What makes the opening of Romeo and Juliet so effective?
What makes the opening of Romeo and Juliet so effective? There is no dought that the opening to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is very effective in Baz Luhrmann's new film. Unlike most films we are told at the start what is going to happen, we are told it is inevitable. This works very well, as most people know what happens in Romeo and Juliet so doesn't spoil the film. Shakespeare wrote the prologue but Baz Luhrmann updates it using news media. The first thing that we see is a television in the middle of a dark room being switched on, as the camera gradually zooms in on the television we realise that it is a news broadcast. The presenter is reading Shakespeare's original prologue about a feud between two families. The camera continues to zoom in so that an image of a broken ring becomes clear in the corner of the screen. The camera then makes you feel as you are entering the news broadcast and out in to a giant city where we see flashes of opposing things between the two families. We are shown two enormous skyscrapers with the names Capulet and Montegue in large capital letters on top of them. To reinforce the conflict between the two families Baz Luhrmann starts off by putting the prologue across in numerous ways. First it is read by the news presenter using the original lines written by Shakespeare, and then secondly by a voice over while we are still watching the
What techniques does Shakespeare use to reveal Iago's villainy?
What techniques does Shakespeare use to reveal Iago's villainy? The play Othello is a stereotypical Shakespearean tragedy and it uses characters that are stereotypical of the views people had during the Jacobean period. Othello is a tragedy because the main characters die at the end f the play, also throughout the play themes of prejudice; deceit and love/hate are introduced. Shakespeare has used other sources other that his imagination for his plays. 'Othello' was thought to have been taken from Hecatommithi, a collection of Italian short stories written by Giraldi Cinthio, the story seven contains many of the same names and situations as in Othello. In this essay I will analyze and comment on how Shakespeare uses techniques to reveal Iago's villainy. I will look at what effects the techniques Shakespeare uses have on the way Iago is presented to the audience. In act 2 scene 3 'Othello' we can clearly see the way Iago uses his surreptitious mind to persuade Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Casio. Due to Iago's manipulation of Othello, Othello starts to doubt Desdemona's loyalty and becomes under Iago's control. Iago uses a sly way to get Othello's attention and get him to believe what he has to say is true, he uses phrases such as "my noble lord" using both a personal pronoun by saying "my" and flattery by calling Othello his "noble lord" which would be
Macbeth- Good vs evil
Good V.S. Evil Every single person has good and evil in them. We are all capable of doing good and bad things. Sometimes people want more power or money and they do evil things because they are greedy, or are just influenced by something and want it. In the play, Macbeth, the title hero has good and evil in him. He starts out as a heroic soldier, but soon kills many people to gain and keep power. In William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, the title character is a good person but it corrupted by his thirst for power. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth is an honorable, respected character. He starts out as a heroic soldier that fights for his country. He is brave and does everything he can to be a great soldier. Everyone, including the king, Duncan, respects Macbeth. Macbeth also shows a lot of respect for everyone: "Thou art so far before, that swiftest wing of recompense is slow to overtake thee." (1.4.19-21) Duncan tells Macbeth that he deserves more thanks that it's possible to give for saving Duncan, by fighting for Scotland. Duncan thinks Macbeth is a heroic soldier. He thinks Macbeth is brave and courageous and he trusts him. Duncan and Macbeth have a good relationship and both respect each other. Duncan is happy to have such a wonderful man to be one of his soldiers, and Macbeth is pleased to be a soldier for King Duncan. The witches play an important role
Imagery in Othello
Write about the use of imagery in 'Othello' and its contribution to the overall effect of the play. In Shakespeare's Othello, the use of imagery, and especially symbolism, is most important in expressing meanings and builds the major themes of the play in order to create dramatic atmosphere. The function of imagery was predominately to generate characterisation and to define the themes in the play. Shakespeare's application of imagery is vital in affecting the reaction of the audience and allows the audience to understand the play in more depth. There are many ways in which imagery is used in Othello and it is conveyed in many different areas. Poison is a key area in which Shakespeare more than dips into with the play. The idea of poison is most strongly associated with Iago, the heinous villain of the play that controls everyone around him, as a sort of puppeteer, manipulating both their thoughts and their actions. Iago's main agenda is to ruin the life of Othello, his master and general, and he achieves this by blackening and poisoning people's minds with his power of persuasion. Poison is a recurring image in the play and it first appears near the beginning of the play, where Iago and Roderigo go to inform Senator Brabantio that Othello has married his daughter, the fair Desdemona, and Iago most certainly goes in order to blacken Brabantio's idea of Othello. 'Call up her
Is Macbeth a horrible monster of is he a sensitive man - a victim of the witches, chance, his wife, and his own ambitions? In a curious way is he both?!
Essay III - Macbeth . Is Macbeth a horrible monster of is he a sensitive man - a victim of the witches, chance, his wife, and his own ambitions? In a curious way is he both?! Macbeth was one of Shakepeare's most famous plays, it is essentially the story of a man who was once honourable and valiant. He was devoted to his king and country. We assume he was initially a good, loyal friend and loving husband. This same man over the duration of the play changes his persona in many ways and finally due to his own actions meet his fate. The play starts with a meeting of three witches, they converse about their plans. They advise of a meeting with Macbeth after the battle is over, "Upon the heath". The play continues and we discover that the current Thane of Cawdor has betrayed the King. The King, Duncan is very displeased and condemns the man to death. Duncan gives Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor, but a this point in the play Macbeth has no knowledge of the Thane's death or of the Kings instructions. The witches meet on the heath as previously planned, Macbeth and his companion Banquo stubble across the woman. They are completely oblivious to the fact that the witches have been waiting for them. This scene is the most critical so far and lays the foundation for the changes in Macbeth's unblemished persona. The witches say firstly to Macbeth "All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee,
Write about how Shakespeare uses dramatic technique and language to create an atmosphere of evil and suspense in the first three scenes of Macbeth, and how he prepares the audience for what happens in the rest of the play.
Write about how Shakespeare uses dramatic technique and language to create an atmosphere of evil and suspense in the first three scenes of Macbeth, and how he prepares the audience for what happens in the rest of the play. Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most popular plays and has been in acted several times in theatres and plays. Shakespeare wrote two types of plays, comedies and tragedies. Macbeth is one of the shortest tragedies written by Shakespeare. It was written between 1603 and 1607, during the reign of King James 1 of England. Evidence suggests that Macbeth was written by command as one of the plays to be given before King James and the King of Scotland during the latter's visit to England in 1606. Shakespeare based some characters in the play (Macbeth, Mac duff and Duncan) roughly o records of real people in Holinshed's Chronicles, a history book from 1587. However, the things that happen in the play are very different to what happened in real life. The play begins with a trio of witches who are reading the future and also casting spells, it is uncertain whether they are seeing the future and are, casting spells to make the events of the future come true. The play then moves on to a military camp of Scottish King Of Duncan where he hears the news that his generals Macbeth and Banquo have defeated two separate invading armies, one from Ireland and the other from
Examine the significance of Act 3 Scene 3 in Othello
Examine the significance of Act 3 Scene 3 in Othello Act 3 Scene 3 is the pivotal point in the play as we see Othello changes from an honest, noble man, who is happily married into a man prepared to kill his own wife based on the rumours he has heard from Iago. Iago is responsible for the change in Othello, because he is jealous of Othello and wants to ruin his life. Iago's plan to get Othello to kill Desdemona and for himself to kill Cassio begins properly in Act 3 Scene 3 as he starts to sow the seed in Othello's mind that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio: "O beware, my lord, of jealousy It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock" (Act 3 Scene 3 Lines 167 - 168) The way Iago uses the word "lord" shows the audience and Othello that Iago has great respect for him. This leads Othello into a false sense of security as he does not think that Iago will betray would betray him by lying to him as he admires him so much. Iago is warning Othello not to be jealous, but there is no previous mention of what he should be jealous of. This brings out a desperate side in Othello that we have not seen before, as he wants to know as much information as he can. The reference to a "green-eyed monster" is another link to jealousy as it is a commonly used personification of jealousy. The colour green is a connotation of envy this is the feeling that Iago is tying to warn Othello
How does Shakespeare create tension in Act 3 scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare: How does Shakespeare create tension in Act 3 scene 1 of 'Romeo and Juliet' Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is a love story about a boy (Romeo) and a girl (Juliet), that fall in love even though they are forbidden because of their two families years of hatred to one another, and their journey through the highs and lows, which unfortunately ends in their deaths because they cannot be together. There are three main themes that run throughout the whole play, one of them is fate, which was strongly believed in at Shakespeare's time and is shown by Romeo when he kills Tybalt which then means he has changed the paths of his life. Another is violence vs. peace and is shown by how the conflict between the two families is set against the life of Romeo and Juliet. Love vs. hate is another theme which is shown by the two children of enemy households fall in love, but are forced to keep is a secret. In Elizabethan times, the ideas of fate, family honour -which is shown by the two families fighting for the family name- and love at first sight were strongly believed in and put into the play for the reason that the audience can then relate to the characters, however for a modern day audience this would seem far-fetched and unlikely. Shakespeare and the Elizabethan's also were strong believers of superstitions, curses and the idea that the natural world can influence your
Shylock - villian or victim?
Shylock has been very badly treated by certain Christians and he yearns for revenge. He goes too far when he seeks the life of his main persecutor, but he is essentially, an intelligent, dignified man who can no longer bear to be humiliated. Long before Shylock plotted against him, Antonio seemed to take a pride in spurning Shylock, treating him in public with rudeness and contempt. This type of behaviour appears to contradict with the rest of his character. You would imagine that such a man would instinctively shrink from insulting anybody so grossly, but Antonio seems proud of it and tells Shylock that he will probably abuse him again, 'spit on him again and spurn him, too'. In 'The Merchant of Venice', Shakespeare does not treat Shylock as simply evil for evil's sake. He makes him human. Shylock has good reason to resent Antonio. He says: 'You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, and spit upon my Jewish gabardine, and all for use of that which is mine own,' When Shylock shows a seeming kindness to Antonio he takes it as a sign that 'The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind'. Kindness in a Jew is beyond Antonio's conception. Christians alienate Shylock simply because he is a Jew. In ancient, medieval, and Renaissance times, Jews almost always encountered prejudice from non-Jews around them. Scholars are divided on whether Shakespeare, in The Merchant of
Iago and Cassio
Comparison of Cassio and Iago In Shakespeare's Othello, the characters Iago (Othello's ensign) and Cassio (Othello's friend and lieutenant) are contrasted in many different ways. The most crucial and significant difference between Iago and Cassio is their attitudes. This contrast is shown mainly in the language that they use. Cassio is a good-natured gentleman, and he uses gracious and refined language. The audience gets this impression immediately in Act 2 Scene 1. Cassio states, "Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling winds, as having sense of beauty, do omit their mortal natures, letting safe go by the divine Desdemona". In this quotation, Cassio is talking about Desdemona as if she is a goddess, or saintly, because of the use of the word "divine", which suggests perfection. He then, later on in the scene states, "O, behold, the riches of the shop come on shore!" When he says "the riches of the ship", he is referring to Desdemona. This shows that he is a gentleman because he is complimenting Desdemona, and saying that she is the most important person the ship (the treasure of the ship). Iago, on the contrary, is the absolute opposite of Michael Cassio. He is a misogynist who uses a lot of crude and vulgar language. Every word which Iago speaks about women devours their value. In Act 2 Scene 1, he states, "Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, bells in
