as fundamentally tragic. Critics have asserted a range of interpretation's of Willy's character, from Gassner's positive assessment that Willy's "battle for self-respect... [,his] refusal to surrender... [and his] agony... gives him tragic status", to the more negative views of, say, Driver, who believes "It is in the lack of penetration that Miller fails us... we must settle for no more enlightenment... than pathetic Willy has." Miller clearly wanted the audience to feel sympathetic towards Willy. To achieve this he advances three main criteria for tragedy: That Willy is a common man, that he loses dignity and that society is to blame for his
"Long Day's Journey Into Night" a play by Eugene O'Neill portrays the actions of a dysfunctional family.
"Long Day's Journey Into Night" a play by Eugene O'Neill portrays the actions of a dysfunctional family and brings us on a reflective journey from when the fledgling family had started, devoted to one another with high hopes for the future, to what it is today, a family engulfed in turmoil. Each character caught up in their own cycle of self-destruction and method of escaping their reality that they do not realize that they are making their present situation that much worse. Mary, Tyrone, Jamie and Edmund have all mastered the art of denial, but have failed to understand the concept of responsibility and forgiveness. Throughout the play, O'Neill's theme is one of a disclosure into the life of a seemingly normal family on the outside yet convoluted with bitterness on the inside, bringing O'Neill's premise of illusion and truth into the whole story. Mary Tyrone, a once beautiful girl who dreamed about becoming a nun or perhaps a pianist, has become terribly unsatisfied with the turn of events of her life and the person she has become, tries to flee the self proclaimed world of evils she is living in mainly through her morphine use. She blames her addiction to morphine on the stinginess of her husband, who hired a slip-shod doctor to prescribe her pain killers for the pain giving birth had caused her. Though she blames her husband it is Mary's own anguish and guilt that caused
"Look again at Faustus' opening soliloquy, from 'Settle thy studies, Faustus, and begin' to 'Here tire, my brains to get a deity'. What aspects of Faustus, revealed here, are important to our understanding of him later in the play?
"Look again at Faustus' opening soliloquy, from 'Settle thy studies, Faustus, and begin' to 'Here tire, my brains to get a deity', paying special attention to what he says and how he says it. What aspects of Faustus, revealed here, are important to our understanding of him later in the play?" .From the opening soliloquy, the reader is given a great insight into how Faustus' mind works, how he uses logic and his intellect to draw up conclusions, and it is possible for one to forecast future events and occurrences involving Faustus on the basis of this initial passage. The opening two lines of his soliloquy indicate that he is often quick at making decisions. (However, later on, usually under the influence of other characters or sources, he rethinks whether his decision was the correct one to make). An example of his rush to decision is seen in the opening where Faustus initially states that he is about to "begin to sound the depth of that thou wilt profess". I believe that using the word 'wilt' may suggest that he has finalised his decision, and he is certain that he is going to take this path. However, this is not the case. Later on in the text, he may make a statement as if it has been finalised, yet go on to reconsider his actions. In the soliloquy, he initially claims that he will follow this path, then goes on to consider if it was the right choice, trying to seek
"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
"Man for the field and woman for the hearth, man for the sword and for the needle she, man with the head and woman with the heart, man to command and women to obey" to what extent does Tennyson's poetry conform to these gender stereotypes?
"Man for the field and woman for the hearth, man for the sword and for the needle she, man with the head and woman with the heart, man to command and women to obey" to what extent does Tennyson's poetry conform to these gender stereotypes? Lord Alfred Tennyson was one of the best poets of the 19th century, his works inspiring writers even today. Tennyson uses a lot of his own experience and beliefs in his poems; it is probable that they were his medium for spreading his 'message'. One of his poems, Ulysses, tells of a brave King of Ithaca, Ulysses (also known as Odysseus) who lead the Cephallenians against Troy. Ulysses is very much a figure of masculinity, he is a brave warrior king who has travelled the oceans and is an important icon in Greek mythology. In this poem Ulysses tells of how he yearns for more adventure and finally decides to make one last voyage in search of a "newer world", he is old and it is implied that he will not return alive. As well as being adventurous and brave Ulysses takes great pride in leaving his son his kingship, "This is my son Telemachus, To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle-", it is quite stereotypical of a man to want his first born son to rule after him. The only mention of Ulysses' wife is "Match'd with an aged wife," which is hardly a positive comment, she is female and therefore is nothing to do with Ulysses' adventures and deeds,
Dutch Difficulties with English Dialects.
Dutch Difficulties with English Dialects Knowledge of the Dutch language is not sufficient to be understood all over the world. Therefore, many Dutch people have taken the effort to acquire a level of near-native proficiency of the English language. However, there are several varieties of English, for example Irish and Scottish dialects. Nevertheless, the majority of the Dutch have learnt British English instead of Scottish, Irish. Why would this be the case? Although the Irish and Scottish dialects are closely related to the British English language, it remains more difficult for Dutch people to acquire this language. This can be explained by the fact that British tradition is more integrated in the Dutch culture, and RP is more often heard in the media than Scottish and Irish pronunciation. Also, the use of Scottish and Irish is diminishing, because an international pressure to create uniformity in the English language forces dialects to disappear gradually. Dutch learners have better opportunities to acquire British English instead of Scottish or Irish dialects. The British tradition is more integrated in the Dutch culture than Scottish. Of all the major modern Germanic languages, Dutch is the closest relative of English. The Dutch language contains many French loanwords, though not as many as the English. The German language contains less French loanwords than English or
The Tollund Man
Becki Lee The Tollund Man Coursework The Tollund Man is one of Europe's best-known bog bodies. He was found, alongside The Grauballe Man in the early 1950s. Bog bodies recovered from the past are quite wide spread throughout Northern Europe, especially in Denmark, Germany and Ireland. The peat perfectly preserves the bodies due to anaerobic conditions, although the bodies are found blackened, their fingertips, hair and clothing are all still intact. Seamus Heaney uses the bog bodies in his poetry to "uncover, in their meditations, a history of Ireland's conquest, first by Viking's and later by the English". 'Tollund Man' opens quietly and effectively like Glob's initial description, "an evocative and poetic prose", and it is mirrored by the structure of quatrains which is divided into three sections. The first verse is mostly monosyllabic, 'some day I will...to see his peat...' making the words sound hard, which sets the scene as it is a serious subject. There is also no repetition of vowels or consonants which shows a lack in fluency. The repetition of p in the words 'peat' and 'pods' makes the verse sound very pronounced. Moreover, the smallness of his head is defined by the short i's and alliterated p's of the monosyllabic words in the first verse. "The balance of the initial and final p's in the fourth line seals the
The topic of religious language has many facets for exploration. The area of research for this coursework revolves around a recording taken in the due course of an evangelical church service. This section is known as the sermon.
Introduction The topic of religious language has many facets for exploration. The area of research for this coursework revolves around a recording taken in the due course of an evangelical church service. This section is known as the sermon. The recording was drawn from the first part of the sermon. In this, the pastor, the leader of the service, set up the ideas of what the talk would involve and made reference to various texts from the Christian religion's book of authority, the Bible. Parts of the transcription are spoken from notes, others from memory or improvisation, while other parts are read aloud from a written text. The differences between these are of interest as they incur changes and variations in tone, emphasis, speed, volume and other areas of prosodics. Factors inherent to the type of language, audience and purpose will be the focus of the study. It will also be necessary to include comments on persuasion, inference and the overall aim of the sermon. All these will be able to be identified from the various grammatical, lexical and phonological markers. I decided to use this topic as the basis of my work as I am interested both in the content of religious language and the transmission of such. I have spent several years hearing sermons by varying speakers and have found that the styles and techniques, although different, primarily result in comparable
Snowdrops (short story) analysis
What happens in Snowdrops? This story is important as much for what we do not learn directly as for the surface narrative. The story appears to be about a boy and his day at school. He goes to a primary school in Wales - in a town that seems like the author's hometown of Merthyr. Apart from a few very specific details that tell us this, the town could be almost anywhere. His teacher has promised the class that they can go outside to look at the snowdrops that are now coming up. While the children are looking at the snowdrops, they can see a funeral procession passing the school. The boys' parents have spoken earlier about a young man, killed in a motorbike accident, and it is his funeral. Evidently the teacher knows this, for she stands watching and crying. The story that Leslie Norris does not tell directly, but tells indirectly by hints and clues, is about the love between the young man who has died and the teacher, Miss Webster. The themes of this story The title of the story suggests one of its themes - of course it is about snowdrops literally. But for the reader and for the children in the narrative, snowdrops symbolize the renewal of life that comes in the spring, or perhaps eternal life beyond the grave for those who have died. We also see, in the contrast of the adult conversation and the viewpoint of the child the idea of childhood and growing up. There may be
