Discuss Shakespeare's treatment of courtship and marriage in "Much Ado About Nothing". In your essay you should refer to modern interpretations of the play and consider the context in which they were produced as well as the context of the original play.
Discuss Shakespeare's treatment of courtship and marriage in "Much Ado About Nothing". In your essay you should refer to modern interpretations of the play and consider the context in which they were produced as well as the context of the original play. In 'Much Ado About Nothing' there are two love interests on which the play is mainly focused. The courtship between the two couples Beatrice and Benedick and Hero and Claudio gives the audience a glance at two completely different forms of love. The relationship between the characters Claudio and Hero is one which is very traditional and a very safe way of communicating their feelings to one another. Shakespeare borrowed the story of Hero and Claudio from a man called Matteo Bandello, this shows that this may not be his own view of how love should be expressed. He did however invent the story of Benedick and Beatrice; this may mean that he believes that the way in which love is expressed should be much more spontaneous and heart-felt. The way that Beatrice and Benedick treat each other offers humour as this is one of Shakespeare's comedies whilst also providing a relationship which seems much more modern and extraordinary for the time. The courting between Beatrice and Benedick is slightly vicious as they seem never to compliment each other but instead comment on each others faults 'he is no less than a stuffed man' and the
The Gender Transformation of Caesar
The Gender Transformation of Caesar Shakespeare's Julius Caesar opens with the concurrent celebrations of Caesar's defeat of Pompey and the annual fertility festival of Lupercal. The coupling of the two historically separate events each celebrating distinct gender roles dramatically highlights the importance of gender characterization. Rome's patriarchal society demands a leader who embodies the virile spirit of the state with leadership marked by strength, courage, and constancy. Caesar quite fittingly assumes this role as he returns valiant and victorious from the battlefields; thus, in order to remove him the strong ruler of Rome, Caesar's enemies must retrench his masculinity. Roman society considers women as the embodiment of weaknesses, thinking that their physical, mental, and political inferiority make them of little use beyond reproductive purposes, explaining why aspirants to the throne feminize the identity of the masculine warrior figure to position him as unfit for the crown. The portrayal of the two female characters of the novel, Portia and Calphurnia, captures the prevailing stereotypical perceptions of women. Caesar's wife, Calphurnia, demonstrates women's predisposition towards fearfulness and superstition when she pleads with Caesar to remain at home after dreaming that a statue made in the likeness was Cesar pouring forth blood. Calphurnia establishes
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
How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension in act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth?
How does Shakespeare create dramatic tension in act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth? Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth is a decisive scene in the play as it creates dramatic tension, conflict and controversy. There are many themes in this play: tragedy, the supernatural, love, dishonesty, betrayal and greed. Macbeth murdered Duncan to prove his masculinity for his wife and also his hunger for more power. Lady Macbeth wanted Duncan dead because of her greed and the witches' prophecies influence her. At the beginning of the play Macbeth is brave, content and loyal in contrast to his dark and sinister persona he adapts later on in the play. Whilst the main theme of Macbeth is one of tragic loss (in terms of the death of the King and indeed the loss of Macbeth's mental state), greed also proves to be an influential factor in the downfall of both Macbeth and his wife. It, ultimately, changed their actions and cost them their lives. At the beginning of the scene, Lady Macbeth is feeling confident. She says " What hath quench'd them hath given me fire", this indicating that she is feeling so powerful and inspired that nothing can stand in her way. Despite feeling confident, she feels agitated and remarks "Hark! Peace!" which demonstrates that she is concerned someone has been alerted to the couple's plans and will discover their wretched methods; this sudden feeling of concern contrasts with her prior
Is Iago The Perfect Villain?
Othello Essay 'Is Iago the perfect villain?' Few Shakespearian villains radiate evilness and jealously quite as much as Iago, the unbeknown nemesis of the play's title character, Othello. In other plays written by the bard of Avon the villains can come across as one-dimensional- weak, personified by a flaw in their genetic make-up or unattainable ambition yet Iago is a far more complex and compelling character. True, he has the power to both betray and murder those he once worked alongside, but Iago isn't the complete cold-blooded murderer in the same sense of Macbeth or King Claudius from Hamlet. True, he meticulously plans the death of Cassio but he plans it to be by hands of Rodrigo, his puppet. In the end opportunity presents itself to Iago and he seizes the moment to stab Cassio in the back but the blow fails to kill him. Iago also reveals a moral conscience through his three soliloquy's which I will explore in more detail later. In short Iago is like no other of Shakespeare's villains which makes him an utterly compelling and absorbing character. And like the other characters in the play, Iago delights in absorbing us, the viewer... The tragedy of Othello was believed to have been first performed in the early 1600's and is one of Shakespeare's more famous plays. The play is also rich in historical context and features the Moorish race heavily, leading many to believe
Who is blame for the death of John Proctor?
Year 10-The Crucible- Coursework Who is blame for the death of John Proctor? Who was to blame for John Proctors death? In this coursework I have looked closely at the situation John Proctor was going through and this is what I have found. Abigail Williams started off the witchery nonsense but does this mean she caused his death? A lot of people may think that if Abigail William never cried witchery upon anyone nothing would have happened, and John Proctor wouldn't have died. But, she has started it off, and nothing could have stopped it because of the way in which people thought back then, the Devil seems to play a rather large part in their society. Anything linked to abnormality is linked to the Devil. "It is a marvel. It is surely a stroke of hell upon you," Even if she was not the one who started it sooner or later, there will be people who will bring up things such as "the Devils agents" or "Devils worshipper". People will hate, there are many in history like Abigail Williams who are wicked and evil. Abigail Williams would do anything to get her way. But she was not the one who sent him to death, told him to die or she was not the one who hanged him. So was she to blame for it? She didn't do it intentionally but she is to blame for, for John Proctors death because if there wasn't her there wouldn't such things as witchery and the death of John Proctor. Marry
How and Why does Williams dramatise the influence of the past on the present?
How and Why does Williams dramatise the influence of the past on the present? 'A Streetcar Named Desire' is a fascinating and intriguing play. The playwright, Tennessee Williams, uses many sound effects and dramatic devices to emphasize the influence of the past on the present in a mesmerizing and interesting way. It is upon the main character, Blanche, that Williams shows this influence. Many of these effects and devices are expressionistic and give us an insight into what Blanche feels at any one time, as they are a physical representation of Blanche's mental regression. Williams also uses a variety of naturalistic effects. These are stage directions which describe the realities of the quarter. The "Blue Piano" music and the cat which screeches in the first scene are both examples of this. On the other hand, expressionistic devices describe Blanche' psychological progression depending on what the context is. The most important example of this in the play is the Varsouviana, which appears regularly throughout the play. At the beginning of the play, Blanche appears unexpectedly at her sister's home, the influence of the past begins to appear. The way she treats Stella reflects her desire to return to the past as she calls her "my baby" and "Stella for Star". It also seems that Blanche is trying to lay claim to Stella by reminding her that she is the younger sister and
Characters in the play Translations.
While Friel's small group of characters in the play Translations, hold stereotypical qualities and are all citizens of the rural Irish-speaking village of Baile Beag being affected culturally and personally by the Ordance Survey. Each character is carefully delineated with his or her own particular traits as well as being different representatives of particular views and beliefs. At first Sarah who is mute is seen as the stereotypical silent woman. Her loss of tongue and hence loss of identity is symbolic of the powerless, submissive female. "Which should I take Sarah" highlights the patronising, denigrating, and belittling attitudes towards females. Sarah is very much plays the role of society's expected female, "maybe you'd set out the stools," females are merely servants and slaves. However as the play precedes the audiences sees Sarah's developing individuality through her gestures, dress and actions. The name Sarah, maybe deliberately chose by Friel, refers to the Hebrew Sarah - mother of the nation, in this play's case the nation being Ireland. She is not just a mute village folk but also a representation of Ireland as a silenced voice, as it is a nation that does not speak the language of the colonisers. 'You were lovely last night, Sarah is that the dress you got from Boston, Green suits you." This further highlights Sarah's symbolism of Ireland seeing as green is
What techniques does Arthur Miller use to highlight the conflict between past and present in Death of a Salesman? How do these techniques also demonstrate his main themes?
What techniques does Arthur Miller use to highlight the conflict between past and present in Death of a Salesman? How do these techniques also demonstrate his main themes? Death of a Salesman is set in a time when the capitalist system is changing. It is set in the late 1940s, not long after the Wall Street crash in 1929. Willy Loman is unable to adjust to these changes and therefore, there is conflict between the past, where his dreams were achievable, and the present, where he has fallen foul of the capitalist system and is no longer any use to the firm. These conflicts are personified in Willy, and Arthur Miller uses a number of techniques to highlight this. The techniques Miller uses represent Willy's mind and they distinguish between past and present. These theatrical methods also help to demonstrate the main themes in Death of a Salesman. These theatrical methods include music, lighting, wall-lines, scenery, the use of leaves and also use of costumes. In my essay I plan to explain what each method conveys to the audience and show how Miller uses these methods effectively to highlight the conflicts. Music is used to highlight significant points and themes in the play. Also, the type of music sets the mood for a scene. It creates atmosphere and conveys to the audience the emotions of the characters. Also, silence can highlight a particular scene. The absence of music
Look carefully at chapter 11 of Heroes and show how Robert Cormier builds suspense
Look carefully at chapter 11 of Heroes and show how Robert Cormier builds suspense Heroes is about Francis Cassavant, who goes to war in a suicide attempt and returns with no face on a mission to kill Larry LaSalle, who destroyed Francis's childhood by rapping Francis's love, Nicole Ranard. At the beginning of chapter 11, Robert Cormier shows very clearly that the people of Frenchtown are very excited about Larry LaSalle coming home on leave from the war. He writes "a crowed gathered at Monument depot to greet his arrival", even though it is a very "hot and humid afternoon". This suggests that the crowed does not really care about the weather or their comfort and just to greet Larry LaSalle. As Larry gets off the train "we cheered as he stepped off the platform". This makes Larry seem very charismatic. "Then he was among us and we surrounded him, craving him, embracing him, getting as close to him as possible". The words "craving, embracing, getting as close as possible" imply that Larry is like a holy object that everybody wants. When Larry gets off the train he acts as if there is nothing different about him but the people that see him see that he is not. "That touch of Fred Astaire still in his walk". Suggest that he is the same but as you read on you see that he is not the same person "his slenderness walk was knife like now, lethal, his features sharper, nose and
