Many claim that Shakespeare's last attempt at the theatre was unsuccessful; resulting in a play that is, in essence, about nothing. The Tempest.
Many claim that Shakespeare's last attempt at the theatre was unsuccessful; resulting in a play that is, in essence, about nothing. The Tempest may appear this way at first, in the same way that the storm in the play appears to be Mother Nature acting up; but just as the tempest is more than a windstorm, The Tempest has more to it than meets the eye. It is instead a symbolic story of life in the theatre, a final farewell as Shakespeare leaves his career as a playwright. The Tempest is brimming with suggestion towards the theatre and the art of acting. The audience must be aware of the implication behind the words in order to understand these suggestions. The Tempest begins with an actual tempest, a storm created by Prospero to draw his adversaries near. It is this storm that starts the chain of action in the play, which eventually leads to the resolution of justice. The tempest comes to symbolise the twists and turns within a play, and the illusions that are often discovered by the viewer. This storm goes to demonstrate that all in theatre is not as it seems, and that one event can drastically change the suspected outcome. The tempest, as title of, and introduction to the play, also symbolises the power of attraction. Without the tempest, Prospero could not have attracted his adversaries to the island, as without the story of The Tempest, Shakespeare could not have attracted
Anton Chekhov wrote quite a few plays which were inspired by actual events of his life and how he felt. Is The Bear sending a message that there is love at first sight or just a myth we would like to believe?
A Bear's Love Anton Chekhov wrote quite a few plays which were inspired by actual events of his life and how he felt. Is The Bear sending a message that there is love at first sight or just a myth we would like to believe? Careful analysis of the details and generalizations in Chekhov's stories present a remarkably complete and realistic picture of significant classes and institutions in Russian society. In the course of this study, in order to test the accuracy, objectivity, and validity of Chekhov's observations and judgments, his views will be carefully compared with scholarly research. Chekhov's views have been distilled from a careful analysis of all of his stories. Chekhov's purpose for writing them was not simply providing light and lucrative entertainment. Though the works themselves were never intended to be taken seriously, Chekhov never lost sight of his goal of becoming a "serious writer." These plays represent studies in the craft of playwriting. Hard-hitting satires, the vaudevilles mock love but also revel in how fickle our hearts can be. He is laughing at us, but given his own amorous escapades, he is also laughing at himself (Fen 7). The Bear is a story that takes place in the home of an affluent Russian widow which is invaded by a boorish creditor. Sparks fly between them leading, inevitably, to farcical, satiric romance. Though easily dismissed
Away: Not a Postcolonial Novel
Away: Not a Postcolonial Novel Submitted by: Colin Cameron 89-03783 Dr. Smaro Kamboureli English 457 7 April 2003 Introduction Jane Urquhart's novel Away has been presented as an example of a postcolonial novel (Wyile, 1999). A close examination of the novel reveals that this is not so. The novel is a historic novel and the historical events that it relates are those of the colonizers. Also, and more importantly, the novel only contains one First Nations character. As the only First Nations character, one cannot overlook Exodus Crow for evidence of postcolonialism. Urquhart's treatment of Exodus Crow as 'other' is the most poignant point that quells arguments advocating Away as postcolonial. Urquhart's Portrayal of History Away has been included in many different genres, but it must always, at least in part, be considered a historical novel because it recounts historical events. It is through the account of the historical events in the novel that it loses its credibility as a postcolonial novel. One of the tenets of postcolonialism is that "literature is often evasively and crucially silent on matters concerned with colonialism and imperialism" (Barry, 1995). Although Away cannot be said to be completely silent regarding colonialist matters, the historical events that serve as a backdrop for the story are presented from a colonialist viewpoint. It is in this
Discuss the ways in which Grotowski's proposals for 'Holy Theatre' can be related to the ideas about the function and purpose of performance which came out of the historical avant garde.
DISCUSS THE WAYS IN WHICH GROTOWSKI'S PROPOSALS FOR 'HOLY THEATRE' CAN BE RELATED TO THE IDEAS ABOUT THE FUNCTION AND PURPOSE OF PERFORMANCE WHICH CAME OUT OF THE HISTORICAL AVANT GARDE. Grotowski's work on a 'Holy theatre' with his Theatre Laboratory took place from 1959-70 after which he stopped producing theatrical work to carry out paratheatrical work. The term 'Holy Theatre' is focussed on making theatre more like ritual. Actors had to be trained thoroughly, not just rely on inspiration for their performance. In the search for ritual within the theatre, Grotowski sought a collective experience for the audience which, as a result of the decline of religion, is rarely found in late twentieth century societies. It is also important to establish that by using the term 'Holy theatre', Grotowski does not intend any religious connotation, he was in fact an atheist, 'holy' refers more to the ritual aspect of the theatre and the experience of the audience, which could be compared to experience brought on by a religious ceremony. The historical avant garde is the name given to the collective ideas and methods of theorists, writers and directors working in Europe from (for the purposes of this essay) 1895-1930 who saw opportunities for performance to act as a counter-culture and be like ritual. I have looked in particular at the work of Jarry, Apollinaire and Artaud, especially
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Hybridity is the sign of the productivity of colonial power "Hybridity is the sign of the productivity of colonial power, its shifting forces and fixities....it is the revaluation of the assumption of colonial identity through the repetition of discrimatory identity effects." Homi. K. Bhabha The way power and domination are theorized has been irrevocably altered by Post-Structuralist and Post-Marxist insights. No longer is repression viewed purely in negative and material terms, but a far more complex array of ideological relationships are introduced. Under the triple-aegis of Gramsci, Althusser and Foucault, modern theories couple the naked exercise of power with a productive idea of discourse, ideology and identity: insidious and pervasive; it structures the domain of individual consciousness itself. The intercasual dialectic between material manifestation of power and its ideological effects is central. However, this has raised a troubling question for those who encounter power not in books, but barrios, not in academies, but in army brutality. Like all politicised others, the postcolonial radicals need to balance the more complex theories of discourse and identity with the need to maintain their own project which aims at articulating an authentic voice. The question is how they are supposed to detach themselves from colonial discourses? How are they to recover the
How can the dramatic presentation of Caliban and Miranda affect the dominant readings of the play
How can the dramatic presentation of Caliban and Miranda affect the dominant readings of the play? The Tempest is seen to be a richly complex play; the play itself conforms to John Fletcher's definition of a Tragicomedy. 'A tragicomedy is not so called in respect of mirth and killing, but in respect it wants deaths, which is enough to make it no tragedy, yet brings some near it, which is enough to make it no tragedy'. (From the preface to The Faithful Sheperdess [1610].) Due to the level of complexity and leeway of vivid thought, this play has been interpreted in many different ways to be dramatised. I am going to explore the dramatic presentation of Caliban and Miranda to see how their characters affect the dominant readings of The Tempest. Shakespeare's play was written in the renaissance period and said to be written as part of entertainment to celebrate the betrothal of King James the first's daughter Elizabeth to Frederick, who was the Elector of the German Palatine states. It has also been highlighted that The Tempest might have been influenced by another contemporary writer which Shakespeare would have known; Montaigne's Essay, Of Cannibals. The Tempest itself is set on a remote island which might have been somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea because Italy is mentioned in the beginnings of the play. Shakespeare uses contextual points of the times that are integrated
The Tempest - Select two brief thematically related passages, one from each of the versions of the play, and write 600 words on what these passages say about the different conditions in which they were written.
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Discuss the role of divine providence or destiny as used by Shakespeare in 'The Tempest'.
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The Tempest Act One, Scene One - review
Holly White English Literature - The Tempest Act One, Scene One This scene introduces the play, and is set during on a ship during a ferocious storm. The passengers are the royal party of the King of Naples, and include the King Alonso, his brother Sebastian, the Prince Ferdinand, and the King's counsellors, Gonzalo and Antonio. The storm, which begins the play, isn't real, but has been conjured by Prospero, a magus, to lure the passengers to his island. This storm is also representation of the metaphorical storm which involves the tumultuous emotions of the play's characters as it continues. The island where Prospero lives is used by Shakespeare as it is completely isolated, and so any action which takes place on it is completely removed from outside influences and complications. The crew of the ship are busily trying to combat the storm, working together, representing the "ship of state", and emphasising the idea that the subjects need to work together, but also the storm represents the buffeting of the ship of state, and society, by its own actions. When the royal party appear and demand to take over the running of the ship and begin ordering the mariners around, Shakespeare introduces the idea of the nature of authority, questioning whether the King should have absolute power all the time, or give command to someone far more experienced than he, showing that the play
Compassion is what causes us to forgive. Not because someone deserves it, but because they need it" (Giles 1). In the plays Macbeth and The Tempest
Amanda Nauman Mr. Rhodes English II H / Period 3 03 June 2005 Forgiveness and Compassion "Compassion is what causes us to forgive. Not because someone deserves it, but because they need it" (Giles 1). In the plays Macbeth and The Tempest, Shakespeare poses the questions of humanity and clearly defines it along the lines of the story. Macbeth follows the story of a power-hungry couple and their thirst for power. Eventually murder becomes the means of power, and all the virtues of humanity are forgotten. The Tempest is a play about Prospero and his encounter with his brother whom he despises and wants to seek revenge upon, and his daughter's encounter with love. But the spirit Ariel is there to save Prospero and show him what it means to truly be human. Through the misunderstanding in Macbeth and the understanding in The Tempest, Shakespeare defines humanity as the action of forgiveness and recognition of compassion in both plays. The characters, as well as the readers of Macbeth and The Tempest will understand that the essential qualities defining the human are forgiveness and compassion. In both plays, one must come to the realization that compassion is not mere pity for someone or thing, but it is passionate, caring, divine, and above all, a celebration. In The Tempest, Prospero is initially blinded by a misinterpretation of compassion and his own selfishness: "Now does