How does Shakespeare create an effective villain through his presentation of Iago in the soliloquies?
How does Shakespeare create an effective villain through his presentation of Iago in the soliloquies? Over 400 years ago, the theatre was one of the most popular and novel forms of entertainment around. The leading role model here was William Shakespeare, with his 40 plays that captivated audiences the length and breadth of 16th and 17th century England. His plays are divided into three different genres: Comedy, Tragedy and History. In the era that Shakespeare's plays started to earn the recognition we now see he deserved, tragedies were seen as the more popular with plays like Titus Andronicus and King Lear. One of his more famous tragedies was "Othello," the tragic story of a young, valiant and well respected Moor, who is driven to suicide as a result of the exploitation of his fatal flaw. In this case, it is his jealousy of his wife Desdemona supposedly sleeping with Cassio. In this essay I will be analysing the villain in the play, Iago, and his soliloquies, the numerous solo speeches to the audience. These establish Iago as the main villain and allow him to reveal his inner most thoughts. Even today many people still enjoy re-enactments of Shakespeare's plays, either on stage or through television or films. This is because many of the themes Shakespeare based his plays on, relate to many modern day events. In his first soliloquy, it is the first time the audience sees
Who Was Responsible For the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet?
WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF ROMEO AND JULIET? This piece of coursework is focusing on the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, and who was responsible for it. The people who had a part in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet are Friar Lawrence, Benvolio, Tybalt, Capulet and Nurse. The first person I will be focusing on will be Friar Lawrence, looking at his part in the suicides of both the lovers, what he did to put them under pressure and the things that he shouldn't of done which may have let to the death. The main reason Friar Lawrence had a part in the suicides of Romeo and Juliet was because he got involved when he knew the consequences wouldn't be good. It was Friar Lawrence who married Romeo and Juliet; he had the plan to use the sleeping potion so that Juliet could run off with Romeo while the grieving Capulets believed she was dead, and he tried to send a letter to Romeo informing him of the plan, which didn't reach him. By marrying the lovers, he took a step in the wrong direction, he only thought of how the consequences would be good, by marrying Romeo and Juliet; he thought that that could bring the two feuding families together so they could make up and be friends he was quoted as saying " For this alliance may so happy prove, To turn your households' rancour to pure love"(Act 2 Scene 3/4). But he didn't think of what could go wrong. By marrying Romeo and
How do Hamlet's Soliloquies reveal his Changing thoughts and Moods throughout the play?
How do Hamlet's Soliloquies reveal his Changing thoughts and Moods throughout the play? The play Hamlet is basically about life and death. We see this through the character Hamlet. Hamlet's character is not one dimensional, their are many sides to his personality. We can tell this by the way his mood varies throughout the play. Only in the soliloquies does Hamlet reveal his true self, and we 'the audience' begin to develop a better understanding of his complex character. A soliloquy is a speech in which a character (in this case Hamlet) reveals to the audience his thoughts and feelings which he is unable to express to other characters in the play. So in other words, soliloquies give a voice to Hamlet's thoughts. This is why soliloquies are so important, because a character can express his most inner thoughts with out judgement from fellow characters in the play. The three soliloquies I have studies are like signposts in the play. They guide us through Hamlet's mind at different points in the play. The main focus of my analysis will be on different actor's interpretations of this play, as well as the actual content and language of these three different soliloquies. The first soliloquy I am studying is in act one scene two. In this first soliloquy Hamlet talks about how if it wasn't for god's laws (sixth commandment, a religious law), he would committee suicide. This is due to
An Exploration of the Theme of Love inMuch Ado About Nothing The Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing is considered to be a play about deception
Katy Fullilove An Exploration of the Theme of Love in Much Ado About Nothing The Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing is considered to be a play about deception. However, love in its various forms is intertwined with this and is one of the central themes. Throughout the course of this essay I will explore how Shakespeare has presented the different forms of love to his audience. Shakespeare took his inspiration for the main love theme of the play from many sources. The basic story is an ancient one; a lover from the couple is betrayed by an enemy into believing that his loved one is false. In Much Ado About Nothing, these two lovers are represented by Claudio and Hero, and the love which Shakespeare presents between them is meant to be romantic love or love at first sight; in my opinion, this is simply lust. There is no evidence in the play to suggest that Claudio's motivation for marriage is actually real love, the love of Hero's personality. He 'loves' her for what she is, not who she is; she fits Elizabethan society's ideal of the perfect woman. Claudio describes her as 'modest' (Act one, Scene one, line 147), meaning chaste, an essential quality of an unmarried woman in the Elizabethan era, and in lines 167-168 of Act one, Scene one says: '...she is the sweetest lady that ever / I looked on.' He makes no comment on her character, but this would have been seen as
How does Shakespeare use imagery in his play Romeo and Juliet to intensify the drama, create atmosphere and illuminate the central themes?
GCSE Coursework: Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet How does Shakespeare use imagery in his play Romeo and Juliet to intensify the drama, create atmosphere and illuminate the central themes? In Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare uses imagery to create atmosphere, intensify drama and illuminate central themes. By using a variety of metaphors, dramatic irony, use of figurative language and his explanation of poetic forms he conveys meaning and character excellently. He incorporates all of these dramatic devices and more to convey the plot and reveal those things that were Elizabethan concerns. Shakespeare starts the play with a prologue. This was very popular in Shakespeare's time and he uses a sonnet to imply love because it was established as a poetic form for love and devotional poetry. It's used to set the scene and describes what is going to happen. It describes Romeo and Juliet as "Star crossed lovers"; this shows the audience the play is going to be about romance but also despair and feuds and not being in control of one's own destiny. The sonnet shows Shakespeare's ability to distil the essence of language and draw the audience into the action. Using the sonnet Shakespeare achieves the 'suspension of disbelief', which shows his class as a writer because it highlights the theatricality of the play, to show the audience that the play is completely fictional.
How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in act 3 scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet
How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in act 3 scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet in order to make it such an interesting, exciting and important scene? Romeo and Juliet the story of a young couple who are so very much in love however their families are feuding over at an ancient grudge. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall deeply in love at an early age but their lives are short lived as they die tragically. Tragedy is defined as "a play or dramatic form of a play, or the dramatic form it represents, in which the leading character suffers intense conflicts and a wretched fate, often because of some weakness." Romeo and Juliet fits into the tragedy genre because at the climax of the play the two main characters die unnecessarily. Up until act 3 scene 1 Romeo and Juliet is passionate and romantic play. In Act 3 scene 1 the complete opposite as both of the main characters suffer from the weakness of their families. This occurs when Tybalt Capulet tries to kill Romeo. This shows the tension between the two feuding families and how passionately loyal the family members are. After Tybalt is killed lady Capulet says "for blood of ours, shed blood of Montague." This hints at the continuing theme of tragedy throughout the play. This is also a use of dramatic irony because at the end of the play Romeo and Juliet die and they are from both families. The Capulets and the Montague's
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
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
In what ways does Shakespeare make the Banqueting scene dramatic?
In what ways does Shakespeare make the Banqueting scene dramatic? Through the drama of the play 'Macbeth', Shakespeare clearly wishes to examine the supernatural elements to illustrate guilt and consciousness caused by witchcraft and demonology. Thus, in examining these elements, Shakespeare's dramatises Macbeth's sociological affect on Duncan; to convey the importance of kingship and the consequences of particular choices. Firstly, Macbeth's ideas of becoming king after receiving the prophecies from the witches had become very strong. Thus, His excitement prompted him to find out more from the witches 'tell me more' he asks them. Macbeth believed the knowledge given by them to be true. This curiosity suggests why he was so determined to become king. 'My thought, whose murder is yet but fantastical' Macbeth thought, the only way to become king was to kill Duncan. Furthermore, the king was God's representative on earth and was chosen by god; hence, to kill the king would upset the natural order. Macbeth did not want to kill Duncan, but he wanted to fulfil his ambition of becoming king, therefore, the only way to do this was by killing Duncan. Although, the prophecies were given both to Macbeth and Banquo, Banquo did not believe the witches '"What! Can the Devil speak true?"' However, Macbeth feared that the prophecy concerning Banquo would come true. Hence, this is why
How does Lady Macbeth change throughout the play, "Macbeth"?
How does Lady Macbeth change throughout the Play? "Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised;" These are the powerful opening lines of Lady Macbeth - the most infamous and indomitable female character in all of Shakespeare's many works, who defies the position of order and gender of her time and used power and ambition to achieve her dreams. Her opening scene in I.v where she is reading the letter from her husband, which proclaims the witches' prophecy, and the following soliloquy are the first exposure to her character, as it allows us an insight into her most intimate thoughts and feelings. At the idea of her husband being possibly made King she jumps straight to the conclusion that he will be, "and shalt be what thou art promised". This is shocking to the audience as her superstition shows her underlying hunger for power by the fact she takes three deranged, women on a moor as the literal truth - any excuse for her to rise in authority. Shakespeare's use of the witches adds drama because at the time the play was written, during the reign of James I, witchcraft and heresy were deemed punishable by death and to "consult with any evil sprit" was illegal under the 1604 Witchcraft Act, so they would have seen it as a scandal that Lady Macbeth believed the witches. She seems even more ruthless by the fact that automatically she presumes that they will
