... controversy and grievance that two different "houses" have with each other. Both productions also have a scandal that takes place with a servant actually being the brains behind the entire plot. Also, if one were to look at the opening song of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, one would notice that the song "A Comedy Tonight" ... . Even non-theatre-goers have heard of Broadway and/or musicals that have been taken to film such as Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd (which Stephen also wrote), Mama Mia, The Phantom of the Opera, and Rent just to name a few. Another show influenc...

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• Grade Level: High School

... William Shakespeare tells the story of a young man named Hamlet. His fragile idealism shattered by his father's brutal death causes him to lose faith in humanity. When his late father's phantom visits him, he persuades Hamlet to take revenge against his uncle Claudius; his father's true killer. Hamlet acts as if he's mad, and in his so-called unrest full stage ... very poison that was to kill his enemy. Hamlet dies on a poison tipped sword, but not till he has killed Claudius and ridded Elsinore of its plague. Shakespeare utilizes, character, plot and setting to create a mood of disgust...

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... Macbeth is having between distinguishing appearance and reality. This gives the audience the reassurance that Macbeth is not completely incompetent and that he himself, is questioning the validity of the phantom dagger. The second half of the speech has Macbeth break into, "reality," and begin to muster up the strength and courage to perform the murder by talking himself into getting ... ...

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... plays followed a strict and consistent structure, almost universally occurring in one location over the course of one day, and revolving around one major plot. These Greek dramas almost universally portrayed the downfall of a hero or character of legend and high stature. Aristotle defined the classic tragedy as ... prejudices toward ethnicity and gender? In any case, regardless of his motives it becomes clear that he will stop at nothing in order to plot against and destroy Othello. Iago's ability and willingness to manipulate, when combined with Othello's insecurity and gullibility is ...

• Word Count: 3419
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... too receives a beating. Things quickly become even more complicated with the arrival of the disaffected Adriana, in pursuit of her wayward husband, Antipholus of Ephesus open sidebar Shakespeare based the plot of The Comedy of Errors, a farce performed in 1594, on classical comedies by Plautus. It was published for the first time in the First Folio of 1623. The play, Shakespeare ... willingness to explore and test its dramatic possibilities. A Midsummer Night's Dream represents Shakespeare's first outstanding success in the field of romantic comedy. The Merchant of Venice is in its main...

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... noting in Elizabethan times, and it seems reasonable to presume that the pun was intended by Shakespeare to signal the importance of observation, spying and eavesdropping in the play. As a plot device, these occurrences propel the action and create humour and tension. The perils of noting incorrectly are portrayed and this leads naturally to the investigation of another major theme, the ... humour until order and happiness are re-established in Messina. However, Shakespeare cleverly employs the many forms of noting (observation, misunderstanding, misreporting) to move the dramatic actio...

• Word Count: 1163
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... periodically, but offers them no concrete instructions. He uses them as he wishes and then forgets about them: to him, they only serve to advance his plot. This infuriates them: they want to be told exactly what to do, rather than be thrown into a mess and instructed to sort it all out ... left to their own devices, as they believe. A current so strong and swift is sweeping them along and they do not even notice it: the plot. If they were somehow able to assert themselves, identify their wants and needs, then perhaps they might have had a chance. But they have been created ... characteri...

• Word Count: 3860
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... like Troilus and Cressida and All's Well That Ends Well. Theses are problems plays because the realistic characters do not readily mesh with the artificial plot provided by the author. Measure for Measure is a tragicomedy that combines tragic development with a comic resolution, utilizing irony to distance the story ... to the teachings of the Bible. The difficulty with Measure for Measure lies in the misunderstandings, manipulation, and hidden identities woven into the plot and not in the real moral question of the play. No character comes to reconsider his or her beliefs about freedom...

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... scenes or parts of scenes and sporadically impart one character's lines to another. He made these changes to build up the action and shorten the plot. As you watch the film, you become aware that this production is much easier to follow than others. Mel Gibson makes the Shakespearean language ... Zeffirelli keeps it short and ditches a few lines. All these changes Zeffirelli made to Hamlet were modified just to strengthen the engagements and condense the plot. The Kenneth Branagh Hamlet is a word for word version. It seems as if the actors staged exactly what Shakespeare wrote. The futur...

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... As You Like It, does conform to a typical Shakespearean comedy, in terms of both its employment of dramatic techniques, such as, language, elements of plot and characterization, and ideas which it explores, such as, the idea of identity, the creation of humour and the importance of love. The use ... the importance of love. The changeability of identity is a typical idea of comedy conveyed in As You Like It through the dramatic technique of plot. In a typical Shakespearean comedy, there is often some element of disguise or mistaken identity. This is conveyed in the play As You Like ... ...

• Word Count: 862
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... loves Orsino. Viola is now trapped, because Olivia loves her and she doesn't want to hurt Olivia or reveal her true identity. This scene is the climax of the main plot as Olivia passionately declares her love for Cesario/Viola. Her behavior is unusual for a young lady who is mourning, and who is superior to the young pageboy. The declaration of ... identity a secret, repulse Olivia's love, and continue to plead Orsino's case with Olivia, while suppressing her own love for him and taking care not to hurt Olivia too deeply. The plot therefore becomes further complicated before it begins t...

• Word Count: 1081
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... themes of the play are enjoyable for all people. The dynamic characters are lifelike and show the knowledge Shakespeare had of the human character. The plot is well developed and has exciting twists keeping the reader interested. One of the best tests of the merit of a piece of writing is how ... both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths. The characters are well written and their realism allows the reader to relate to and enjoy the characters. The plot of the story has many twists and these twists excite the reader. The typical Shakespearean work has several subplots, each with a ...

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Thunder, lightning and darkness all play a vital role in the development of the plot in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Shakespeare's thorough use of imagery and symbolic imagery help create a feel for the play. Thunder and lightning cause a sense of fear that adds to the mood. While ... , I) All of these indicate that thunder plays an important role in the appearance of the witches. The thunder symbolizes that something affecting the whole plot will soon be revealed. Every time the witches appear a little more of the plot is revealed and the reader gets a clearer picture of what will happen in the fu...

• Word Count: 592
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... Aristotle's Poetics is considered the guide to a well written tragedy; his methods have been used for centuries. In Aristotle's opinion, plot is the most important aspect of the tragedy, all other parts such as character, diction, and thought stem from the plot. Aristotle defines a tragedy as " an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished ... situation even more painful, his mother has married his uncle whom he suspects is responsible for the tragedy. As the plot progresses, it becomes clear that the king is plotting to kill Ha...

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... overheard one another and consequently making a great deal out of "nothing." False observations and misinterpretations provided the basis for much of the plot. Many of the characters participated in the actions of observing, listening, and writing. In order for a plot based upon deception to be successful, the characters must note one another constantly. For example, when the women manipulated Beatrice into believing ... (III.i.24-25). Each line the women spoke was a carefully placed note for Beatrice to consider. The same characteristics were true of the plot to convince Benedick of Be...

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... in all tragedies, the main character, Prince Hamlet, dies by the sword as well as the rest of the main characters. This quick synopsis of the plot is the ideal characteristics of a tragedy. The reason I considered it a tragicomedy is because of Hamlets" madness. The people of Denmark do not realize this ... the King and Queen and the rest of the citizens never are really able to pin point Hamlet's motives for his awkward behavior. The in-general plot deals with trials and tribulations along with lies, revenge, power struggles, family controversy, adultery, greed, wealth, and death. King ...

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... , the characters in the play, and finally I will generalize a theme that is set throughout most of the play. Plot and Structure There are several emotional conflicts throughout the play, many of them involving love. The other plot / conflict would have to be the recreation of a masterpiece to be played before the king (thought out by Bottom and his "company"). The main conflict ... preference), makes the story very suspenseful. You never truly know what will happen next until to continue to read. Characterization Characterization is a list of qualities in a character. Along with many plo...

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... need of each individual and it is important for each person to feel and know that they are loved. Love played was an important part of the plot of the story. The author used a narrator to dictate in first person the troubles of Miss Emily. The narrator told the story with the tone of ... that Willy is the best man in the world and keeps supporting him. However, it's her blindness to the truth and constant support that contributes to the plot of the story and leads to Willy's death. The more she supports him, the more incorrect ideas she gives him. She loves him so much that ... Miller's...

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... move along with play. The best thing about these sub plots is that they do not tend to drift away from the main plot of the play, but instead enhance the play. Polonius" family is the first sub plot that includes his two children, Ophelia and Laeretes. Polonius is the lord and counselor to the king, and is totally deceived by Hamlet ... also knows of the main motive behind the unusual enactment of the play "The Murder of Gonzango". Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's two other "excellent good friends" form the third sub plot. They on instructions from the royal couple try to extract ...

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... portrayed in Shakespearian tragedies only brings about more death. The death of Hamlet's father results in his goal to have revenge on Claudius, and as the plot unfolds, innocent bystanders die, such as Ophelia and Polonius. Suicide is common as well, evident in both Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. Hamlet utters ... Dream where the lovers retreat to, is a magical place, removed from the conventions of reality. In these enchanting locations, anything can happen and usually does. Having the plot unfold in these settings result in a light-hearted and comical story, which is better to present ...

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... Named Desire- and Ibsen's "A Doll's House-: Dramatic Conflict in the Male/Female Relationship In any narrative, the development of the plot and the creation of compelling characters depends on a single literary element: the presence of conflict. While colorful prose and realistic dialogue may ... conflicting interactions are found between several different characters, with each conflict contributing to the overall development of the plot. The interplay between Stanley and Stella, between Stanley and Blanche, and between Mitch and Blanche provide the dramatic conflict for the story, drivin...

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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... for their barriers, most of them do not know neither themselves, nor others, nor their social worlds. Shakespeare used his writing abilities to organize a comedic plot in this play. He used the twins, exile and impersonations to invent the different masks that the characters wear throughout the play. Every character has a ... must be made upon several levels, for mistakes by the protagonists are both a part of the superficial fabric of the plot and a subtle means of revealing underlying themes that often manifest themselves only indirectly below the surface action (Williams, 1961). The ...

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... passionate quest for revenge, and the play would follow their struggle to achieve this justice, or the repercussions that come from doing so. In "Hamlet", Shakespeare actively rejects this expected plot line and focuses instead on Hamlet's delay and struggle to take action, as opposed to the actual act of vengeance. The character of Hamlet does not conform to the usual ... an act of vengeance to provide the sense of relief found in most revenge tragedies, plus, Hamlet's killing of Claudius happens more by chance than as a direct result of any plot or plan of his own. In addition to this...

• Word Count: 1503
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... romantic desire for the woman herself. The idea that the woman holds the power is different from most stories written during that specific time period. Typically, male power would dominate a plot line with weak women as supporting characters or damsels in distress. In and outside of literature, women are stereotyped as the weaker sex. However, Marie de France is is able ... needing the woman to help heal him in his time of distress. This was unheard of during her time period and a strong female lead character was somewhat a myth. Centralizing the plot line on a woman's power and control...

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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... that are revealed in the text are done so through the representation of race and gender. Race and gender are revealed in the text by the uses of imagery, characterisation, plot, stylistic techniques, and language. Race is represented in many different ways to allow the attitudes and values of Elizabethan society to be revealed through it. The way race is portrayed ... is neither a racist text or a non-racist text but is merely showing the representation of race in a sixteenth-century society. I suppose one could argue that Iago isn't racist, as the plot would no doubt stand the same if ...

• Word Count: 2352
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• Grade Level: High School