...Darkness. It is where monsters hide and evil is all around. Darkness veils its lurking creatures and secrets through its absence of light. People see darkness in black cats and eclipses. Society sees black cats as evil by color and witch association. Eclipses perceived as evil for causing darkness. Elizabethans view darkness as evil, as it blocks out light and destroys hope. We see darkness used by William Shakespeare, one of the great writers of the Elizabethan Era. He uses it as a motif in his plays. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the motif of darkness represents foreshadowing of tragedy and the sinful situations faced by Romeo. A source of evil in the Elizabethan era is darkness. During this time period, there are a lot of superstitions flying around. Many of the superstitions involved items of darkness. A black cat...
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...by the way he presents the characters Juliet and Beatrice. He also does this by using different language and poetic devices such as rhyming couplets and animal imagery. In addition he links in the two plays to comedy and tragedy which helps the reader understand how love and rebellion effects one character more than the other. Furthermore, Shakespeare uses the role of stereotypical women in the Elizabethan Era and how it links into the plays theme of love and rebellion. For example, how Juliet and Beatrice deal with the arranged marriage laws. In both plays, Juliet and Beatrice show a similarity towards love as they are stubborn and independent when it comes to love and marriage. However they show these traits in different ways. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is fighting for love as her parents want her to marry Paris even though her heart only desires Romeo. Juliet shows more determination and desperation in declaring her love compared to Beatrice. This is due to her parents controlling her future and Romeo being their family’s enemy therefore they are against their marriage. I know this because of when Juliet speaks to her parents and says, “I will not marry yet! And when I do, I swear, it shall be Romeo”. This quote tells me that she is committed and loyal to Romeo and is willing to fight for him. Due to their strong bond and fierce and passionate love for each other. Furthermore, Shakespeare also uses emotive language in this quote as it shows the intensity and...
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...‘Romeo and Juliet/Catrin/Follower’ Controlled Assessment: Examining Shakespeare’s ideologies on parental influence and the impact on modern/Elizabethan audiences: Examine the way Shakespeare presents the relationship between Juliet and her parents. By Tiffanie Gould, 10x1 The iconic tragedy written by the world’s most honoured writer William Shakespeare, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a title the world is familiar with. Its impact on modern society is impeccable, whether related to love, tragedy or both moral and academic education, the modern media adopts its philosophy. Shakespeare is trying to educate, and the ever-pending battle is the matter of character vs. society; relationships differ even today between parent and child, and the way it may be interpreted is affected by women’s role in society in Elizabethan England and how the audience’s perspective of prejudice and patriarchy. Shakespeare explores emotions and allows adjustments in the relationship in an attempt to drop the audience’s jaws open in eras of both old and new. In this assessment, I will examine just how the way Shakespeare presents the relationship between Juliet and Lord/Lady Capulet with supported evidence. Lord Capulet: the very wealthy patriarch of the Capulet family and empire, probably just as important, the husband of Lady Capulet, the uncle of Tybalt, potential father-in-law of Count Paris, legitimate (but unknowingly) the father-in-law of Romeo Montague… and the father of Juliet Capulet-Montague....
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...written by Shakespeare. It is written in the modern style, and is mainly in prose form. It was written for the audience in the Elizabethan era of England, which was the age when females were considered significantly inferior to their male counterparts. Shakespeare has used this concept of gender for creating humour in his play. The characters Benedict and Beatrice are involved in a complex relationship which contrasts between love and hate. Both Beatrice and Benedict are strong willed, intelligent characters, who fear that falling in love will lead to a loss of freedom and eventually heartbreak. Various theories have been proposed which govern humour and comedy. The superiority theory proposed by Plato describes the darker side of comedy that Is often laughed at over unfortunate situations and social standings. Infirmity in others as compared to our own is often laughed at. These same principles has been applied to the story of the play, and the inferiority of females has been used as the basis for creating humour. [quick quote & example to back this up?] The characters Shakespeare's “Much Ado about Nothing” contribute to build the humorous essence of play through their roles. Several characters of the play presented comical language and gestures such as Benedick and Beatrice’s unromantic backbiting. In addition, the high-mannered Elizabethan society in which the characters of the play lived in also played a part to make the play a comedy. Beatrice wants to remain...
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...‘Romeo and Juliet/Catrin/Follower’ Controlled Assessment: Examining Shakespeare’s ideologies on parental influence and the impact on modern/Elizabethan audiences: Examine the way Shakespeare presents the relationship between Juliet and her parents. By Tiffanie Gould, 10x1 The iconic tragedy written by the world’s most honoured writer William Shakespeare, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a title the world is familiar with. Its impact on modern society is impeccable, whether related to love, tragedy or both moral and academic education, the modern media adopts its philosophy. Shakespeare is trying to educate, and the ever-pending battle is the matter of character vs. society; relationships differ even today between parent and child, and the way it may be interpreted is affected by women’s role in society in Elizabethan England and how the audience’s perspective of prejudice and patriarchy. Shakespeare explores emotions and allows adjustments in the relationship in an attempt to drop the audience’s jaws open in eras of both old and new. In this assessment, I will examine just how the way Shakespeare presents the relationship between Juliet and Lord/Lady Capulet with supported evidence. Lord Capulet: the very wealthy patriarch of the Capulet family and empire, probably just as important, the husband of Lady Capulet, the uncle of Tybalt, potential father-in-law of Count Paris, legitimate (but unknowingly) the father-in-law of Romeo Montague… and the father of Juliet Capulet-Montague....
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...always been seen as soft, very primitive, and especially proper. Lady Macbeth challenges these gender roles to an extreme as her character is highlighted as a power thirsty and sinister woman who will do anything to get to the crown. In the traditional gender roles of Elizabethan society by being characterized by Shakespeare as a very sinister woman who will goes as afar as murder and treason to obtain her darkest desires. The Elizabethan times took place during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign on the English throne. During this time period, prosperity was extremely rapid, which resulted in gender roles being exemplified even more than before. Men were the obvious superior to women and treated them like objects. Women typically...
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...Brooke Drumgole Final Paper “The Shoemaker’s Holiday” The Jacobean Era, preceded by the Elizabethan era, marks the reign of King James VI. The two eras were revolutionary eras for many arts, specifically, theater. The characteristics found in the Elizabethan era theater are very similar to those found in Jacobean theater. The two time periods seem to only be distinguishable by the ruler of those respective times. The genre reflects the financial and economic standing of that time period. Many issues represented in Elizabethan literature are also reflected within literature of the Jacobean era. The notion that all things are purchasable is a recurring theme of the Jacobean Era. All sexual and platonic interactions can be reduced to financial transactions. During the Jacobean and Elizabethan era, London was a booming city. The population grew exponentially transforming the city into a host of social, financial and economic issues. The rise of the merchant class, poverty and governmental wealth lead to societal evolution. This was portrayed in most of the literature of the time. Jacobean City comedy became a very popular genre. The satirical nature of the genre made fun of the condition of London, its government, and the inhabitants. Thomas Dekker’s “The Shoemaker’s Holiday,” performed in 1599, gives the reader insight on what London society was like during the time in which it was written. The play heavily focuses on the mobile middle class, financial opportunities,...
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...A villain is a character whose evil actions or motives are important to the plot of a play, novel or film. The obvious villains of Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and Marlowe’s ‘The Jew of Malta’ would be Shylock and Barabas respectively as these two characters are both depicted as evil and greedy Jews, perhaps due to the racial hatred of the Elizabethan era and the ongoing stigma of Judaism in English society. However, it could be argued that the women of the two plays, including the daughters of the two aforementioned antagonists, Jessica and Abigail, wealthy wife of Bassanio – Portia in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ and the cunning courtesan of ‘The Jew of Malta’, Bellamira, are more villainous than the traditional figure of vices of Shylock and Barabas due to the way that the female characters interact with and often disregard the norms of the Elizabethan era and the expected behaviours of women even in modern society. Women in fiction, especially young women, very rarely tend to be portrayed as villainous due to the cultural expectations of femininity. Womanly and feminine traits are those of ones of love, care and innocence, thus women and girls will not be traditionally assumed to be deviant or cruel due to the preconceived idea and judgement that society has on women. In the 21st Century, there is still this assumption in place as women are often able to manipulate the patriarchy and criminal justice system to their own advantage by adopting the traditional female...
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...The play written by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, is way ahead of its time because of the feminist ideals that are in the play. Shakespeare portrays women as strong individuals and throughout his play, he is trying to say that women are not property. The play was written sometime in 1603 when it was the Elizabethan Era. According to historian Prasad Mahabal in “The Life and Roles of Elizabethan Era Women,” he mentions how women in that era “had little or no control at all over their destinies. Normally, it was a male who made decisions for the Elizabethan era women, without as much as a consultation with or affirmation from the women involved.” Women couldn’t make their own decisions; their decisions...
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...Elizabethan Era Research Project Although the Elizabethan Era was very fascinating, it is evident that it was a time of violence as well as prosperity because of its views on crime and punishment. The Queen, Elizabeth I was responsible for much of England’s growth and stability in the economy. To add on, the fashion sense at the time was made up of intricate, detailed clothing that shaped society. Elizabeth I Firstly, Queen Elizabeth I was inherited England’s religious conflict and understood that to remain Queen she would have to gain public support. The years of her reign were one of the most admired in the era, proving why it was named after her. The princess was born to King Henry and wife Anne Boleyn. The people...
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...Othello, Shakespeare’s words are all determined very conscientiously. This could potentially mean he was crafting a perfect narration to provoke the leaders of his time about the imperfections of the society they live in. The underlying themes throughout the book are extremely plausible claims in order to draw a parallel to an allegory. The most profound theme in Othello is how love can present shameful aspects and hereby, make someone act irrationally. Reputation is a compelling reason for why Othello acts aberrantly. He is proud of the reputation and power he had works so diligently for, therefore, he was not going to let it crumble. Lastly, Othello was an African leader in the Italian military, which was particularly irregular in that era. This feeds into his profound insecurities because he is looked at as an outlier. Clearly, Shakespeare was using this to show how racism is distasteful and people during that time need to end bigotry. Shakespeare is very clearly crafting an allegory with Othello because of the underlying themes of love and its darkness, one’s appearance and insecurities, and narrative on prejudice. The tale of Othello is told through the medium of the protagonist, there is a deeper moral intended to resonate with the reader. Majority of...
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...Throughout the course of the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, an obedient and naïve girl named Juliet displays an ongoing transition of dissent. At first, Juliet comes across as the antithesis to a voice of dissent and a girl compliant with her parents’ wishes. Juliet stays optimistic towards the idea of marriage as it would satisfy her parents despite the fact that she does not intend on marrying or falling in love with anyone anytime soon. Juliet is revealed to be a perfect example of the expectation of young women in Verona during the Elizabethan Era before she transitions into a voice of dissent. As Juliet’s mother tries to persuade her to pursue the idea of marriage, she informs Juliet that “Here in Verona, ladies of esteem, are...
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...showing that Romeo’s voice of love is immature as he quickly wants to diminish his previous love of Rosaline and replace with Juliet as “kill” causes a fast action of death. However when comparing the first stanza of Byron’s “When We Two Parted” the mood of this is regretful as he reflects on past events:”Pale grew thy cheek cold colder thy kiss” as this effect is reinforced by the use of enjambment that is a common theme in the poem. This signifying that Bryon’s voice of loss is mature as he is accepting that what he thought was love was growing to be non existent which Romeo does not acknowledge as in this play he thinks that his and Juliet’s love will always be there as in this scene they quickly progress to talk about marriage. The subject of marriage would also show his voice seems to be stereotypical as he uses phrases such as Romeo continuously gives complex answers to Juliet’s request to get married: “Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow that tips thy love all these fruit tree tops-“which may suggest that he knows that he does not want to be committed...
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...A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and Hippolyta. These include the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of six amateur actors, who are controlled and manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest in which most of the play is set. The play is one of Shakespeare's most popular works for the stage and is widely performed across the world. It is unknown exactly when A Midsummer Night's Dream was written or first performed, but on the basis of topical references and an allusion to Edmund Spenser's 'Epithalamion', it is usually dated 1594 or 1596. Some have theorised that the play might have been written for an aristocratic wedding (for example that of Elizabeth Carey, Lady Berkeley), while others suggest that it was written for the Queen to celebrate the feast day of St. John. No concrete evidence exists to support this theory. In any case, it would have been performed at The Theatre and, later, The Globe. Though it is not a translation or adaptation of an earlier work, various sources such as Ovid's Metamorphoses and Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale" served as inspiration.[4] According to John Twyning, the play's plot of four lovers undergoing a trial in the woods was intended as a "riff" on Der Busant, a Middle High German poem. The play was entered into the Register of the Stationers Company on 8 October...
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...Zara Dierickx (Erasmus Belgium) Course : Approfondissement Shakespeare ; theatre, meta-theatre and pact of performance Professor : F. MARCH Student: Louize Zara Dierickx (Erasmus Belgium) INTRODUCTION During the Elizabethan era meta-theatre was often used in plays to obtain the interest and participation (imagination) from the audience. Also Shakespeare used a lot of metaphors and references to theatre in his plays. In this research paper we will study the use of meta-theatre in Shakespeare’s famous play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. First, the term ‘meta-theatre’ will be explained. Then, the period in which meta-theatre was an important aspect of theatre, also Shakespeare’s period, namely the Elizabethan Era, will be discussed. Finally, a number of specific scenes in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be analysed. Midsummer night’s dream is a romantic comedy. The play has 2 levels: the human world, which takes place during the day, and the fairy world, which takes place at night. In the human world the story is about 4 young people, searching their way to true love, as well as about a theatre company, preparing a play for the coming wedding of the king and queen. At the fairy level, the fairy king and queen quarrel about their marriage. These two levels are combined by a love potion, which turns the whole story upside-down and gives it its humoristic touch. (DEFINITIE META-THEATRE):...
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