To what extent may any two of Shakespeare's political plays be described as 'representations of patriarchal misogyny' (Kathleen McLuskie)?
To what extent may any two of Shakespeare's political plays be described as 'representations of patriarchal misogyny' (Kathleen McLuskie)? Elizabethan and Jacobean society was resolutely hierarchical and patriarchal. Its structure was divinely ordained through the Great Chain of Being, with power emanating from God through to the monarch and the aristocracy, down to the ordinary man, who enjoyed private sovereignty over woman and the home. The dominant ideology was recapitulated in all spheres, the domestic microcosm aligning with the structure of the macrocosm. Although female inferiority was established upon a want of their biological and intellectual capacities, perhaps the most convincing justification for female subjugation was the seminal misogynistic account offered in Genesis. Not only does Genesis identify female moral fallibility with the fall of humanity, but offers the source of unstable and ambiguous interpretations of the woman as 'other'. Eve, created from the rib of Adam, constructs a dual reading of woman as both derivative creation (therefore less than man), and 'yet at once more than man since she is an overspill of Adam, created from a bone which was in excess of his needs'1. A misogynistic hatred of women normatively constitutes itself as a form of naming or categorisation which stresses and maintains gender differentiation by denigrating the female
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare Assignment: "Romeo and Juliet" Examine how Effective is the dramatic impact of Act 3 Scene1 lines 1 to 32. Romeo and Juliet is a play of many themes. Like most of Shakespeare's plays, it has a main plot with many subtexts, the main plot being related to love and tragedy. The story is set in Verona, Italy in the 16thcentury. It is about two young lovers, each from two different feuding families - the Montague's and the Capulets - which have a historical hatred for each other. It is a deeply heart-touching tragedy when two "star-cross'd" lovers, who are desperate to be together, are torn apart by a downward spiral of events. From love to hate and from life to death are the themes Shakespeare has based Romeo and Juliet on, as well as the most important one, fate. Fate is used right from the start of the play in chorus. Fate is used a lot in the play, this is because when the play was written people of those times were incredibly superstitious and believed in curses. "...A pair of star cross'd lovers, take their life:" right from the beginning the audience knows that two people are destined to meet it is fate, something bad will happen to them. Here Shakespeare is using Greek Mythology, the Greeks they also believed in a lot of fate and star crossed lovers, but here again Shakespeare is being optimistic, he also knows that the Elizabethan audience believe in fate
The Merchant of Venice.
This is a play that, in spite of the change of manners and prejudices, still holds undisputed possession of the stage. Shakespeare's malignant has outlived Mr. Cumberland's benevolent Jew. In proportion, as Shylock has ceased to be a popular bugbear, "baited with the rabble's curse," he becomes a half-favourite with the philosophical part of the audience, who are disposed to think that Jewish revenge is at least as good as Christian injuries. Shylock is a good hater; "a man no less sinned against than sinning." If he carries his revenge too far, yet he has strong grounds for "the lodged hate he bears Antonio," which he explains with equal force of eloquence and reason. He seems the depositary of the vengeance of his race; and though the long habit of brooding over daily insults and injuries has crusted over his temper with inveterate misanthropy, and hardened him against the contempt of mankind, this adds little to the triumphant pretensions of his enemies. There is a strong, quick, and deep sense of justice mixed up with the gall and bitterness of his resentment. The constant apprehension of being burnt alive, plundered, banished, reviled, and trampled on, might be supposed to sour the most forbearing nature, and to take something from that "milk of human kindness," with which his persecutors contemplated his indignities. In all his answers and retorts upon his
romeo and juliet
Violence and conflict are central to "Romeo and Juliet". Discuss this theme with reference to at least three scenes in the play. Introduction "Romeo and Juliet" is a tragic play, which is about two families, the Montague family and the Capulet family. These two families hate each other due to an ancient grudge. In these two families there are two people, Romeo and Juliet. Romeo is from the Montague family and Juliet is from the Capulet family. They both fall in love with each other and secretly get married. As the play goes on there are many fights and brawls and killings between the two families and as a result some people die. Romeo and Juliet's lives become very difficult, so they devise a plan which leads to both of their deaths. Although the play is about love and romance, there are many scenes which contain violence and conflict. The play starts of with a street brawl and ends with the tragic deaths of the two lovers. After the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, the two families realize that there has to be a stop to all the fighting, so at the end there is a peace between the two families. Conflict is used in all good dramas for example Hollyoaks, Eastenders etc. each of these well known dramas have some sort of conflict and tension in them. The reason why dramatists and script-writers have conflict and violence is so that it keeps the audience interested, captivated and
Violence and conflict are central to Romeo and Juliet. Discuss this theme with reference to at least three scenes in the play.
Violence and conflict are central to Romeo and Juliet. Discuss this theme with reference to at least three scenes in the play. 'Romeo and Juliet' is a tragic play, which is about the love of two star-crossed lovers who take their life because the households, Capulet's and Montague's have an ancient grudge. Shakespeare doesn't deliver the reason for the conflict between the feuding families to the audience, therefore he may be giving us knowledge of how dangerous arguments can become if they're not kept under control. Although it is a play about love, there are many scenes that contain violence and conflict. The play opens with a fight and ends with deaths. This essay will discuss the key scenes, Act 1 Scene 1, Act 3 Scene 1 and Act 3 Scene 5. William Shakespeare commences 'Romeo and Juliet' with a brief outline of the oncoming stage performance. He inaugurates the performance with the prologue, which can also be described as a sonnet. Shakespeare applies this form to briefly summarise the story of Frankenstein. The chorus sets the scene for tragedy by presenting the two young protagonists as victims of fate, whose lives are marred from the outset by the enmity between their families: "From forth the fatal loins of these two foes / A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life." Although Shakespeare embraces this poetic form to depict the play's main issues, he has adopted
What do we learn about the Society of Messina in the play Much Ado About Nothing?
GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSEWORK: "Much Ado About Nothing" What do we learn about the Society of Messina in the play Much Ado About Nothing? The elaborate society of Messina is an apposite setting for the plot of Much Ado About Nothing being based upon premeditated deceptions, full of social grace ideals, packed with entertainment and churned with aristocracy and hypocrisy. It is darkened with counterfeiting and tricks that manipulate the thoughts and feelings of characters which exist in its setting. The sinister element of concealing reality by ornamented outward outlooks plays a major part in this civilization. In my personal opinion, it is a flamboyant world where ceremony dominates and, likewise, one's affluence, power and social class hold great value upon one's position in the society - they are very important social indicators. To start with, Messina is full of courtiers of social elegance which constantly aim to serve the individuals who are higher up in the ladder of societal standing. The typical conventions of courtiers as described in Baldassare's Casitglione's sixteenth century manual "The Courtier" were to use highly manufactured lingo, yet, crafting the show of effortlessness in their self-lifting and judicious performances. The characters' exaggeratingly polite manner of speaking and gracious demeanour represents the principle that Renaissance courtiers
Does Shakespeare present Lady Macbeth as good or evil?
Does Shakespeare present Lady Macbeth as good or evil? By Makez Rikweda In this essay I shall be discussing whether Shakespeare presents Lady Macbeth to be good or evil I shall be doing this by scrutinising Lady Macbeth's actions and thoughts and then analysing them to see whether they are the actions of a good person or an evil person. Furthermore I'm going to articulate what women were supposed to be like in Shakespeare's time and seeing whether Lady Macbeth was a typical women Shakespearean time, I will be using Lady Macduff (another female character in Macbeth) to compare Lady Macbeth to. I will also be looking carefully at other influences that would effect my judgement on Lady Macbeth's character such as religion in the Shakespearean age. Then I will look at how a modern audience would perceive Lady Macbeth's character. Overall after looking at all these factors I shall conclude by deciding whether I think that Lady Macbeth is evil, good or neither. Lady Macbeth who is the wife of Macbeth plays a very important and pivotal role in the play as it is Lady Macbeth who persuades Macbeth to kill king Duncan which leads to a whole load of other events eventually resulting in the death of both Macbeth and herself. We first meet Lady Macbeth when she receives a letter from her husband Macbeth telling her about Macbeth's freakish encounter with the three witches who
Macbeth was first performed in 1606 in front of King James I at Hampton Court, London. William Shakespeare wrote the play soon after the gunpowder plot was discovered.
Macbeth was first performed in 1606 in front of King James I at Hampton Court, London. William Shakespeare wrote the play soon after the gunpowder plot was discovered. He wrote the play to warn people that if you plan against the king terrible things will happen to you. The gunpowder plot was planned to take place on the 5th November 1605 led by Guy Fawkes and some companions. They decided to kill King James because he was not a popular King in those times for many reasons one of them being that he would give away land to unpopular Scottish Lords. Their plot was unsuccessful and they where sentenced to death. King James I succeeded Queen Elizabeth on the English Throne in 1603. He was a member of the Stuart dynasty and already King of Scotland. Macbeth was an old Scottish King in real life, In Macbeth he was influenced by the w?ird sisters. Macbeth We get to see a major downfall in Macbeth's Character. In the play he has influences that help in his downfall. Macbeth's influences are Lady Macbeth, the w?rd sisters and himself. We get to see in the play that Macbeth's character changes from being a brave soldier at the battlefield to then turing to evil and witchcraft and back again to becoming a brave soldier. "O valiant cousin, worthy gentleman" at the beginning of the play everyone has the most respect for Macbeth and they all think he is a brave soldier and
Think of Romeo and Juliet and immediately you think of lovers - The play has come to represent all that young love exemplifies - It almost goes without saying then that the major theme of the play is love.
Think of Romeo and Juliet and immediately you think of lovers. The play has come to represent all that young love exemplifies. It almost goes without saying then that the major theme of the play is love. However, the theme is dealt with in far more depth than might first appear. Let's look at the various types of love Shakespeare explores in the play. This section deals with the love of material possessions and power The story takes place in mostly affluent settings. The two families are of the upper class, both being Lords. So it is to be expected that there is a fair amount of wealth about. For example, the Capulet ball (and subsequent plans for the marriage) is an indication of wealth and the ability to entertain on a lavish scale. Thus Shakespeare creates an atmosphere of ease and opulence. The Montague family features less prominently in the story, appearing mostly in the opening act, then reappearing to defend Romeo after the fight and finally again at the end when we also learn of Lady Montague's untimely death. On the other hand, the Capulets are very involved in the action, not least because of the immediate marriage of their daughter to Paris. Shakespeare makes it clear that this is not a marriage of love but rather one arranged for economic reasons. Paris is quite a catch for the family. He is a Count, not without status and presumably the wealth that goes
'Othello'.
GCSE ENGLISH/ENGLISH LITERATURE-COURSEWORK 'Othello' The play 'Othello' was written in the 17th Century by William Shakespeare, at this time blacks were often seen as strange, mysterious and exotic. In the play Shakespeare breaks the stereotype; Othello, whom is black, has outstanding qualities and is the hero in many senses. Othello is a tragic play involving romance, love, murder and deceit. Through the use of imagery, characterization, language and his use of dramatic devices, Shakespeare illustrates the importance and effectiveness of Act Three Scene Three. In Act Three Scene Three, Cassio, having obtained Desdemona's promise of help, takes his leave- but not before Othello has seen him with Desdemona. Iago is quick to rouse Othello's qualms, and when Desdemona begins to plead for Cassio she finds little response from her husband. Iago renews his attack on the moor, whose trust in Desdemona begins to vacillate. When Desdemona drops her handkerchief it is picked up by Emilia, who, oblivious of what her husband plans to use it for, gives it to him. Othello returns and Iago continues to stimulate his jealousy, finally Othello is convinced. His trust in Desdemona is shattered, and he vows revenge. Iago promises assistance; in this the central scene of the play, Othello begins to lose control of the situation and Iago takes possession. During Act Three Scene
