How Shakespeare portrays Romeo and Juliet in Act 2 Scene 2

How Shakespeare portrays Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 is a particularly famous scene in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. Often called the balcony scene, it is where the two lovers first meet to proclaim their love for each other. The balcony scene takes place after the ball in the Capulet Mansion, in Juliet’s orchard. The characters are presented in an unusual way, illustrating many recurring themes of identity, life and death, nature and love. The thoughts and feelings of Romeo and Juliet are conveyed through metaphors, enriching the reading or performance of the play. The actions and responses of others emphasize the division that is supposed to be between Romeo and Juliet and what makes it so moving is that we, the audience, knows what this division will bring about at the end of the play. The film by Baz Luhrmann of Romeo and Juliet enhances the visual experience and brings to life the metaphors used in a way that Shakespeare would have never been able to show visually. Shakespeare’s play contrasts with the societal views and expectations of young people and goes against the social norms expected in Elizabethan times. At the start of Act 2 Scene 2 Romeo, in a monologue, reveals his love and desire for Juliet as she appears at a window above him oblivious that Romeo is just beneath. The use of celestial imagery and mythological references are common

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What is the importance of the Soliloquies in Hamlet? Do they show any development of his character?

AS Hamlet Coursework Essay Q. What is the importance of the Soliloquies in Hamlet? Do they show any development of his character? A soliloquy is a dramatic speech spoken by a character who is alone on stage, or believes themselves to be alone. This device allows a character in a play to speak directly to the audience about their motives, feelings and decisions. They reveal the characters innermost thoughts and traditionally contain no lies or deception as the character is revealing their true thoughts and emotions. Hamlet's soliloquies give the impression of a man discovering himself as he speaks. The importance of the soliloquies in Hamlet are therefore crucial to the development of his character and of course the development of the play. Hamlet's first soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 2, reveals that Hamlet is depressed to such an extent that he does not wish to live; these feelings emerge following the death of his father and the indecent swiftness of the remarriage of his mother to his uncle and, the new King, Claudius. 'O that this too too solid flesh would melt , Thaw and resolve itself into a dew...' Act 1-2-129/130 The word 'too' is repeated to enhance the emphasis on what Hamlet is saying; here the prince wants to vanish, he wants his body to melt away which provides the audience with a weak initial portrayal of

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Is Hamlet a coward or someone driven by his conscience?

Is Hamlet a coward or someone driven by his conscience? Hamlet's character is interesting because of the way he goes about his revenge. Compared to Laertes he is very hesitant, a thinker, not a warrior. His delay is mainly due to his perception of the ghost, whether it is really his father's spirit or an evil apparition, but is he really thinking of an excuse to delay seeking revenge or does he want to be 100% sure King Claudius was responsible for the death of his father? The important thing that Shakespeare is trying to portray is that Hamlet seeks certainty before he can take action, but is he a coward? Or someone who is purely driven by his conscience? The opening scene of the play is designed to present the ghost and arouse questions about its credibility. Whether it is an evil or good spirit, the ghost is the mechanism which triggers the need for Hamlet's revenge. Hamlet's uncertainty about the identity and purpose of the ghost is highlighted in Act I scene IV, "Be thou spirit of health or goblin dammed", hence the importance of his thought sequences in deciding whether or not the ghost was real and if not, is there a need to kill Claudius? To seek this revenge he would have to kill Claudius and his mother, for they are both guilty of having impure souls. But one of the very first internal conflicts Hamlet has is when the Ghost tells him (Act I scene IV) "nor let thy

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Shylock- Villain or Victim?

Shylock- Villain or Victim? During the play, Shakespeare illustrates Shylock's situation in such a way that the audience understands his villainous action towards Antonio is a result of victimisation. He is a victim of anti Semitism, including verbal abuse and even his own daughter insults him by robbing him and running away with a Christian and in the end he is a victim of not showing mercy and so suffers from that mistake. To find what makes up a classic Shakespearean villain one could look to Iago in "Othello". In this play he is seen as the embodiment of evil, that is to say he has no real motivation for his wicked actions and no one could give him any sympathy. On the other hand, Shylock does have a motive for his villainy therefore he is not a villain. Instead Shylock has been directed towards his position because he has been victimised. Shylock has been a victim of racial abuse, "You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gabardine", "(Solanio referring to Shylock) Let me say 'amen' betimes for here he comes in likeness of a Jew", Solanio is anti Semitic, claiming Shylock is the devil. Because he is a Jew his situation in Venice is second-class. This is first seen in Bassanio's hostility towards him. At the beginning of the scene Bassanio's speech is short and prosaic indicating the lack of friendship between them, "Your answer to that", this

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Much Ado About Nothing

M.Ibrahim Aftab Khan 1548 10.3 Q. Imagine that you a Beatrice at the end of Act 4 Scene 1. Write your thoughts and feelings about the men's treatment of Hero. Die Claudio Die!!! What men with such honour and pride would have the thought of embarrassing a woman on her wedding day which is supposed to be the most beautiful day of a woman's life? God curse these foolish men and let them die in the boiling liquid of hell. During the wedding, Claudio harshly announces that he isn't going to marry our dear sin-less Hero and fired up with insults which were like swords and daggers through Hero's innocent lovely heart calling her a common stale, a rotten orange and that her blush is that of guiltiness causing Hero to faint. There, behind him stood Don John and Don Pedro acknowledging every word that Count Shame-less said and assisted him further in insulting my poor innocent lamb Hero. There, they stood Don Pedro and Don John nodding to whatever filthy lies came out of Claudio's mouth. But this came to me like a shock that Don Pedro assisted him in doing so as I expected to be different from that Claudio. Being a Prince, especially the Prince of Aragon he needs to gain respect from wherever town or person he can get from but he has lost that from the people of Messina and especially me. He did not only stand there acknowledging every word Claudio said but also added more insults

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In Act 3 Scene 1 of 'Romeo and Juliet', Shakespeare uses language to make the fight scene dramatic. How does Baz Luhrmann draw on this and use other devices to create tension for his audience?

In Act 3 Scene 1 of 'Romeo and Juliet', Shakespeare uses language to make the fight scene dramatic. How does Baz Luhrmann draw on this and use other devices to create tension for his audience? 'Romeo and Juliet' is about two families, the Montagues and the Capulets, who have been introduced to a physical and verbal war. The play starts off with the prologue, where a man comes onstage and reads out the plot of the play and the key ideas, although this gives away the surprises, it builds tension at the crowd are constantly on the edge of their seats waiting for the events to happen that they have been told about. The opening scene sees the two families, who have been fighting for generations, in another battle, this takes place in public and is witnessed by the prince who decides anymore fighting will end in exile or death. This creates tension as anymore fighting carries a more drastic punishment and so the tension is built because certain members of the family become more conscious about where they are fighting and the possibility of the prince seeing them. The first fight scene is the first scene of the play; this is a much smaller fight and creates more tension in the way as you expect more fight scenes that are bigger. The first fight scene starts off the Montagues saying to the Capulets 'Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?' this shows that fights between these two

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Revenge in Hamlet

Revenge in Hamlet In modern times justice is virtually always served. Most crimes and wrong doings are reprimanded and punishments are given. Yes, there are the scarce few who go above and beyond the law to take matters into their own hands. But it is the co formality of the law and of justice that keep the world from becoming chaotic. Revenge is thought as being barbaric and adolescent; the opportunity to retaliate or gain satisfaction. Justice is fair and impartial behavior or treatment. In Shakespeare's Hamlet three characters go through a sudden death of a family member. The way that these characters deal with their problems display the rage and confusion that exists within the play. Hamlet, Laertes, and Claudius allow madness to poison their mind, disable the chance for justice and enable cold-blooded revenge to take over. With the unforeseen death of his father, Laertes is overwhelmed with misplaced anger and unanswered questions. Searching for answers he turns to Claudius. It well appears. But tell me Why you proceeded not against these feats, So crimeful in nature, As by your safety, wisdom, all things else, You mainly were stirred up. (Shakespeare 4.7:5-10) At this point Laertes is frustrated and susceptible to a cure for his pain; to find this, he turns to Claudius. Claudius introduces his plan for revenge. "No place , indeed, should murder

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'The ghost is a useful dramatic device but for a modern audience its effect is to diminish rather than enhance the play's impact'

'The ghost is a useful dramatic device but for a modern audience its effect is to diminish rather than enhance the play's impact' A ghost was a common feature in the genre of an Elizabethan revenge play of which Hamlet is a prime example. Shakespeare has endued the ghost in Hamlet with several functions, all of which are vital to the plays impact and development. However connotations of the ghost were very different for a Shakespearian audience, therefore it is possible that variation in the way in which the ghost is received may diminish the plays impact for a modern audience. In the Elizabethan period people had much stronger ties to religion than we have today. Despite being an officially protestant country, there were many who continued to practise the old faith, and who had yet to eschew the catholic idea of purgatory, where souls went to expiate their sins before going to heaven. Elizabethan audiences therefore had a stronger conception of the idea of heaven and hell, and the existence of ghosts or spirits in purgatory. These beliefs were very common in Shakespeare's time and are evident from the fact that in the play, Hamlet never actually doubts the existence of the ghost, he only questions its intentions. He speculates, 'The spirit I have seen may be a devil, and the devil hath power'. Therefore one of the various attributes of the ghost in Hamlet is its ambiguity,

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What is the importance of Banquo in Shakespeare's play Macbeth?

What is the importance of Banquo in the Shakespeare's play Macbeth? Banquo is an important character in the play Macbeth. He plays a person of integrity, honour and a man who has high morals to uphold. Although Banquo may appear a minor character in the play as he dies early through the plot, he plays an influential part throughout the rest of the story. Some might say that when Banquo dies, he plays the part of Macbeth's conscience. William Shakespeare wrote this play for King James I in 1606. William wrote this play for James I because he knew that he would be very interested and amused by the play. James I was interested in witchcraft and killed more "witches" than any other king. The play Macbeth is deemed unlucky because the spells in the story are true. They were taken from a book called 'Demonology' which was written by King James I. The character Banquo was based on a supposed descendant of James I, but all of his qualities are based on James. At the beginning of the story, Banquo is seen as an equal to Macbeth, both valiant warriors and both honourable, courageous Thanes. They were both regarded highly and respected by everyone, including Duncan, the King of Scotland. When Banquo and Macbeth first meet the witches after battling with the Norwegians, both characters seem very suspicious of them, but as the witches speak their prophecies. "All hail Macbeth, Thane of

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How does Shakespeare use language and stagecraft to show Othello's changing feelings towards Dedemona throughout Othello

How does Shakespeare use language and stagecraft to reflect Othello's feelings towards Desdemona throughout Othello? (Focussing on Act 2 Scene 1, Act 3, Scene3, and Act 5 Scene 2) Othello was written by Shakespeare in the year 1603. It was first performed in court, but not published until 1622. William Shakespeare took ideas from Giraldi Cinthio's Hecca Tommithi - an Italian collection of 100 stories which were popular at the time, and studied by many playwrights and scholars. The play is about love, jealousy, deceit, racism and lies, and is one of Shakespeare's tragedies. Othello is set in two places- the first act in Venice and the rest of the play at a sea port in Cypress. Venice was a powerful city, with a wealthy, law-abiding and formal society. In contrast, Cypress was rowdy, not law-abiding, and constantly fighting. It is an island, which was attacked in 1570 by the Turks, having belonged to Italy for more than 100 years. Women were thought of as stupid, silly, and objects only for having children, doing as they were told, and less intelligent. A wife was bought for a dowry, and parents would sell off their daughters to gain influence or money. Desdemona was Othello's wife - they have been secretly married before the beginning of the play. She is the daughter of Venetian senator Barbanzio, and typically pure and meek, while being determined and self possessed.

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