...“Beyond the Traditional Analysis” In his play, The Tempest, Shakespeare conveys themes through different character pairs. Each pairing is a guise for a different theme in the play's plot. For instance, Ariel and Caliban are thought to be grouped together because they show two contrasting sides of servitude. Other examples lie behind Miranda and Ferdinand's "love at first sight", as well as the forgiveness that Alonso, Antonio, and Prospero receive. Each grouping of characters is placed strategically throughout the play by Shakespeare to exemplify different themes. Ariel and Caliban are both under Prospero's servitude, and are actually foils for one another. However, while Ariel abides by Prospero's rules willingly, Caliban only serves Prospero out of fear. They are both obligated to serve Prospero and do his bidding, but while Caliban is only trusted to do the simplest of tasks, Ariel is the equivalent to Prospero's second in command. He is constantly a major aide in Prospero's grand plan, and he is privy to Prospero's secrets. "All hail great master! Grave sir, hail! I come to answer thy best pleasure,"(Shakespeare 14). Ariel says this to his master, living with the hope of soon being free. He could behave as Caliban, but Ariel is trusted enough to help Prospero complete his master plan. Ariel even influences Prospero's decision on whether to forgive the ones who have wronged him. At the end of the play, Prospero's other servant Caliban, turns out to be one of the ones who have...
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... nationality, and religion from ancient times to the present day. When the tempest was written using slaves was common practice. Throughout the play each scene has a master to follower dynamic; which Shakespeare uses to show us how sometimes a servant can control the actions of their master. At the end of the play when Prospero is about to confront his brother and possibly kill him, Ariel tries to convince Prospero to let him and the other lords go. He says, “Your magic spell has such an effect on them that if you saw them now, you’d feel sorry for them.” (act 5 scene 1) Ariel explains to him that everyone is terrified and confused, and that they had been punished enough. This in fact worked as Prospero stated, “imagine the pity that I’ll feel” (act 5 scene...
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...Just under fifteen years old, Miranda is a key and ever present character in ‘The Tempest’. Miranda is a gentle and compassionate, which leads to her submissive nature, but also has a fight and inner strength in her to achieve what she's passionate about. As a female she is the only one that has any stage time - as a feeble representation of women, who seemingly exist to serve. Shakespeare reflects the roles of women during jacobean times through Miranda, by serving first her “dearest father” and next declaring “I’ll be your maid” to Ferdinand. The lack of female identity in “The Tempest”, the only others referenced in the play are Sycorax, Miranda’s mother and Alonso’s daughter Claribel suggest that she will serve a pivotal role in the play. To explore shakespeare's presentation of Miranda I will use the the following points: tendency to be submissive; sudden forthrightness and finally Miranda’s repetition of the word ‘suffer’ displays a meek, emotional nature that underscores her compassion for those on the ship. These characteristics are clearly displayed in her opening scene which ultimately lead her to become a target for some, as she is easily submissive to commands because of her nature towards others. One such person is Prospero, who's use of the anaphora indicates his intent of manipulating her. He persists her to become “collected” and dictates that he has “done nothing but in care of thee” and “of thee, my dear one, thee my daughter” .The repetition of “thee” that...
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...This is a good article. Click here for more information. The Tempest From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from The tempest) This article is about the Shakespeare play. For other uses, see The Tempest (disambiguation). The shipwreck in Act I, Scene 1, in a 1797 engraving by Benjamin Smith after a painting by George Romney The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place using illusion and skilful manipulation. He conjures up a storm, the eponymous tempest, to lure his usurping brother Antonio and the complicit King Alonso of Naples to the island. There, his machinations bring about the revelation of Antonio's lowly nature, the redemption of the King, and the marriage of Miranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand. There is no obvious single source for the plot of The Tempest, but researchers have seen parallels in Erasmus's Naufragium, Peter Martyr's De orbe novo, and eyewitness reports by William Strachey and Sylvester Jordain of the real-life shipwreck of the Sea Venture on the islands of Bermuda, and the subsequent conflict between Sir Thomas Gates and Sir George Somers. In addition, one of Gonzalo's speeches is derived from Montaigne's essay Of the Canibales, and much of Prospero's renunciative speech is taken...
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...or very subtle. All the themes seem to flow together and are often times created from the effects of another theme. For example, oppression can be an effect of identity. Identity is how a person sees themselves and those that are not at the same class or level of knowledge as them. This starts the theme of oppression. Oppression is when someone has control or power over someone or a group of people and controls their actions and way of life. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the city of Uruk is ruled by Gilgamesh, who is part god and part human that was created by the gods. With his power as a ruler of Uruk, he created his own set of rules for the people of Uruk to follow that may not have been a part of their everyday lives before Gilgamesh arrived in their city. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, a townsperson tells Enkidu “Gilgamesh the king is about to celebrate marriage with the Queen of Love, and he still demands to be first with the bride, the king to be first, and the husband to follow”(6). This is one example of how Gilgamesh uses his power to oppress the lives of the people of Uruk to do as he says. Gilgamesh also takes the young sons of the townspeople to use as he sees fit. The fact that the men of Uruk complain about the rules that Gilgamesh has in place, proves that they are not happy with how most things are within their city. Since Gilgamesh knows he is part god, he uses this as an advantage and thinks it gives him the right to have authority and power over the people of...
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...1. W. Shakespeare « Hamlet» (Renaissance) Character List Hamlet - The Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist. About thirty years old at the start of the play, Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming and disgust for his mother’s sexuality. A reflective and thoughtful young man who has studied at the University of Wittenberg, Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts. Hamlet is extremely philosophical and contemplative. He is particularly drawn to difficult questions or questions that cannot be answered with any certainty. Faced with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, evidence that any other character in a play would believe, Hamlet becomes obsessed with proving his uncle’s guilt before trying to act. Claudius - The King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle, and the play’s antagonist. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Gertrude - The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply, but she is a shallow, weak woman who seeks affection and status more urgently than moral rectitude or truth. Polonius - The...
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...plays in the healthy upbringing of a child. A father in the past was looked at as a man who literally owned a daughter and was someone who should not be disobeyed. Overtime the father was looked at as a person who helped mold a child emotionally and intellectually. Recent studies show that a father is more likely to play with a child than a mother. Almost anyone who looks back on their childhood who had a father or father figure would likely say they can remember how playful their father was. This paper will also look into the plays written by Shakespeare and the father – daughter relationships within them. A Father’s Role The need for a father has stayed the same, but the role of a father has changed since Shakespeare’s time to today’s society. There are many great quotes on the father-daughter relationships that some hold on to for inspiration. Some examples are, “There is no love like a father’s love for his daughter” and “A father’s job is not to teach his daughter to be a lady. It is to teach her how a lady should be treated.” Clearly these quotes did not come from Shakespeare’s time. In Shakespeare’s time a father looked at his daughter was looked at as a subject who was owned by their father (Richmond, 2005). The father would own his daughter until she was married. A young daughter could be auctioned off to the family or man who was able to bring the most dowries, or goods to prove worthiness. Arranged marriages were common in Shakespeare’s time. Often...
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...Early European Theater • The writings of this period were primarily hymns, sermons and similar theologically oriented works. • Latin became a literary medium. • Major preserves of learning are the monasteries. • 8th century Europe returned to greater stability under the Carolingian kings. ➢ Charles Martel – defeated the Moslems at Tours in 732 AD, through his innovative use of armored horsemen as the principal military force, initiating the development of knighthood. ➢ Charlemagne – extended his realm into the Slavic territories and converting non- Christians on the way. Charlemagne was crowned by the Pope and pronounced him as the successor to Constantine. The scenario was the first attempt to establish the Holy Roman Empire. • Charlemagne’s death caused Europe to break into small units isolated from each other and from the world. • Moslem controlled the Mediterranean and the Vikings, still pagans, conquered the northern seas. Early Middle Ages • Life was relatively simple. • Feudalistic patterns were fully established. ➢ Manor (large estate)- headed by a noble man, assumed absolute authority over the peasants who worked his land collectively. ➢ Vassals – supplies the lords a specified number of knights upon demand and the lords in return were bound to protect their vassals. The Theater (500- 900 AD) • The theater revived during the early Middle Ages. • After the Western Roman...
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...Chapter II: literature of the renaissance (End of the 15th - beginning of the 17th century) In the 15th - 16th centuries capitalist relation began to develop in Europe. The former townspeople became the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie fought against feudalism because it held back the development of capitalism. The decay of feudalism and the development of capitalist relation were followed by a great rise in the cultural life of Europe. There was an attempt at creating a new culture which would be free from the limitation of the feudal ideology of the Middle Ages. The epoch was characterized by a thirst for knowledge and discoveries, by a powerful development of individuality. It was then that great geographical discoveries of Columbus, Magellan and other travelers as well as astronomical discoveries of Copernicus, Bruno, Galilei were made. The invention of the printing press (Fyodorov in Russia, Guttenberg in Germany, Caxton in England) contributed to the development of culture in all European countries. Universities stopped being citadels of religious learning and turned into centers of humanist study. There was a revival of interest in the ancient culture of Greece and Rome ("Renaissance" is French for "rebirth"). The study of the works of ancient philosophers, writers, and artists helped the people to widen their outlook, to know the world and man's nature. On the basis of both the ancient culture and the most progressive elements of the culture of the...
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...Comic plays by William Shakespeare. Famous Comic Plays: As You Like It Comedy Of Errors Much Ado About Nothing Loves’ Labour’s Lost Merchant of Venice Two Gentle Men of Verona Taming of Shrew Tempest Twelfth Night Measure of Measure “Professional entertainment consisting of jokes and satirical sketches, intended to make an audience laugh”. Synonyms: light entertainment, comic theater, frace , situation comedy, satire, pantomime ,comic, opera “A movie, play, or broadcast program intended to make an audience laugh.” plural noun: comedies The Tragic and the Comic fade into each other by almost insensible gradations, and the greatest beauty of a poetical work often consists in the harmonious blending of these two elements. Not only in the same drama may both exist in perfect unison, but even in the same character. Great actors generally have a similar quality, and frequently it is hard to tell whether their impersonations be more humorous or more pathetic. Shakespeare seems to have taken a special delight in its employment. No principle of his procedure is better known or more fully appreciated. His tragedies never fail of having their comic interludes; his comedies have, in nearly every case, a serious thread, and sometimes a background with a tragic outlook. Life is not all gloom or all delight; the cloud will...
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...Who was William Shakespeare? Shakespeare is William Shakespeare, one of the English-speaking world's greatest playwrights and poets, who possessed a great knowledge of human nature and transformed the English theatre. Yet many facts of his life remain a mystery. Some have been acquired from painstaking looks at the records of the time, so that this summary is based on generally agreed facts. It has been said that we only know three things about Shakespeare: that he was born, married and died. He was baptised on April 26, 1564; we do not know his birth date, but many scholars believe it was April 23, 1564. His father was John Shakespeare (who was a glover and leather merchant) and his mother Mary Arden (who was a landed local heiress). John had a remarkable run of success as a merchant, alderman, and high bailiff of Stratford, during William's early childhood. His fortunes declined, however, in the late 1570s. William lived for most of his early life in Stratford-upon-Avon. We do not know exactly when he went to London but he is said to have arrived in 1592. There is great conjecture about Shakespeare's childhood years, especially regarding his education. It is surmised by scholars that Shakespeare attended the free grammar school in Stratford, which at the time had a reputation to rival that of Eton. While there are no records extant to prove this claim, Shakespeare's knowledge of Latin and Classical Greek would tend to support this theory. In addition, Shakespeare's...
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...metaphysical poets John milton Jonathan Swift mark Twain mary Shelley Nathaniel hawthorne Oscar Wilde percy Shelley ralph Waldo emerson robert Browning Samuel Taylor Coleridge Stephen Crane Walt Whitman William Blake William Shakespeare William Wordsworth Bloom’s Classic Critical Views W i l l ia m Sha k e Sp e a r e Edited and with an Introduction by Sterling professor of the humanities Yale University harold Bloom Bloom’s Classic Critical Views: William Shakespeare Copyright © 2010 Infobase Publishing Introduction © 2010 by Harold Bloom All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For more information contact: Bloom’s Literary Criticism An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data William Shakespeare / edited and with an introduction by Harold Bloom : Neil Heims, volume editor. p. cm. — (Bloom’s classic critical views) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60413-723-1 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-4381-3425-3 (e-book) 1. Shakespeare, William, 1564–1616—Criticism and interpretation. I. Bloom, Harold. II. Heims, Neil. PR2976.W5352 2010 822.3'3—dc22 2010010067 Bloom’s Literary Criticism books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities...
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...relate to its plot, characters, and themes. The play’s action is easily understood, the character’s motives are clear, and many of the themes are as current today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. Therefore, it can be read on a variety of levels, allowing all students to enjoy it. Less able readers can experience the swash-buckling action and investigate the themes of parent-child conflict, sexuality, friendship, and suicide. Because of the play’s accessibility to teenagers, able readers can view the play from a more literary perspective, examining the themes of hostility ad its effect on the innocent, the use of deception and its consequences, and the effects of faulty decision making. They can study how the characters function within the drama and how Shakespeare uses language to develop plot, characters, and themes. The most able students can develop skills involved in literary criticism by delving into the play’s comic and tragic elements and its classically tragic themes: the role of fate and fortune, the inevitable nature of tragedy, and the isolation of the tragic hero. This teacher’s guide will be divided into several parts: (1) a brief literary overview, including a synopsis and commentary on the play; (2) suggestions for teaching the play, including activities, discussion questions, and essay topics to be used before, during, and...
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...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S MACBETH LINDA NEAL UNDERWOOD S E R I E S E D I T O R S : W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare developed many stories into excellent dramatizations for the Elizabethan stage. Shakespeare knew how to entertain and involve an audience with fast-paced plots, creative imagery, and multi-faceted characters. Macbeth is an action-packed, psychological thriller that has not lost its impact in nearly four hundred years. The politically ambitious character of Macbeth is as timely today as he was to Shakespeare's audience. Mary McCarthy says in her essay about Macbeth, "It is a troubling thought that Macbeth, of all Shakespeare's characters, should seem the most 'modern,' the only one you could transpose into contemporary battle dress or a sport shirt and slacks." (Signet Classic Macbeth) Audiences today quickly become interested in the plot of a blindly ambitious general with a strong-willed wife who must try to cope with the guilt engendered by their murder of an innocent king in order to further their power. The elements of superstition, ghosts, and witchcraft, though more readily a part of everyday life for the Renaissance audience, remain intriguing to modern teenagers. The action-packed...
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...The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare An Electronic Classics Series Publication 2 The Tragedy of King Lear is a publication of The Electronic Classics Series. This Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file, for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim Manis, Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way. The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare, The Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Editor, PSUHazleton, Hazleton, PA 18202 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing publication project to bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them. Jim Manis is a faculty member of the English Department of The Pennsylvania State University. This page and any preceding page(s) are restricted by copyright. The text of the following pages are not copyrighted within the United States; however, the fonts used may be. Copyright © 1997 - 2013 The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity University. 3 The Tragedy of KING LEAR by William Shakespeare: His true Chronicle Historie of the life and death of King Lear and his three daughters. With the unfortunate life of Edgar, sonne and heire to...
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