| Papers [1-19] of 1862 :: [Page 1 of 98] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 —> | |
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"A Midsummer Night's Dream", 2008.
A discussion on various subject themes in the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream " by William Shakespeare.
914 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 1 source, APA, $ 32.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare. The paper notes that the play weaves together the three subject themes: a reality in Athens, a dream-state in the woods, and the play-within-the play. The paper discusses that it is a tale of three romances, of love triangles, of jealousy and hilarity. The paper also states that Shakespeare's play is therefore structured to ask its readers and viewing audiences to contemplate the meaning of fiction and its impact on human consciousness.
From the Paper
"They share characters and situations. For example, all four of the play's central human characters fall asleep in the woods and enter its dreamlike world. Hermia, Helena, Demetrius and Lysander all appear in the city and in the woods and have equally significant roles in both worlds. Likewise, Bottom and the rest of the craftsmen troop practice "Pyramus and Thisbe" in the woods but perform it to the king and queen-to-be in Athens. The woods therefore serves as the place in which dreams are created, crafted, and nurtured. Those dreams then impact the daily lives of those living in the concrete world of the city, just as Shakespeare's play impacts the daily lives of those who read and watch them."
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Tragedy, Comedy and Human Nature, 2008.
This paper analyzes how human nature is reflected in the three theater genres of comedy, tragedy and drama.
1,401 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the three theater genres that reconstruct human experience: comedy, tragedy and drama. The paper first discusses the theater genre of tragedy using Shakespeare's "Hamlet" as an example and then describes the genre of comedy using Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as an illustration. The paper also discusses the origins of drama genre and points out how it differs from the tragedy genre. Furthermore, the paper then points out that despite notable difference in characters, plot, outcome and tone, these three genres all reflect human nature. The paper concludes that whether comical or tragic, the main function of the theater is to stir emotions by portraying the frailties of the human condition.
From the Paper
"The theater can be considered as a reproduction of the fundamental conditions of human existence. The theater can be seen as a set of symbols reconstructing the conditio humana as a basic theater representation contains all the trials and tribulations of life. Acting can be deciphered as the attempt to assume a different identity. In this sense, the theater is a continuous creation and changing of identities. Irrespective of cultural and epochal differences, this has remained a constant as far as theatrical performance. There are three theater genres each reconstructing human experience: comedy, tragedy and drama. Nonetheless, despite notable difference in characters, plot, outcome, tone etc. these three genres have one thing in common, i.e. they reflect human nature."
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| Term Paper # 108413 |
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Sophocles' "Oedipus Tyrannus", 2008.
Reviews the play Sophocles' "Oedipus Tyrannus", especially the theme of fate and free will.
1,320 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Sophocles' play "Oedipus Tyrannus" asks the question whether Oedipus could have used free will to stop the fulfillment of the prophesy concerning his life and, if not, whether he deserved his self-imposed fate at the end of the play. The paper points out that one of the central flaws in Oedipus' character is his confidence, stubbornness and pride in himself, which led to his fate in the end. The paper concludes that Oedipus cannot be regarded as guilty but rather a victim of forces outside of his control.
Table of Content:
Character
Fate vs. Free Will
Oedipus' Guilt
From the Paper
"The audience is not presented with the impression that Oedipus' fate is the direct result of any flaw in his character. Indeed, the people of Thebes love and respect him. He also shows his integrity in dealing with those seeking his downfall. Creon for example seeks a private audience with Oedipus, but Oedipus refuses this in the interest of disclosure in matters regarding his people. He also shows himself to be a good king, in placing the interests of his people before his own."
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"Othello", 2008.
A discussion on Iago's soliloquies in "Othello" by William Shakespeare in Act I.3.375-396.
1,151 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
The paper states that throughout the play "Othello" by William Shakespeare, the only character to speak to the audience directly and intimately, is the character of Iago. He speaks to the audience and discloses his true motivations for his treacherous actions in the world of the play. The paper comments that Shakespeare uses this literary device specifically to show the audience the true colors of Iago. In the last passage of Act 1, Act 1.3.375-396, Iago's soliloquy is a glance at his manipulative psyche, where he believes himself to be the master of the other characters. His excessive pride and deception later result in the tragic end of the play. The paper notes that the audience develops a strange, but special, relationship with Iago through his manic ridden soliloquies. In the end, however, Shakespeare chooses to end Iago's term as master of the play and reclaims his position as playwright from the arrogant Iago.
From the Paper
"He uses his role as confidant to the other characters to manipulate them into believing he has their best interest in mind, when really he plays them pawns against each other for his own goals. Iago shows the audience his dislike for Roderigo, which therefore allows the audience special access into the real world of Cypress where Iago pulls the strings, and not Othello. This passage also shows the depth of Iago's deception. As seen when he discusses Othello later in his soliloquy, Iago takes great pains to make himself the innocent confidant, when his true purpose is to destroy those who trust in him."
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"The City Match" and British Drama, 2008.
This paper examines the relationship of Jasper Mayne's play "The City Match" (1639) to the British Commonwealth and the Restoration.
1,203 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
The paper focuses on the work of Jasper Mayne, a popular playwright before and immediately after the Restoration, and the author of "The City Match". The paper explains that "The City Match," is not a tragedy, but it does reflect the political concerns of the day, and its dialogue shows why the Puritan Parliament was so eager to silence the theaters for political reasons. The paper highlights how "The City Match" was written during a critical juncture between two very different styles and eras of British drama.
From the Paper
"One of the most important events in British literature was the closing of the British theater during the period of history known as the Commonwealth, when the monarchy was abolished and the Puritan Parliament was officially in control of the nation. Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell ordered that stage plays were forbidden because such "lascivious Mirth and Levity" did not "comport with public calamities and seasons of humiliation," in other words, because play-going did not conform to the appropriate respect that citizens should feel for the sinfulness of the world and their own fallen nature (Wright 75)."
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Family Betrayal in Myth, Modernist and Post-Modernist Drama, 2008.
A comparison of Susan Hazen Hammond's short story "The Kidnapped Wife and the Dream Helper," Arthur Miller's drama "All My Sons" and P.J. Gibson's play "Long Time Since Yesterday".
1,316 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper examines Susan Hazen Hammond's short story "The Kidnapped Wife and the Dream Helper," Arthur Miller's drama "All My Sons" and P.J. Gibson's play "Long Time Since Yesterday" that all dramatize the struggles of individuals trapped in uncomfortable family relationships. The paper shows how the three works contain vastly different conceptions of what constitutes the human character and how a character should be dramatized over the course of a story. The paper highlights, however, the consistent themes in these works, such as the family relationships that are based on lies and the lesson that true fulfillment cannot be found in material success or in the esteem of the world.
From the Paper
"Hammond's tale is a retelling of a Native American myth. The character, even the most dynamic character of the piece that of the male warrior, father, and husband, is not what a modern reader would call a well-rounded character. He is compltetly 'bad' at the beginning of the piece, ignoring his wife, then suddenly shifts to being a 'good' character, in the quest to recover her. In the Miller piece, Joe Keller and his son Christ are depicted as far more complex, psychologically rounded characters. Joe Keller wants to do good things, and help his family prosper, but he commits evil actions in his quest. Unlike the Native American fable, character, and the failures of character drive the plot of the tale. Finally, the Gibson work, takes a post-modernist view of the characters of Janeen and Layer. The play is a 'memory play,' dramatizing the differences between how we remember the past and the reality of the past."
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81124r14277.doc, 2008.
Explores the theme of interpersonal conflict in Jean-Baptiste Moliere's play "Tartuffe".
1,000 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 4 sources, APA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the driving force behind Jean-Baptiste Moliere's play "Tartuffe", about the religious hypocrite Tartuffe, is the interpersonal conflicts, which spark the sense of revenge. The paper points out that that this general theme of conflict is portrayed through the characters, who present themselves as devotes, or those characters, who claim to be religious but who are in fact religious hypocrites. The paper relates that, eventually, all of Tartuffe's machinations and hypocrisies are exposed but not before the entire family is thrown into a comedic chaos of eviction, prison and scandal.
From the Paper
"Perhaps one of the most secondary characters in the play who carries on this general theme of the corruption of the pious through conflict is Orgon's wife, Elmire. Elmire is portrayed as a truly pious individual who, unlike her husband, is not ignorant of reality. Despite the constant attempts of seduction brought on by Tartuffe, Elmire remains committed to her somewhat of a buffoon of a husband. Yet one has to wonder if Elmire herself is not the cause of the conflict that corrupted the otherwise pious house of Orgon."
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Ben Johnson's "Volpone", 2008.
This paper provides a deconstructive perspective on Ben Jonson's "Volpone".
2,637 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 79.95
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Abstract
This paper presents a literary analysis of the character of "Volpone" in Ben Jonson's comedy "Volpone". It reviews Ben Jonson's message by discussing Volpone's marital relationship, acquisition of wealth and the corruption of society as reflected in this literary work.
From the Paper
"Volpone's unique form of writing throughout his own comedy sees him donning many different disguises as a means of othering himself. He takes great pleasure in fooling his fellow citizens with this gag, this disruptionary tactic that manages to deceive so many. In the notorious Mountebank episodes, Volpone poses as an outsider - affecting the disguise of a traveling peddler of a miracle drug - in order to gain the attention of Corvino's attractive wife Celia. When Corvino witnesses the scene, he castigates his wife, feeling that she has participated in the "death of mine honor" (39). There is no doubt that Corvino's reaction is absurd, an overreaction to what was effectively a non-event; Celia heard a ruckus below her window, so she merely responded as any person would - through turning her gaze towards the disruptionary presence that interfered with her day to day life."
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Oedipus the Arrogant, 2008.
This paper analyzes Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" as the quintessential model of a tragedy of hubris.
1,014 words (approx. 4.1 pages), 0 sources, $ 35.95
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Abstract
The paper defines hubris as human arrogance in the face of the superior strength of the gods. The paper shows how, although Oedipus is a paradigmatic tragic hero because he is given a bad fate he does not deserve from birth, he is also arrogant enough to try to resist the destiny given to him by the gods. The paper therefore explains how Oedipus is guilty of hubris.
From the Paper
"Classical tragedy is usually defined as the story of a great man or hero who loses his status (and very often his life) because of a single, but damning character flaw. This flaw is usually hubris, defined as human arrogance or pride in the face of the superior strength of the gods. But how is Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" the quintessential model of tragedy, the tragedy on which all other tragic plots are based? On the surface, it seems like the story of Oedipus is a tragedy not of hubris, but of an innocent man condemned from birth by the gods to a horrible fate. "
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Hiding the Evidence in "Trifles", 2008.
This paper analyzes why the women in susan Glaspell's play "Trifles" hide the evidence that would incriminate Mrs. Wright in the murder of her husband..
888 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
The paper explains that the women in "Trifles" hide the evidence of Mr. Wright's murder as a way to show solidarity and understanding to Mrs. Wright, as well as to get even with the men who are always belittling and criticizing them. The paper relates that the men are none the wiser, while the women stand together in support of their fallen sister.
From the Paper
"It is not surprising the women decide to hide the evidence from the men in this story. It would have been far more surprising if they had handed it over to the men, especially after the way they talked down to them and belittled them. The women are much smarter and more attuned to the residents of the house, and they understand why Mrs. Wright killed her husband - in effect, to quote from the popular musical "Chicago," "He Had it Coming." Thus, the women hid the evidence because of solidarity, understanding, and most of all, because of how men treat women - it was their attempt at getting even for all the "trifles" heaped on them throughout life."
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Victims of Social Mores or Victims of Character?, 2008.
An analysis of the main characters in Anton Chekhov's "The Lady with the Dog," Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and Henrik Ibsen "Hedda Gabler".
1,232 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
The paper questions whether society makes the man or whether the character of the individual determines his or her fate. The paper studies the protagonists of the 19th century stories "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," "The Lady with the Dog" and "Hedda Gabler" and shows how, although all of the protagonists are subject to social shaping, none of them are innocent. The paper explains that all characters show some free will in their actions, to the extent to which they allow their love of creature comforts or fear of what people will say to prevent them doing from what they morally know is right.
From the Paper
"Anton Chekhov's "The Lady with the Dog" has a female protagonist named Anna who is married to a man she does respect, a man very similar to Tolstoy's unattractive central character, a man she calls a flunky. She unexpectedly falls in love with a man while she is on a seaside vacation in Yalta who is not her husband, a man who is also trapped in a loveless marriage named Gurov. Anna and Gurov married before they knew what love truly could feel like, but the live in a society where divorce is a kind of social death."
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The Supernatural in the Works of Shakespeare, 2008.
A discussion on the role of the supernatural in "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare.
1,320 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 2 sources, APA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper states that the role of the supernatural in Elizabethan drama cannot be underestimated or overlooked. It was a critical part of the plot as we see in Shakespeare's work, as in those days the supernatural was an acceptable phenomenon. The paper comments that for this reason, it would be wrong to assume that Shakespeare made an effort to incorporate supernatural forces in his plays. They just had to be part of his writings because they were so widely believed in. The paper highlights that the role of supernatural forces in "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" is to exploit the weaknesses of the main characters. They serve as catalysts to the plot and carry the story forward but on the whole they are neither immensely powerful nor dangerous. The paper concludes that their impact is evil as their presence spells doom and destruction. They simply play with character's weaknesses and that leads to destruction by default.
From the Paper
"Macbeth's supernatural friends have an equally devastating effect on the main character's life. The three witches, though limited in their powers, caused major crisis when they foretell Macbeth's future. Here it must be made clear that just like Hamlet's father, the three witches did not want anything evil. They foretold the future because they saw something good for Macbeth. It was Macbeth who destroyed everything in his haste to see the future sooner than it was meant to unfold. Everything has a time at which it unfolds and Macbeth failed to exhibit the required amount of patience. Instead he simply allowed himself to be led astray in his ambition to become the next king."
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"The Crucible" and "I, Tituba", 2008.
A comparison of the portrayal of the character of Tituba in Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible" with Maryse Conde's novel, "I, Tituba."
1,518 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible" with Maryse Conde's novel, "I, Tituba." The paper discusses the plot of the stories that centers around the witch hunts in Salem. It then discusses the character of Tituba and her role in the story and compares the different ways that the character is portrayed in the novel and the play.
From the Paper
"The past is never rendered 'perfectly' to a contemporary viewer or reader, particularly an era as far removed from our own as the Puritan era of America. Arthur Miller's tale of "The Crucible" is ostensibly set in Salem, Massachusetts during the 1600s but it is a thinly disguised allegory of the McCarthy anti-communist witch-hunt that had taken hold in America when Miller wrote his play, which was later made into a 1996 film. Miller uses the trials to discuss important concerns of the present day in his play, not to recount history. The play immediately illustrates its lack of concern with the facts of the actual events by converting the historical ages of the girls who accused the women of the town from young children to teenagers. This makes the motives of the young women such as Abigail, the instigator of the trials, far more suspect than the strange, apparently innocent and hysterical accusations of girls who seem too young to be calculating."
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"Oedipus Rex", 2008.
An analysis of the character of Oedipus in Sophocles Greek tragedy, "Oedipus Rex."
1,008 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 0 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the Greek tragedy, written by Sophocles, "Oedipus Rex." The paper questions whether Oedipus is the puppet of fate or the creator of his own fate or if he can be a combination of the two. The paper then contrasts the characters, Oedipus with Teiresias. It discusses how Oedipus at the beginning of the play contrasts with the Oedipus at the end. It also looks at the theme of seeing and blindness.
Table of Contents:
The Puppet of Fate or the Creator of His Own Fate
Oedipus Contrasted with Teiresias. Seeing and Blindness in the Play.
From the Paper
"Oedipus chooses to flee his fate by leaving his parental home. This is an act of free will. However, it is dramatically ironic that by this very attempt to flee, he fulfills the prophesy. Therefore, while he chooses freely to leave his home, he does so without knowing that the people who raised him are not in fact his parents. They however have chosen not to tell him the story of his abandonment and survival as an infant. If they had, they might have averted the disaster. What his adoptive parents choose to do is beyond Oedipus' control, and can therefore be viewed as fate from his point of view - there was nothing that he could do that would change this. Furthermore, it appears that Oedipus' very free will moves him closer to the fate dictated by the prophesy."
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Humanities, 2008.
A discussion on transposing the environment of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" to the atmosphere and setting to the 1930s depression-era of "Bonnie and Clyde."
997 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 6 sources, APA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
The paper compares the era of "Romeo and Juliet" with the times of "Bonnie and Clyde". The paper, by comparing the two works, speaks of the bloody environment in the times of Romeo and Juliet and the desperate economic circumstances during the 'Bonnie and Clyde' era in American history. The paper continues with a discussion on the similarities between these two time periods, noting the similar themes of "romantic outlaws", "passionate lovers", an emphasis on youth, and the anger at society. The paper concludes that the tales of both lovers show how, in a society that seems to have no future, desperate young people seeking validation and autonomy, resort to desperate measures.
From the Paper
"Although Shakespearean love may be beautiful, especially love forged out of passion and the laws of a society that denies the freedoms of the young, it is not the society of Renaissance Italy that is beautiful and romantic. The fact that love can exist even in an atmosphere that a modern audience can identify as hopeless, crime-ridden, and decadent like Depression-era America will underline the most important aspect of Shakespeare's play, elements that might remain hidden in a production set in the Renaissance. Adult society and the laws of the land are corrupt in "Romeo and Juliet," likewise America ignores the suffering and despair of Americans living in the dustbowl during the Depression. Bonnie and Clyde rob banks, but during that era before banking reform many Americans lost their money in the stock market, or in bank runs, thus showing a lack of regard for the laws was something that was endemic to society and government, not just the outlaws."
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Dramatherapy, 2008.
Reviews Sue Jennings' book "Introduction to Dramatherapy: Theatre and Healing: Ariadne's Ball of Thread".
825 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Sue Jennings explores the potential and the practicality of dramatherapy in her 1998 British publication, "Introduction to Dramatherapy: Theatre and Healing: Ariadne's Ball of Thread". The paper further explains that the book is directed at a general audience and to counseling professionals and covers a range of theories that support dramatherapy. The paper points out that Jennings draws heavily from Jungian psychology and similar uses of symbolism as guiding forces in human consciousness and relates that her book illustrates the methodology of dramatherapy as a healing tool.
From the Paper
"In Chapter 5, Jennings notes how we can use dramatherapy to stop playing reruns. Whenever we find ourselves dealing with the same relationship problems again and again, we are likely reenacting some key moment of the past. Instead of seeing that situation as an actor would view a new script, we rely on the reruns for what to say or do. Similarly, if we act compulsively or with addiction, we are acting unconsciously. Our life can become a series of reruns when it could be an exciting new stage production."
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Gender in "Twelfth Night", 2008.
This paper explores Shakespeare's gender constructions and cross-dressing in the play "Twelfth Night".
2,016 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
The paper explores Shakespeare's gender disguise that distorted female identity and investigates early modern constructions of gender as distinct from sexual difference. The paper examines the play "Twelfth Night" in order to show how it was Shakespeare's intention to challenge gender taboos of the Elizabethan age.
From the Paper
"Considered by critics as Shakespeare's best achievement in the comic genre, the play Twelfth Night or, What You Will affords an elaborate exploration of love and power relationships, gender roles and taboos. Identity poses highly confounding problems, as there are numerous layers to the characters' gender roles and their maze-like relationships and (homo) erotic affinities. Through a range of female characters and the implications of (wo)man disguises, Shakespeare exposes gender issues. Several heroines of the comedies appear in disguise on the Renaissance stage, which represents the cultural context of the play."
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Free Will and Fate, 2008.
An analysis and comparison of Sophocles "Oedipus the King" and Rita Dove's "The Darker Face of the Earth".
1,416 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
The paper examines how the plays "Oedipus the King" and "The Darker Face of the Earth" both explore the theme of pain and suffering as inherent to the human condition and pose questions regarding the relationship between fate and free will, consciousness and self-control. The paper shows how in both cases, although the protagonists are faced with challenges by the powerful forces of destiny, their fate is a direct consequence of their choice regarding the exercise of free will. The paper illustrates how both protagonists exercise their free will poorly and must therefore accept the consequences of their actions and suffer the painful fate that they themselves created.
From the Paper
"Due to of a prophecy that said King Laios of Thebes would be killed by his own son who would then marry his own mother, the king and queen decide to give their son to a shepherd who was to kill him. However, the shepherd takes him to Corinth where he is adopted by King Polybus and his childless queen. Upon learning about the prophecy, Oedipus decides not to return to Corinth. He comes upon a man at a crossroads with four attendants who try to force him from his path. The man prodded him with his stick and Oedipus slew him and three of the attendants. The gods demand vengeance for the death of Laios as the price of lifting the city's punishment. Oedipus is determined to seek justice. Through his efforts, he discovers that he is the murderer of Laios. Jocasta discovers the secret and kills herself."
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