... between Christians and Jews and their hate for one another. In The Merchant of Venice Shylock, the Jew, is characterised as the scapegoat, just as the Jewish have been throughout history. Shylock's prejudice and dislike for the Christians is largely based on their mistreatment of him: "Signior Antonio, many a time and oft in the Rialto you have rated me about my moneys and my usences: ... still have I borne it with a patient shrug, for sufferance is the badge of all our tribe. You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog. And ... to Cato's daughter, Brutus" Portia; nor is the world ignorant...

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• Grade Level: High School

... 's time based their hatred for Jews on religious reasons. The Elizabethans believed a story made up by the Church. The story states that the Jews murdered Jesus and were therefore working with the devil and were actively trying to stop Christianity. The religious reasons for this hatred also pushed them to believe that if a Jew converted to Christianity, as Shylock is forced to do in The Merchant of Venice ... mine enemies and what's his reason? I am a Jew" (3. 1. 49-54 qtd. in Lippman 2). Shakespeare later mitigates Shylock's murderous antipathy toward Antonio in particular and Christian...

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... he was 18, he married a twenty-six-year-old women named Anne Hathaway. Anne grew up just outside of Stratford, but after marriage she spent her whole life in Stratford. Together, they had three children, two daughters and a son. They're first child was a daughter in 1583, a girl named Susanna who lived a long life and married a rich Stratford doctor, John Hall. Together ... they had a daughter, Elizabeth, who was also Shakespeare's first grandchild. They then had twins, Judith and Hamnet, in early 1585, which completed their family ... when he moved from Stratford and we are also not c...

• Word Count: 767
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... streak'd and pied Should fall as Jacob's hire, the ewes, being rank, In end of autumn turned to the rams; And when the work of generation was Between these woolly breeders in the act, The skillful shepherd pill'd me certain wands, And, in the doing of the deep of kind, He stuck them up before the fulsome ewes, Who, then conceiving, did in eaning time Fall parti-colour'd lambs, and those were Jacob ... of the flocks, with the result that the picture thus made transmitted itself to the unborn young of the flocks, and in a short time Jacob had all. The devil can cite Scripture for his purp...

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• Grade Level: High School

... love is. We often confuse or substitute infatuation for real, true love. As a result, many times the relationship is crippled by a lack of communication and trust. For this reason, the divorce rate in America is at an outrageous all-time high. The third theme is that of society and the power of its condemnation. Don John's plot to tear apart Claudio and Hero ultimately causes Hero's degradation. In ... not even questioned by her father, but rather he immediately disowns her, saying "No part of it is mine; this shame derives itself from unknown loins- [Shakespeare 63] Rather than defend ...

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... ; Bianca and Baptista; Katherina and Baptista, and Hortensio and the Widow. The general view of the public at the time of the play was chauvinistic, and men were generally seen as the ultimate power in any family. This is reflected in the play quite heavily, especially between Petruchio and Katherina. Petruchio and Katherina are the main characters in the primary plot of the play (for it has more than one), and both ... then strikes her, Baptista enters, and possibly overreacts to a woman who is his daughter. He calls her a "hilding of a devilish spirit," then sends Bianca away. The relat...

• Word Count: 1572
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• Grade Level: High School

... are?..."(Sater 64) and in the play, one of the characters said, "We are such stuff, As dream are made on". Prospero and Ferdinand, two characters in Shakespeare's play, had this conversation about Miranda's virginity. It served to emphasize the difference in knowledge and experience between Miranda and her future husband. Prospero had kept his daughter extremely innocent just as Frau Bergman ... force was so strong that no one could have interposed. In conclusion, using such incredible writers allowed Sater to reinforce the theme of sexuality, homosexuality, education, suicide and love....

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... and his mother's death in 1608 would certainly have called him back to Stratford. By 1612, he may have been spending much of his time in the comforts of New Place in Stratford. On Feb. 10, 1616, Shakespeare's younger daughter, Judith, married Thomas Quiney, the son of his Stratford neighbor Richard Quiney. Six weeks later, Shakespeare revised his will. Within a month, he died. He was buried inside ... and his mother's death in 1608 would certainly have called him back to Stratford. By 1612, he may have been spending much of his time in the comforts of New Place in Stratford. On Feb. 10,...

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... 's daughter, Goneril, as anall licensed fool?, he indeed appears to be rather outspoken, particularly in challenging Lear's actions. The purpose of this is to show Lear, not as he would wish to be portrayed, but as he really is. Lear, it has become important for us to know, can jest and chatter with a fool; the headstrong and imperious ruler can unbend, and fleet the time carelessly ... a great insight into the significance of the Fool in this text. The essential focus of the play is on the spiritual, thedisturbance of the natural order?, and concerns the change that occurs in Lear, from...

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... dam, come forth!." (I.ii.383-384) The words poisonous slave, gives the readers the mind sent that he is in fact a monster, and got by the devil himself tells us all that he is the spawn of Satan. No person will ever believe that the son of the Devil is a good person. Caliban did do some nasty things, such as the attempted rape of Prospero's daughter Miranda. But his intentions were to ... and Miranda taught him. They taught him to speak, and somewhat to act civilized. He also states that when they first came to the island, they embraced him and made a lot of him, and he also says at tha...

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... emotions. This characterization seems to preclude viewing Lear on the Aristotelian model of a tragic hero, as someone raised above the ordinary level of humanity, except in the most conventional sense of his social status. Moreover, in the view of the majority of critics, the play charts the growth of Lear's wisdom, as he learns the emptiness of worldly glory and comes to embrace the love of his daughter Cordelia as the one true value in his life. As consoling ... ? As convinced as critics are of the greatness of King Lear as a work of art, they evidently have a hard time giving an accou...

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... between Prospero and his servants are a major part of the play as well as other relationships such as that of the nobles on the ship with the Boatswain. The Boatswain expresses to the nobles his view that at a time when death is being faced, the life of most importance is his own. When the storm is attacking the ship and Gonzalo mentions the king to the Boatswain, the Boatswain responds saying that there is "None that ... though there are characters ranging from the servant Boatswain to Alonso, the King of Naples, almost all of the characters are corrupted and intoxicated by the idea of...

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... John Shakespeare was a contributor to the goods that were sold and traded there. The young Shakespeare worked possibly as a lawyer's clerk at one time. In late 1582, at the age of 18, William married a woman named Anne Hathaway, who was 26 (Kay 15). At the time of their marriage, Anne was pregnant, and gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, in the spring of 1583(Kay 15). At the time of William's marriage, he was ... holding a job in Stratford, receiving some kind of salary (Levi 30). Anne gave birth to ... twins, Hamnet and Judith in January of 1585 (Kay 18). At this time their family was c...

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... a two-part structure. The first part is the story about Leonte's jealousy which brings the destruction to his royal family. It is completely tragic and sad. With a narration from the Time, the latter part, which tells the things 16 years later, turns from dim scenes to be bright and comic. The love between Florizel and Perdita, the reunification of Leontes with his lost daughter and wife bring to the play a perfect ending ... . Man's distrust and suspicion of his wife is really a common topic. While obviously, the meaning the play tries to convey should much more ... ...

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Ever since the beginning of time, the male species have always been dominant. It is only within the past 100 to 50 years that females have become almost as important and equal in society. In Shakespeare's plays, most of the main characters or main speaking parts are played by characters that are male. The basis of Shakespeare's plays seem to focus mainly around the male main character and his conflict, which ... . Women also seem not to be favored in Shakespeare's plays, yet more of the problem. In Othello, Shakespeare writes his male character's to view women in a demeaning way. In the 17th c...

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... so many countries as his. Shakespeare contributed 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long poems to English literature. Shakespeare was born in the year of 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He was born at the beginning of the Elizabethan age, a most promising time for poetry, music, and drama. His exact birth date is unknown, but it is traditionally celebrated on April 23. Church records ... that he was baptized there on April 26, 1564. Baptisms usually occurred within two or three days of a child's birth. He was the third of eight children born to middle class parents. His father John was...

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... (IV, i, 391) It seems as though Portia's bias opinion is regarded as normal, and that there is no wrong in having these unfair morals." Shakespeare many have shared some of the common prejudice of his time, we see this through Shylock because he runs into so many hardships, and his life practically unbearable. Shakespeare is trying to please his audience during ... that Antonio is right and that Shylock is wrong. Next, Shylock's very own daughter runs away with Lorenzo, whom Shylock hates because he is a Christian. Jessica also steals all of Shylock's fortunes. This occurrence hit Shylo...

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• Grade Level: High School

... he could have had when his madness takes over. That moment in act 1 scene 1, was the catalyst for the entire play, and if he had the common sense not to cast out his only loyal daughter, then he might not have had those horrible problems he did in the play. By doing those things, he left a small opening for Edmund to start working his magic ... , but I"ll get to him later. Posthumus is the luckiest out of all these villains. Again, he wasn't really the main villain of the play, it looked as if the queen was making all the moves in the beginning ... to do what they did, then plays like t...

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... daughter Susanna was born followed by the births of twins Hamnet and Judith in 1585. By 1592 he had achieved some prominence in London as an actor and a playwright. During the 1590's, he wrote his plays on English history as well as several comedies and two tragedies. Many of his sonnets were also written at this time. However, in 1596 Shakespeare suffered the loss of one of ... the importance of the effect of the whole rather than on the importance of the leading character, they were nearer, in their old-fashioned way, to the secret of dramatic art in general." Some critics have failed i...

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... even which set off this hatred was Othello promoting Cassio to the position of lieutenant which Iago wanted for a long time. He goes on to say "by letter and affection- by which he means that the military positions are appointed by favoritism rather than hard work and capability. In the beginning of the scene, Roderigo approaches Iago because he has paid him good money in order to ... overpowered, and influences by stronger ones such as Iago who have the tendency to talk nonsense and put themselves up on a pedestal. How would you describe Brabantio? When Roderigo finally gets through to...

• Word Count: 510
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... to get married, and at his time he was 18, to Anne Hathaway, who was 26. They had three kids, two of them being twins named Hamnet (boy) and Judith (girl), and the other being a daughter named Susanna. Hamnet died at the age of 11. Shakespeare's share in the acting company made him wealthy. With the opening if the splendid Globe Theatre in 1599, Shakespeare ... the fire. Although the Globe was quickly rebuilt, Shakespeare's association with, and probably with the company, had ended. Around the time of the fire Shakespeare retired to Stratford, where he had established his family and becom...

• Word Count: 419
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... Sharon Olds, however, have very similar ideas of losing youth. In "Sonnet 73," Shakespeare discusses what growing old means to him and ends with a plea to the person he wrote the poem to. "35/10" is a comparison poem of a daughter coming of age and a mother who is leaving that time behind. The metaphors and similes used in the imagery and careful word choice used by Shakespeare ... and Sharon add to the images and feel in their discussions of growing old. The exercise of metaphors and similes is vital to the full meanings of the poems because they ... are used to give the reader very s...

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... takes many themes and relates them into one story, that has tested time for hundred's of years. A story that was written by what may be thought to be one of the world's greatest writers, today shows themes such as love, hate, betrayal, justice, and loyalty. Lear himself is the main character in this play. The story is set upon his decisions, whether or not they were ... to his character. Speeches by Regan and Goneril to their father were noticeable lies to everyone, except to the blinded Lear. These lies help to secure his fate, and reveal more about his unstable character. His one daug...

• Word Count: 455
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... Almereyda's modern version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, I wondered what other plays of his had been turned into contemporary versions. I decided to look at my favorite Shakespearean play of all time, Othello. I know that there was at least one version made, O, which starred Josh Har Mekhi Phifer and Julia Stiles. The reason I"m writing is to find out if this adaptation of the classic play by Shakespeare ... worked better for the critics. Many critics do not like modernized versions of classics, so I was intrigued as to what ... fellow soldier, Cassio. Tim Nelson's 2001 adaptation, "O", mov...

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... who take care of their fathers in the end. There are also differences in the two stories that should be noted. Shakespeare's story is written from a male's perspective, which was not uncommon for this time period. Jane Smiley tells the story through a woman's point of view. The "bad" daughter is the narrator, which helps the reader better understand the conflict that in the end tears the family apart. Smiley explains the girls" dislike for ... their father through memories of incest. In "King Lear" the girls simply don't like their father. There is death in the end of both stories. Howe...

• Word Count: 1104
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• Grade Level: High School