... husband, family, and unfortunately it is what leads her to an uncontrollable state far exceeding her true love for Macbeth, and her best interests for her country. It is Lady Macbeth's thirst for power and her inability as a woman to gain that right without a dominant male partner, that drives her to great lengths to accomplish that ... speech, Lady Macbeth shows that in order for a woman to have a voice she must literally be neutered. She calls upon spirits to make this wish, to suggest that she would rather lose her sex and fertility, to have the rights of a man, and even more so to be...

• Word Count: 1251
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the male characters somehow set all the standards of conduct for themselves despite the social structures that exist. The men of Macbeth are likewise depicted in an actively domineering manner, with the introduction of Macbeth himself in the first act as "brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name" (Act 1, Scene 1, 16). Despite his obvious lack of judgement, Macbeth is portrayed as a courageous and valiant warrior, who ... love that they betray each other. Betrayal as induced by the impenetrable powers of love is likewise observed in Macbeth, with Macbeth plotting against Duncan, Banquo an...

• Word Count: 1704
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Romeo and Juliet and it is within the casting of this play that he meets Viola. Accurate to the time, women were not permitted to act in the theatre, so Viola dresses as a man and auditions for the part of 'Romeo' where she solidifies her identity as 'Thomas Kent' and by virtue, her love of William in secret. Her identity ... divorce himself from societal concerns (Dall, 2000). This theory is stabilised via many of his female characters such as Lady Macbeth and Gertrude in Hamlet, as according to Dall (2000): "Through Gertrude's marriage to Hamlet's uncle and also through Lady...

• Word Count: 1880
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... innocent victims who were the only characters to be killed without justification in their respective plays. Ophelia's only crime was that of love for Hamlet, and Cordelia's lone wrongdoing was that of loyalty to her father. These circumstances classify Ophelia and Cordelia as not only innocent victims ... becomes mad due to her situation and surroundings. Madness in itself is a prominent theme in many Shakespearean plays such as Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth. These women also create a sub-tragedy to the larger scale tragedy occurring in these plays, creating a tragedy within a tragedy. ...

• Word Count: 1288
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... please others. From early childhood Nora has always held the opinions of either her father or Torvald, hoping to please them. This mentality makes her act infantile, showing that she has no ambitions of her own. Because she had been pampered all of her life, first by her father and now ... Torvald too had to understand that Nora was a person and he had to treat her as an equal. At first he only viewed Nora as a fulfillment for his need for a wife, but when she left he finally realized that he really did need her. "Empty! She is gone. The most wonderful thing of all- ( ... as a child woul...

• Word Count: 2314
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School