King Lear Is a Play Based Upon Love, Betrayal and Conflict. Discuss how King Lear’s Role as King of England Deteriorates
King Lear Is a Play Based Upon Love, Betrayal and Conflict. Discuss how King Lear's Role as King of England Deteriorates From a King to a Man. Aim During the course of this essay, I will be discussing the role of King Lear and his deterioration from being a King, to becoming a man as a result of Ignorance and Dignity. King Lear is a rather complex character, who was neither all good, nor all unpleasant. He was simply a combination of the two. His role as King places a great deal of stress upon him From the opening chapters of King Lear, one is able to deduce that the Kings role is paramount to that of other characters. Shakespeare portrays King Lear as the dominant character in the first stages of the play. This is obvious especially when the Earl of Kent, someone the King had trusted and respected, intervened over the situation where King Lear banished Cordelia. You can see through the manner in which he spoke to Kent that there was something about the King that was not right, which we assume is caused merely by old age, i.e. his ignorance towards a friend, and even more so his ill-treatment of his youngest daughter Cordelia, who was his joy. Lear: "...Now, our joy..." (Act 1 Sc 1) This is the reference of Cordelia prior to the dilemma, a reference of joy that can only be seen as a most pleasant reference for a father to give to a child, and he also says 'our', from
Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" Fool Hearted In Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" the mortal teenage characters fall in love foolishly, and the character Bottom states, "O what fools these mortals be". They are foolish because they act like children. Although Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena appear grown-up, when they are in love they act foolishly. The four teenage lovers are fools. Demetrius is a fool because he is unaware that his love changes through out the play. At the start of the play Demetrius does not love Helena. (II ii,line 188) Demetrius says, "I love thee not, therefore pursue me not." (II ii,line 194) "Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more." In III ii, Demetrius after being juiced begins to love Helena. (III ii,line 169-173) Demetrius says, "Lysander, keep thy Hermia; I will none. If e'er I loved her, all that love is gone. My heart to her but as guest- wise sojourned, And now to Helen is it home returned, There to remain." This proves he is a fool, because he is not aware of his changing love for Helena. Helena is a fool because Demetrius does not love her but she still persists in chasing him. Demetrius shows no love for Helena. (II i,line 227-228) Demetrius says, "I'll run from thee, and hide me in the brakes, And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts." (II i,line 199-201) "Do I entice you? Do I speak you
The English Reformation.
The English Reformation that grew out of the 16th century was undoubtedly a turning point in British history. The effect it would have on English society was paramount. Centuries of religious tradition and habit were being broken with in light of new radical ideas and thoughts. Many factors contributed to the rise of Protestantism in England and one notable example stands out. Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry the VIII, was a staunch supporter of Protestant beliefs and ideals. The following paper examines the role Anne Boleyn played in advancing the Reformation's cause inside her country. Upon examination, it becomes clear that Anne Boleyn used her position of power to promote the Reformation's development within England. Before addressing the actions taken by Anne Boleyn, it is necessary to address a few of the key ideas linked with the Reformation. First, the Church of England was to operate independently of Rome. The English monarch was to replace the Pope as the head of the Church.1 Second, the concept of 'Justification by Faith Alone' was largely promoted, in place of the belief that good works would secure an individuals path to heaven. Finally, it was believed that biblical scriptures ought to be read in the vernacular.2 Anne Boleyn possessed a large degree of power in her latter years; first, as the King's preferred mistress, and then as Queen of England. It is
Compare the opening of 'King Lear' to a Shakespeare play you have read before, focusing closely on the way Shakespeare introduces the main themes.
A2 ENGLISH LITERATURE ESSAY TUTOR: Mr. D Anson Compare the opening of 'King Lear' to a Shakespeare play you have read before, focusing closely on the way Shakespeare introduces the main themes. The act of creating and developing a character called characterization not only establishes a character, but serves as a means for the play write to reveal the themes of the play; "A literary character is the invention of the author, and often inventions are indebted to prior inventions", (Kirsch). Therefore, through characterization many common themes repeat within an author's literary collection. Shakespeare is the inventor of many characters and throughout his plays themes often reappear. Othello and King Lear, two of Shakespeare's great tragedies, exemplify this technique explicitly. The protagonists of these two plays, Othello and King Lear, by means of their actions, thoughts and words, reveal the same themes revolving around jealousy, hatred and madness, which stem from the corruptions of the time. In King Lear, Shakespeare introduces to us the story of an old man who moves from a position of encompassing enormous power, status, wealth, responsibility, social complexity, and security, step by step into a terrible isolation from his fellow human beings, his family, and nature itself, and suffers horribly from the stripping away of his entire identity. He then goes mad as a
Shakespeare's play Othello.
Abdul In Shakespeare's play Othello many issues are undertaken and explored. The three women play a vital role in this. Only one of the women in this play survives. All the women have no separate identity within the play; all three are married or associated with a male character. Bianca is the mistress of Cassio, Emilia is married to Iago and Desdemona is married with Othello. According to the time that the play was written in and the general hierarchy within Venetian society men hold all the power and women are considered to be of low intellect. Yet it is the women that speak the most sense throughout the play and it is also the women that are able to trust other characters in the play. Each woman represents a different social level, Desdemona being the highest and Bianca being of the lowest. Each sexual relationship in the play provokes some jealousy between the couple. essaybank.co.uk Bianca does not appear in the play as much as the other female characters yet her presence is key to the death of Desdemona as well as other play themes. Iago often refers to her as a prostitute, "A house wife that by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes". She has fallen in love with Cassio, yet he does not speak of his returned affection for her due to his desire for status, and her social standing would affect this dramatically. She is the jealous partner in this
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" Summary This poem, the earliest of Eliot's major works, was completed in
"The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" Summary This poem, the earliest of Eliot's major works, was completed in 1910 or 1911 but not published until 1915. It is an examination of the tortured psyche of the prototypical modern man--overeducated, eloquent, neurotic, and emotionally stilted. Prufrock, the poem's speaker, seems to be addressing a potential lover, with whom he would like to "force the moment to its crisis" by somehow consummating their relationship. But Prufrock knows too much of life to "dare" an approach to the woman: In his mind he hears the comments others make about his inadequacies, and he chides himself for "presuming" emotional interaction could be possible at all. The poem moves from a series of fairly concrete (for Eliot) physical settings--a cityscape (the famous "patient etherised upon a table") and several interiors (women's arms in the lamplight, coffee spoons, fireplaces)--to a series of vague ocean images conveying Prufrock's emotional distance from the world as he comes to recognize his second-rate status ("I am not Prince Hamlet"). "Prufrock" is powerful for its range of intellectual reference and also for the vividness of character achieved. Form "Prufrock" is a variation on the dramatic monologue, a type of poem popular with Eliot's predecessors. Dramatic monologues are similar to soliloquies in plays. Three things characterize the
Discuss Your Response to Shylock in the Light of Secondary Sources.
Gabriela Belmar-Valencia 12CA 30th November 2002 Discuss Your Response to Shylock in the Light of Secondary Sources "The Merchant of Venice" was first performed in 1597 and the four hundred year period between then and the present day has seen many diverse portrayals of Shylock. Shylock, over the years, has changed from a comical monster, to a complex villain, to a sympathetic victim, each era developing a different aspect of Shakespeare's villain. Shylock provokes a response of fascination and respect. He is a complex villain, a twisted product of an anti-Semitic society whose personality has been reduced to malevolence and vengefulness through the ill-treatment he has suffered at the hands of the frivolous and superficial Venetians. He clings devoutly to his Jewish faith while cleverly scheming revenge against those who have wronged him. Shylock's intellect shows that he is above the derogatory names and petty insults heaped upon him by the Venetians. He is eloquent and calm, losing control only once in the play when he misses his daughter and cries out "Oh my daughter! O my ducats!" He makes powerful speeches demonstrating an intellect that wins the audience's respect when he challenges the Gentiles by asking "Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?" Shylock is also remarkably clever
Governor Kathleen Blanco was persuasive in her address to rebuild New Orleans. Her speech takes on a motivated sequence design
Baron Muth 1/18/05 CMST Sec. 29 Reconstruction In a speech given on Wednesday September 14 2005, Governor Kathleen Blanco addressed the Joint Session of the Louisiana State Legislature in Baton Rouge, Louisiana about hurricane Katrina's aftermath. The audience included President George W. Bush, the Speaker, members of the House and Senate, clergy members, commanding officers, and honored guests. In her address, Kathleen Blanco focused solely on New Orleans. She thanked everyone involved in the relief effort, outlined ways to get the people who are displaced home and safe, and focused mainly on a plan of action to rebuild New Orleans back to normal. Just two weeks after the storm, governor Blanco was ready to address the nation about New Orleans. News crews were at the scene including the local news and CNN. The speech was recorded and is available online. She stood behind a podium in the chamber, and used a microphone to amplify her speech to the stadium seated audience. Kathleen Blanco's main objective was to get funding and support from the federal government for rebuilding the rampaged city of New Orleans. She is credible to ask for federal funding because she is the governor of Louisiana. She established even more credibility because she promoted identification, commemoration, plans of action, and personal experience in her speech. First, she ushered in a sense of
The concept of love at first sight in Shakespeare's comedies.
Shakespeare uses the idea of love at first sight to make his comedies, particularly Midsummer's Night Dream, As You Like It and Twelfth Night, lighter and more comical. The dramatic suddenness of love in these plays point to a great deal of irrationality, loss of control and the idea of love sickness. Several of the characters in these plays fall in love so quickly that it can be difficult for the audience to take their feelings seriously. Instantaneous love works well within the context of this type of play since they are not serious love stories, but instead similar to a light farce on romantic confusion. Falling in love at first sight can in many ways be seen as irrational, which is why Shakespeare uses it to point out the absurdity of his characters. Take for instance the play Midsummer's Night Dream. Titania, a beautiful fairy queen, falls madly in love with Bottom, who is a mortal with an ass's head: 'And thy fair virtue's force doth move me / On the first view to say, to swear I love thee' ( MND,III.I). Often love does not make sense and in this case, it would be difficult to understand how Titania could fall in love with Bottom, but Shakespeare is trying to stress the very foolishness of love altogether. Another Shakespearean comedy that is full of irrational characters falling in love instantly is As You Like It. Orlando and Oliver are particular foolish
To what extent are Lear's and Gloucester's troubles brought on by "the surfeits of their own behaviour"?
Yousif Ahmad To what extent are Lear's and Gloucester's troubles brought on by "the surfeits of their own behaviour"? Lear's claim that he is "a man more sinned against that sinning" is undeniably true, but the pathos of his fall is elevated - made more profound and resonant - by the inescapable reality that much of his suffering is ultimately self-inflicted. As voiced by Bradley: "the storm which has overwhelmed him was liberated by his own deed". Lear's fall is a product of conflict - a conflict that is alternately embedded in philosophical differences and a clash of generations. The most obvious generational conflict which exists in the play is that between Lear and his daughters Goneril and Regan. Nature is deeply rooted in the play (perhaps because it deals with a time before Christianity took a foothold in Britain) and is found both metaphorically and physically manifesting itself throughout: the main antagonism in the text comes in the shape of children (the natural preservation of oneself) doing something fundamentally unnatural (that being to turn against their own father). Numerous characters comment on the stark savagery of this throughout the play including Edgar, Albany and of course Lear himself: "Tigers not daughters", "Whose warped looks proclaim what store her heart is made on", "Twas this flesh begot those pelican daughters", "Ingratitude, thou marble