... it carries more symbolic meaning than factual. As well as being a humorous character, Puck serves as a cupid figure, a messenger for love. He even uses a flower that grows "where the bolt of cupid fell" (l. 165) to induce states of love, albeit with a few more errors than cupid. Puck, confusing Lysander for Demetrius, complicates the conflict of the play. Love, however, is introduced as a neutral force, one that acts on humans and ... are left with nothing to suggest an origin - love is an unknown, one of the great mysteries. Since we are also unaware of the origins of Puck himself, thi...

• Word Count: 3011
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... uncertainty as to what comes after life causes great anguish and despair in the conscious being. This can lead to the brooding contemplation of ethics, the absurdity of life, and the burden of choice. For generations, literary writers have set their characters between the burden of discovering meaning in their lives, and the inevitability of their mortality. William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark, recounts the tragic acts of retribution, and vacillation in the wake of the King of Denmark's murder. The character Hamlet has menacing ... mortality as an eternal ...

• Word Count: 1258
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... we see a struggle between his hunger for divine grace and his need to keep his wife's love. Claudius in the context of today, would represent someone such as Saddam Hussien. He feels no remorse in the killing of the innocent, and continues on as per usual. Claudius had the respect of the people and many followers, who even though were oblivious to what he had done, still ... likened to the acts of someone such as Bin Laden, who after planning the attack on the U.S., continued to plan acts of terrorism because of the excitement in beating the U.S. When Hamlet is forced to deal with his fa...

• Word Count: 936
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... eyes burned with anguish and anger."" It is this line that allows the reader to understand the true selfishness and naiveté of the protagonist. His infatuation with Mangan's sister drove him to think and act irrationally. It is because of this that he violated the "Social Contract."" In the story the narrator consciously takes part in seemingly free acts. He watches her, follows her, thinks ... infringe upon the freedom of others. For example, Joyce shows the reader just how preoccupied the mind of the narrator is- "I could not call my wandering thoughts together. I had hardly any pati...

• Word Count: 610
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... by complex sequences of intellectual operations. The meaning of actions may be explained not by making inferences about hidden mental processes, but by examining the rules that govern those actions. According to Ryle, mental processes are merely intelligent acts 19. There are no mental processes distinct from intelligent acts. The operations of the mind are not merely represented by intelligent acts; they are the same as those intelligent acts. Thus, acts of learning, remembering, imagining ... apparatus called "the body." The workings of the mind are not an independent mechanism that g...

• Word Count: 4771
• Approx Pages: 19
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The purpose of a soliloquy is to outline the innermost thoughts of a certain character at a point in the play. These thoughts deal with the true feelings of a character and give insight into what a character is thinking about and how their mind works. It emphasizes the difference between a characters public appearance in contrast to their inner thoughts and desires. There are many instances throughout the play that the external appearance of things appears to be true when in reality it is the opposite. The actions others ... the meaning behind his actions. If it weren't for his soliloquies, h...

• Word Count: 1397
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... hard for women in those days. She is the good aspect of an independent woman in this play because she has no other choice and she does it in a completely selfless way. Christine, because of having to mature at an early age and work for a living instead of relying on her husband, is the opposite of Nora because she is wizened and somber. In The Tin Flute Rose-Anna is the good aspect of an independent woman ... in this quote, "Florentine realized that between Daniel's wish and the shiny flute there would always be her mother's good intention-an intention repressed" (120). Rose-Anna's only d...

• Word Count: 1009
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... to a compromise. The two sides of the psyche do not work for each other, meaning that the decision made is a result of a compromise between the two sides, not just one assuming what the other would want. The rational part of the mind does not assume what the emotional side wants; instead, both sides have a say. Also notice that both sides have an equal amount of input. In order for the psyche to be in balance, neither the emotional nor the rational side ... by the last scene of the play, nothing has happened still. Hamlet, without thinking, has accepted a "friendly" fencing challenge be...

• Word Count: 1980
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... " and "displacement". Condensation is when a whole set of images is packed into a single image or statement, when a complex meaning is condensed into a simpler one. Displacement is when the meaning of one image or symbol gets pushed onto something associated with it, which then displaces the original image. (Psychical Qualities) The second way into the unconscious besides dreams, are slips of the tongue, also called "parapraxes" by Freud (he discusses these in The Psychopathology of Everyday Life). He ... discusses this route into the unconscious in his book Jokes and Their Relation to t...

• Word Count: 2609
• Approx Pages: 10