The love theme in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is confusing but at the same time entertaining. The love triangle involving Viola, disguised as Cesario, is in love with Orsino. Orsino is in love with Olivia. Olivia, however, loves Cesario. Orsino tries to woo Olivia with the language of love; however, his many attempts fail because the … Read more
In the play, Richard the III, by William Shakespeare, the character Richard (Duke of Gloucester) is a very manipulative and deceiving person. Richard acts like this in order to fulfill his dream to become King. And since he is at the bottom of a long, long list to be King, he has a lot of … Read more
Hamlet is seen as one of the most complex literary character of all time. The relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude can be interpreted in many ways. Hamlets motivation for killing Claudius is not to avenge his fathers death, but because of his love for his mother Gertrude. This is where the Oedipus complex comes into … Read more
Reality and illusions are two words which may be confused among people reading or learning about this sort of topic. Reality is what is real or true and should not be misinterpreted with illusion, which is fake or something a person believes is real. Often people can put an illusion in some ones head and … Read more
In the play “Twelfth Night,” Shakespeare explores and illustrates the emotion of love with precise detail. According to “Webster’s New World Dictionary,” love is defined as “a strong affection or liking for someone. ” Throughout the play Shakespeare examines three different types of love: true love, self love and friendship. “Twelfth Night” consists of many … Read more
Like as, to make our appetites more keen, With eager compounds we our palate urge; As to prevent our maladies unseen We sicken to shun sickness when we purge: Even so, being full of your ne’er cloying sweetness, To bitter sauces did I frame my feeding; And, sick of welfare, found a kind of meetness … Read more
In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night we encounter several interesting characters. The character I found to be most interesting and most different from the others was Malvolio. Malvolio is the servant of Olivia. Although he belongs to the servant class, he believes strongly that he is better than the individuals that he serves. Malvolio often takes … Read more
Why did Othello marry is a complex question, the obvious answer would be that he loves Desdemona, but why does he love her and why does his love turn to hate so quickly in Act III scene 3 requires much thought and consideration. Othello likes people to be plain and open because that is what … Read more
In William Shakespeares “Macbeth”, an epic play about blood, glory and pride, Young Mcduff’s tragic yet heroic lifestory is revealed. His father of course is Macduff, one of Scotland’s most prestigous nobleman, and his mother is Lady Macduff. Macduff was very close to King Duncan and after his untimely death, he always had his suspicions … Read more
In the tragic play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, a particular deterrent in Hamlet’s quest to be rid of his regal uncle is his procrastination. This act of murder intended to set the future right is Hamlet’s sole responsibility, ordered by his deceased father. Hamlet’s main target throughout the play is for Claudius to commit suicide. … Read more
“I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw” (2. 2. 338-9). This is a classic example of the “wild and whirling words” (1. 5. 133) with which Hamlet hopes to persuade people to believe that he is mad. These words, however, prove that beneath his “antic … Read more
Arguably the best piece of writing ever done by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the is the classic example of a tragedy. In all tragedies the hero suffers, and usually dies at the end. Othello stabs himself, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, Brutis falls on his sword, and like them Hamlet dies by getting cut with a … Read more
William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No other writer’s plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. Shakespeare was born to … Read more
One may find it ridiculous to contrast between Shakespeare and existentialism in its 20th century form, however one must keep in mind, that existentialism does not appear as a single philosophical system. It is more an attitude of life, a general vision – existentialist Jean-Paul Sartre is known to have stated that existentialism was never … Read more
Romeo and Juliet was first published in quarto in 1597, and republished in a new edition only two years later. The second copy was used to created yet a third quarto in 1609, from which both the 1623 Quarto and First Folio are derived. The first quarto is generally considered a bad quarto, or an … Read more
Macbeth(c. 1607), written by William Shakespeare, is the tragic tale of Macbeth, a virtuous man, corrupted by power and greed. This tragedy could in fact be called “A Tale of Two Theories”. One theory suggests that the tragic hero, Macbeth, is led down an unescapable road of doom by an outside force, namely fate in … Read more
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”. Sir Walter Scott may not have intended to describe the tangled web of secrets that fuels Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear”, but it certainly applies. Secrets come in many shapes and sizes, and in works of literature they can be categorized as either … Read more
An essential element to any Shakespearean tragedy is the idea of human suffering. In both Tittus Andronicus and King Lear no one can deny that the characters in these plays do indeed suffer and at great lengths, but the question begs to be asked what is the source of this suffering? Keeping in mind that … Read more
The tradition of literature includes many genres. One of the oldest and most important of these genres is tragedy; one of the foremost Elizabethan tragedies in the canon of English literature is Hamlet by William Shakespeare and one of the earliest critics of tragedy is Aristotle. One way to measure Shakespeare’s work is to appraise … Read more
The Merchant of Venice is a controversial play among experts of Shakespeare. This play has been argued by some to be a comedy. This is because there is a lot of comic relief and the story has a happy ending. Others consider the play to be a tragedy because of Shylocks character. He is very … Read more
King Lear, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic tale of filial conflict, personal transformation, and loss. The story revolves around the King who foolishly alienates his only truly devoted daughter and realizes too late the true nature of his other two daughters. A major subplot involves the illegitimate son of Gloucester, Edmund, who plans to … Read more
In the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, the integrity of some characters are all challenged with honesty and deceit. The King of Denmark is deteriorating and rotting the state and its people. Many images of corruption, spying, and decay compound as the play moves on, because Claudius is trying to find out what his nephew, Hamlet, … Read more
In the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, two teenagers are controlled by a chain of human actions. Act 4, scenes 1,3 and 5, are a good representation of the web of human actions that cause tragedy between the pair of “star crossed lovers” (prologue). One example of human actions being dominant in those … Read more
Flattery will get you nowhere. At the beginning of the story this quote might appear to be false, but as the story unfolds it only leads to the down fall of all involved. Throughout Julius Caesar, both friends and enemies use flattery and manipulation to obtain their goals. The first main use of flattery is … Read more
To be able to answer this question we must first understand why Prospero can be seen as good or evil. It is fair to say that Prospero is a main protagonist to the plot of Shakespeares Tempest. It is due to Prospero’s role as a key figure in the play that has put him under … Read more
Andy Warhol once said, “They say that time changes things, but actually you have to change them yourself. ” Two hundred fifty years passed between the original Romeo and Juliet and the premiere of West Side Story on Broadway in 1957. However, time did not change the message of the story, simply the creators unique … Read more
William Shakespeares sonnets may have been the best poetry ever written. The sonnets are beautifully written with many different feelings expressed in them. Although they may have been the most autobiographically written poems of all time, they still present a number of questions. Many Elizabethan historians and Shakespeare enthusiasts often wonder who Shakespeare was writing … Read more
It typically presents the fall of a man who may be basically or originally good but is always corruptible through the temptations of the world and his own pride or ambitions. In the beginning of the play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is merely a nobleman and a general in King Duncan’s army. Macbeth later … Read more
When there are women and an omnipotent force to procreate there will be a number of resources that a man will use in order to attract the opposite sex. Often with the use of the notorious whistle/mating call, the perpetual use of lies about income, the stench of musk cologne, or the ever-popular use of … Read more
The play Othello by William Shakespeare is based on an Italian story in Giraldi Cinthio’s Hecatommithi (Grolier). In Othello we encounter Iago, one of Shakespeares most evil characters. Iago is an officer in Othello’s army and is jealous of Cassio’s promotion to Lieutenant. Through deception and appearance, we see unfolded many lies and clever schemes. … Read more