Study Like a Boss
Anna Quindlen, Bill Bryson, Edgar Allan Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Harper Lee, John Steinbeck, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Tertullian, Thomas Paine, 1984, A Raisin in The Sun, Animal Farm, Beowulf, Fahrenheit 451, Frankenstein, George Orwell, Hamlet, Into The Wild, Lord of The Flies, A Modest Proposal, All Quiet on The Western Front, Allegory, Antigone, Between The World and Me.
In Shakespeare’s “” 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 … Read more
In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the use of imagery and metaphors is significant in conveying meaning as it helps to establish the dramatic atmosphere of the play and reinforce the main themes. Through this, the audience is able to grasp a better understanding of the play. Throughout Othello, images relating to poison frequently occur. These references … Read more
Certain parallels can be drawn between William Shakespeare’s plays, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and “Romeo and Juliet”. These parallels concern themes and prototypical Shakespearian character types. Both plays have a distinct pair of ‘lovers’, Hermia and Lysander, and Romeo and Juliet, respectively. Both plays could have also easily been tragedy or comedy with a few … Read more
In Irne, Voltaire wrote, Shakespeare is a savage with sparks of genius which shine in dreadful darkness of night. One of Shakespeares sparks of genius was in his use of masks. These masks put characters in a sort of darkness of night, allowing them to become someone else. They are used for imagery, so one … Read more
To express his view of good and evil in every man, William Shakespeare writes lines that Friar Laurence reveals in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet which compare man to plants, focusing on the common trait they hold of having two contrasting components in their being. Throughout history, there has always been a conflict with … Read more
Hamlet’s motives rally between those of both revenge and justice, and it becomes this internal conflict which sets the pace of events throughout Shakespeare’s entire play. Revenge serves Hamlet as his initial goal in the pursuit for vindication of his father’s death. Soliloquy later reveals Hamlet’s torn sensibility and care for justice, which decelerates his … Read more
Shakespeare wrote many plays during his lifetime. Some of his plays have similar comedic characteristics and then other plays are the exact opposite of comedy. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, romance, history, comedy and problem plays all with great success. During the performance of these plays there was no scenery so great time was taken when developing … Read more
“… My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is But what is not. ” (1. 3. 140-143). Throughout Shakespeare’s play, we see that Macbeth is the victim of evil seduction by women. In the above quote the evil is … Read more
It is known that in Shakespeare’s tragedies main characters die in the end, and in his comedies people marry. Since Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, Romeo and Juliet are going to die in the end. Some events have to lead to their deaths, and someone makes these events happen. The person(s) who started it … Read more
This character sketch will be on Shylock, describing his physical and personality traits. Shylock is an older, Jewish money lender who has one daughter named Jessica. Shylock is introduced into the novel when Antonio’s friend, Gratiano needs money in order to impress a girl. Antonio at the time does not have any money and sends … Read more
English poet and playwright, recognized in much of the world as the greatest of all dramatists, is perhaps the most famous writer in the history of English literature. By writing plays, Shakespeare earned recognition from his late 16th and early 17th century contemporaries, but he may have looked to poetry for enduring fame. His poetic … Read more
In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is the tragic hero. He is a character of high stature who is destroyed by his surroundings, his own actions, and his fate. His destruction is essentially precipitated by his own actions, as well as by the actions of the characters surrounding him. The tragedy of Othello is not a … 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
In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, there is a display of the different human facets. This essay will primarily focus on the qualities of Iago. The way Shakespeare went about the description of Iago’s character; anyone would assume that he was nothing but a despicable person. I would like to add a couple of … Read more
In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, the characters and the roles they play are critical to its plot and theme, and therefore many of Shakespeare’s characters are well developed and complex. Two of these characters are the protagonist, Macbeth, and his wife, Lady Macbeth. They play interesting roles in the tragedy, and over the course of the … Read more
Peasants of the early sixteenth century are often pictured carrying a bundle of limbs tied with vines on their backs. This is a perfect metaphor for the events in Macbeth. Macbeth is one of many thanes, or limbs, bundled together. The thanes are united by the king, or the vine. Scotland, or the peasant, carries … Read more
It is my strong belief that the play, “The Merchant of Venice”, should be taught in classes. If this play was banned from schools it would most certainly be a form of censorship. While minors rights are somewhat limited when it comes to this right, I think that even Minors should not be censored from … Read more
One of the most interesting and exotic characters in the tragic play “Othello,” by William Shakespeare, is “Honest” Iago. At first glance, Iago seems to be the essence of “motiveless malignity. ” However, despite Iago’s unquestionable malignancy, the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago’s quest for personal gain, as opposed to just being … Read more
Few authors today write with such universal understanding that their works will be popular with all types of people, and so successfully that their work survives centuries. These authors posses qualities we can seldom identify in their lifetimes. Yet we do know this — William Shakespeare was one of them. William Shakespeare’s parents were John … Read more
William Shakespeare, the most famous of all English writers, has written many works. One such work is Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy that includes humor, love, and deceit. Several incidents in the life of the author influenced him to write this play in the fashion that he did. These events come from his life … Read more
Ever since the publications of the good quarto, published in 1599, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, has been one of the classics of Western literature (Evans 1093). In being this, it has been produced many different times, in many different ways. I will be discussing how the production of this great play has changed … Read more
Romanticism, as stated in the American Heritage Electronic Dictionary is, “An artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual’s expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and … Read more
Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure can be seen as an early account of sexual harassment. While the issue of women’s rights had hardly been explored at the time the play was first performed, Measure for Measure touches on issues of sexuality, independence, and the objectification of women. Despite these serious issues, the play is considered a … Read more
Measure for Measure, the last of Shakespeare’s great comedies, is also the darkest of his comedies, and represents his transition to tragic plays. This play differs from Shakespeare’s other comedies, and is in many ways more akin to tragedy than to comedy. In setting, plot, and character development Measure for Measure has a tragic tone, … Read more
Theme: Mercy vs. Justice. Allusion to justice = eye for eye, tooth for tooth [measure for measure]; allusion to mercy = let him without sin cast the first stone [esp. sexual sin]. Summary: Duke wants to restore the strictness of fornication/adultery laws. He sets up Angelo to do it, while he feigns that he will … Read more
Social justice is a topic known all to well in today’s society. Such issues as social heirarchial structure and unjust representatives of citizens of nations are issues in need of attention by those in power. Corruption, lies and greed by those in power however stand in the way of this form of justice from occurring, … Read more
Act II, Scene 1 To no avail, Escalus pleads with an adamant Angelo to have pity on the life of Claudio. Angelo does not really consider Claudio’s crime to be something major, but he is intent on carrying out the “measure of the law” and to be strict with all offenders who break the law. … Read more
References to venereal disease appear as early in the second scene of Shakespeares Measure for Measure. Syphilis, the primary and most horrible of venereal diseases, ran rampant in Shakespeares time. By giving a brief history of the disease in Renaissance Europe one can gain a better understanding of the disease which will provide a greater … Read more
“Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be What thou art promised; yet do I fear thy nature, It is too full o’th’milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it. What thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst … Read more
Realization of one’s imminent death can drastically change an individual. Knowing that death is imminent can change the way we look at things, and cause us to confess our sins. In Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad and Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the main characters experience this trauma. The instant that Jim jumps from the Patna, … Read more
The film uses various techniques to present a particular view of the war against France. What is that interpretation and how does the film convey it? Although the Branagh version of Shakespeare’s Henry V remains very close to the text, with only a few lines left out of the film, the movie portrays a very … Read more
In Henry V, Shakespeare uses Henry to show that a leader must put duty and fairness above friendship. King Henry has been known as a wild misfit, and someone who has no regard for the world around him, as it is shown in Henry IV, Part I, and Henry IV, Part II. He is an … Read more
Shakespeares presentation and portrayal of his female characters in The Merchant of Venice and Henry V follows a typical pattern that is present in all of the Shakespearean plays that I have read so far. When looking closely at the fate of his female characters, this pattern becomes even more evident for it repeats itself … Read more
Claudius and Gabriel are very similar, as they are very different people. Claudius and Gabriel share the characteristic that both regret what they do. Gabriel doesn’t actually get down on his knees and pray like Claudius does, the reader could tell though, that Gabriel is having some great problems with the way he is. His … Read more
Biography of Shakespeare William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet recognized in much of the world as the greatest of all dramatists. Shakespeares plays communicate a profound knowledge of human behavior, revealed through portrayals of a wide variety of characters. His use of poetic and dramatic means to create a unified artistic effect out of several … Read more
Often in literature, parallels are used to accentuate certain things. William Shakespeare utilizes this tool in both The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Nights Dream. In both of these comedic plays, there is a set of women who are at odds with each other. These relationships can be compared and contrasted in different … Read more
William Shakespeare, the most famous of all English writers, has written many works. One such work is Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy that includes humor, love, and deceit. Several incidents in the life of the author influenced him to write this play in the fashion that he did. These events come from his life … Read more
William Shakespeare was born in 1564, in the small market town of Startford-Upon-Avon. He was the third of eight children. Shakespeare was born to what today would be called middle-class parents. William was baptized on April 26. According to the custom at that time, infants were baptized about three days after their birth. At age … 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
William Shakespeare, the best-known figure in Renaissance literature, if no t all of literature, was born April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, a town near London. His father John Shakespeare, held many jobs, from leather goods salesman to ale taster, culminating in a position as Stratford’s High Bailiff, or town mayor. Shakespeare’s mother, Mary Arden … Read more
William Shakespeares works being just that is a notion most accept; however, there has been a lot of evidence and arguments by historians, who opt to challenge this notion, arguing that Shakespeare was the pen name of Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford had to conceal his authorship for social and political reasons. After … Read more
Ask anyone who Shakespeare was, and he or she will immediately rattle off at least three different plays that were required readings in English, not to mention a few blockbuster movies bearing his name. Many revere the works of Shakespeare as paramount in the world of literature, dedicating entire books, classes and festivals to the … Read more
William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet recognized in much of the world as the greatest of all dramatists. Shakespeares plays communicate a profound knowledge of human behavior, revealed through portrayals of a wide variety of characters. His use of poetic and dramatic means to create a unified artistic effect out of several vocal expressions and … Read more
William Shakespeare was surely the world’s most performed and admired playwright. He was well known in his time, and like many artists his fame continues to grow after his death. Shakespeare in Life Wherever we go today, we just can’t seem to get away from him. He is in movies, in the theater, even on … Read more
William Shakespeare was a supreme English poet and playwright, universally recognized as the greatest of all the dramatists. A complete, authoritative account of Shakespeare’s life is lacking; much supposition surrounds relatively few facts. His day of birth is traditionally held on April 23, and he was baptized on April 24, 1564. He was the third … Read more
Whether it is the 1500s or the new millennium, love is still essentially the same although with some differences in customs. Romeo and Juliet is the very epitome of love in Shakespeare’s time. Marriage in Shakespeare’s time mostly served as a union of two parties interested in acquiring property, money or political alliances. Few ever … Read more
The evolution of written profanity began roughly in the sixteenth century, and continues to change with each generation that it sees. Profanity is recognized in many Shakespearean works, and has continually evolved into the profane language used today. Some cuss words have somehow maintained their original meanings throughout hundreds of years, while many others have … Read more
“The theater was clearly his chosen environment, and when we direct our attention to Shakespeare the playwright, we have come to the essential man” (Bentley 121). In the United States, Shakespeare is the most well known author of the Elizabethan era, but how did he achieve this magnificent status? Where did he get the ideas … Read more
Many tragic heroes had honor which was either their downfall or their positive trait. In Shakespeares Henry IV Part 1, Hotspur, a hot tempered traitor, makes honor his first priority for him and his family . Although the king praised him, he led a rebellion against him. In Julius Caesar Brutus, a honor driven conspirator, … Read more
William Shakespeare was a very mysterious man. Most of the information about his life is unknown. Some information is lost and never to be found. His plays are continuously being performed today. William Shakespeare was not just a playwriter but also a poet and actor. All of these accomplishment without ever attending a college or … Read more