... her long-time lover, the connotations of the character could provoke joyful images of her impending marital bliss. Yet, to a lonely widower, the connotations could cause painful reminiscence on her lost love and companion. Having explored the use of semiotics in both a linguistical and ideological sense, I have determined that whilst it is undoubtedly a key tool in understanding a performance, its value lies more ... ...

• Word Count: 1406
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate

... through Othello, Shakespeare criticises the dangers of fickle pride being compensated for by jealousy and ultimately surpassing rationality. Social influences cloud Othello and Desdemona's understanding of their love and ultimately drives their relationship to a tragic end. Shakespeare conveys that the martial influences from the Elizabethan Spanish War and patriarchal values under the reign of a virgin ... A.C. Bradley claims, is 'quite free from introspection and emotion confuses and dulls his intellect' (1904; Shakespearean Tragedy) allows external forces to consume his understa...

• Word Count: 1031
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Graduate

... years after Shakespeare's death. Unlike Kyd, the mere publication of the folio in 1623 ensured that Shakespeare "had a posthumous advantage over his peers, whose works were largely obscured or lost to history" (Pressley). When one stops to think about the differences among the vast array of playwrights who sprung out of England around the same time as Shakespeare- Kyd ... ...

• Word Count: 1285
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Graduate

... for the women in Twelfth Night, especially for Olivia, to marry within their class so as to protect and sustain their social position. Also like Hermia, Olivia is determined to love who she wants and on her own terms; for this reason she invents the excuse that she is mourning for her deceased brother when gentlemen callers come to woo her ... ...

• Word Count: 2208
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate