... critical to each scene. Such development can be tracked through individual scenes and is evident in Act 3, scene 4 as any other. In this scene character development expands immensely. Hamlet, in a fit of rage, demonstrates that he does possess the ability to act by killing Polonis. Polonis: "What, ho! Help, help; help!" Hamlet: "how now ... not to hurt her. The Ghost urges Hamlet to convince Gertrude to confess her sins and give up her actions of lust and betrayal. Act 3, scene 4 also gives great insight for Gertrude's character. We see strength in her as she begins to scold Hamlet for o...

• Word Count: 1332
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... point on, Hal is no longer the commoner he was in the beginning of the play. The true test will come later when he comes face to face with Hotspur. Hal, the impressive young warrior comes alive in the battle against Hotspur. Hal is described: As full of spirit as the month of May, And gorgeous as the sun at midsummer; Wanton as youthful goats ... Hotspur possessed seemed to be within Hal and the rivalry ended. Hal redeemed himself as a great warrior to his father and once again, Hal's true "self" emerged as a noble character. Prince Hal's representation of "self" in Part I Henry IV is d...

• Word Count: 2163
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... not live up to his expectations. At this point, the audience assumes that Hal is a complete disappointment and has none of the makings to be the next king. So when Hal comes into the picture in the next scene with a drunk, the audience is not surprised and gets exactly what they expected from ... father. Even if other people see it, King Henry IV needs to see Hal's transformation himself. Hal promises his father several times in the play of his true character. The first occurs when Hal and the King are preparing for war against Northumberland, Worcester, and Harry Percy. King Henry IV a...

• Word Count: 1747
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... power. When Cornwall dies, she too approaches Edmund to become her partner, sending a letter and token of affection. In learning that Gloucester has survived the torture, she sends a servant to seek out and kill him. Regan's wicked desire to rule all shows that she is a character of greed, lust and jealousy. Regan proves to be far worse than her sister in action and ... is unimportant, and that antagonists may be fair, as well as sly. The third and final female character of King Lear stands as the exact opposite of her sisters: Cordelia, Lear's youngest daughter, is least seen throughou...

• Word Count: 1537
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... these lines, he compares her to a woman who allows any man to copulate with her. The character of Othello experiences perhaps, the most dramatic change, and Shakespeare's done well to reflect this in the character's language. The hero in a play can never make an impact without the villain. This role in ... well tuned now! But I'll set down the pegs that make this music, As honest as I am. (2.1.194-6) This speech comes shortly after Othello and Desdemona kiss. An occurrence which again seems to stimulate Iago and make him wish something bad upon someone. Shakespeare's use ... not have c...

• Word Count: 2433
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

... avoids his public responsibilities at all costs. His frequenting of the Boar's Head Tavern and keeping company with men of questionable character causes his father, King Henry, serious concerns, since Hal is heir to the throne. The Princes" character transformation unfolds in three distinct stages. The first stage of his transformation is when the Prince comes to the realization that his rebellious conduct must end and ... he must participate in his princely duties. As we see in Hal's soliloquy, it is quite apparent that he has given a great deal of thought to his somewhat lawless lifes...

• Word Count: 1276
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• Has Bibliography

... Othello to find proof of his wife's infidelity. His thoughts of the affair between the "couple" drive his once worldly character into the depths of despair, and Othello only continues to dig his own grave throughout the rest of the play, proving his weakness when it comes to his surroundings. In the last few acts of Othello, the evil side of Othello's character is finally unleashed. He ... has been completely transformed by Iago, and all traces of ... his original character have been destroyed. He no longer believes in the true love he thought ... ...

• Word Count: 1345
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography

... play is in my eyes. Portia doing what she can for her one true love, Bassanio. Money is of no importance to her especially when it comes to the happiness or unhappiness of Bassanio. There are many places in the Merchant of Venice that show Portia and Bassanio's indifference, and what seems to be apathy toward wealth. Many are hidden and many are as ... to make the ones that matter happy, no matter what the cost. Shakespeare really had the world's most perfect woman in mind when he developed the character Portia. As many have said she is definitely one of his strongest female characters....

• Word Count: 1324
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... , because she is quite obviously a strong-willed, determined lady, and her ever-changing state of mind is one of the main focuses of the play. However, we cannot call Lady Macbeth "the embodiment of evil- just because she is a dominant character. I believe that the character of Lady Macbeth is not the embodiment of evil, but there are many reasons people believe that she is which must be considered ... be almost certain that she and Macbeth loved each other dearly once, and the demise of that love was more through the corruption and paranoia of Macbeth and the guilt of his wife than thro...

• Word Count: 2244
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... in Alexandria. At meanwhile, he is also influenced by a number of primary inner flaws of character-his lack of political interest, impetuousness of character and a pursuit of personal pleasure. S Bethell suggests how 'Antony has a foot in both worlds.' Shakespeare does not have a hard task in making a tragic hero out of Antony as Aristotle defines a tragic hero, 'as a character of noble stature who has a tragic flaw (over confidence, arrogance ... a child o the time' and have fun unlike Caesar who chooses to stay in control of the situation and people around him. At this point ...

• Word Count: 1678
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• Has Bibliography

... 105-106). To Henry IV, this is a highly regarded way of proving oneself through bravery and regal duty. Hotspur, on the other hand, has his own voice when it comes to honor. Shortly after we hear the king's private praises of Hotspur, we hear Hotspur's fiery stance in reaction to the King ... for the audience a much different outlook on honor. Falstaff, Hal's fat and lazy companion, perhaps makes the most insightful distinction between men and their selfish use of honor. In a most memorable speech, after the battle at Shrewsbury, Falstaff brings to life a rather philosophic point: . Yea, ...

• Word Count: 1335
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... 's sepulchral mood comes out clearly in the first lines, mainly through an accumulation of words evocative of death and decay: "graves, worms, epitaphs"17, as opposed to "comfort"18, which takes the same preposition ("of"), thereby underlining the contrast. What follows is a florid metaphor of the king's weeping "rainy eyes"19, which once again stresses what Johnston calls a strong "poetical" streakB in the character. Lines 11 ... to13 then encapsulate what is most typical of the king's idiolect: repetitive, analogous structures ("our lands"20, "our lives"21) and a markedly syndetic styl...

• Word Count: 1858
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... in battle is a woman. 
In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Titania rules and governs the fairies, sometimes in complete independence. In The Feminist Subtext of Shakespeare's Leading Ladies, Emily Squyer states that Oberon's success in gaining the boy is so that he can grow to be a prince who can ... dominance is stronger than his regard for Titania. Furthermore, his skirting around the situation at hand, with magic, humour and other nonsense, instead of engaging in a stimulating and fair discussion on balancing control and power with his wife, goes to show his ineptitude in serious matters...

• Word Count: 2000
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... his character will round out as the play progresses. In his speech, "Tis sweet and commendable in your nature-(87), Claudius is already shown as an unfeeling, arrogant, and full of hubris. In this speech he seems to be mocking Hamlet's grief. This sets the stage for a much harsher interaction between Hamlet and Claudius when the time of reckoning comes. Again, here Hamlet is ... portrayed as more contemplative and grief stricken in this scene by making his first real soliloquy totally introspective and in his own mind. The Franco Zeffirelli film, while similar to the Olivier in setting,...

• Word Count: 1694
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... is very different for Hamlet, and this perhaps reflects the character of Hamlet himself, and the way in which he attempts to find his own sense of direction from confusion. The opening scene acts as a form of miniature play, which introduces many of the questions and issues that will be dealt with through the progression of the play. For example, is the ghost Hamlet's father, what ... marked by Horatio's sudden change in language. His long flowing speech suddenly becomes short broken sentences, demonstrating the fact that he is unnerved by the sudden re-appearance of the ghost, "But sof...

• Word Count: 1515
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... had been highly recommended to Othello and had proven his skill as a soldier on the battlefields of Rhodes and Cyprus. In spite of Iago's qualifications, Cassio has been chosen over him. In Iago's opinion, Cassio is weak and fit only for the company of ladies; his knowledge of battle comes from books, and he is not even a Venetian. Iago obviously detests Cassio as much as ... he detests Othello .It is in this first scene that the subject of revenge is first introduced; He wants revenge on both of them. The path that leads to revenge has already presented ... a interesting mini-play hav...

• Word Count: 1344
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... his situation and so cannot affect it. Gloucester, like Lear, is part of the old way and is also blind to the aspirations of individuals. He must be literally blinded before he comes to believe and trust in the new natural humanity of Edgar and Cordelia. He is involved in a subplot of illegitimacy. The relationship between Gloucester and his sons mirrors that between Lear and ... change at all, revolution without reform. It is post-modern in its outlook and structured differently from the original for this effect. The climax of the play comes in act two where Lear is discovered in the c...

• Word Count: 2342
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... more than merely a homily for Elizabethan wives in her famous speech: She wins her husband's wager but the speech bespeaks a generosity of spirit beyond the call of two hundred crowns "(Nevo, Shakespeare for Students, 358). This leads to the idea that Katharina could have been a kind, gentle, ... For Katharina to be fully "tamed", she would have had to undergo a complete change in character in a very short amount of time. If, as readers, we simply rely on our own knowledge of human experience, Katharina's quick transformation seems false and unlikely. A common theme found throughout the ...

• Word Count: 1637
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Ophelia's madness is through misfortune, and can be argued as the trigger from which Hamlet emerges out of his mad pretence, once he comes to find that she has died because of it. Why Shakespeare focuses on madness is not often clear, but the path of the play, the effect Hamlet's madness has on people and the events it activates leads towards the final ... small role politically, socially and economically. The subtle importance of Gertrude in Hamlet can be said to reflect the bearing of the female monarchy, whilst Ophelia is symbolic of the victimization of women in the Elizabethan era. ...

• Word Count: 1550
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the power to bring the audience into the play and enable them to feel a sense of interaction with the plot and other characters. Immediately, from the opening scene the nature of Iago has been recognized. He comes across as a jealous, greedy character, which are his two main motives for his despicable future actions. Iago repeatedly instructs Roderigo to fill his purse and ... and arrogance which could be a sign of how even the most intelligent and assertive characters have human faults, which can bring about their downfall through their undiscovered mistakes. This leaves little to the i...

• Word Count: 1539
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... as a slave and gives nothing in return for all of Iago's hard work and 'knee crooking'; Iago positions Othello as a man who takes advantage of people. Although Iago initially comes off as an intellectual and articulate character, he also demonstrates a wide array of coarse and blasphemous language. This frequently transpires when it comes to his attitude to serving his master. Furthermore, he ... also appears to be - certainly in the eyes of Othello - a highly trustworthy figure. Yet for the ... audience it becomes evident that his public appearance is not the same as reality. He ...

• Word Count: 1567
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... are Iago's foes but until the end believes that Iago has some feelings for Roderigo. (Hazlitt) Marvin Rosenberg is even more critical of Iago and discusses his interaction with anyone he comes in contact with. He refers to Iago's character is that of "raging torment". He also talks of the two personalities that Iago forces himself to play. The one side, which he only knows ... profile towards his enemies. Rosenberg goes on to describe a sort of bipolar tendency that evolves from acting hospitable to those who he really despises. In other words, the closer he becomes with them, the more ...

• Word Count: 1715
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... characters who were most affected or who most developed mad characteristics throughout the play were King Lear, Edgar and the Fool. These three characters were consumed with an immense change of character throughout the play that ended up drastically changing their personality and ideals. In order for one to understand the real causes and effects ... them two and King Lear is that Lear; when we first see him he is already an old man, his best days have probably passed. He comes on stage dressed as a king, looking the part of a royal ruler, but as soon as he speaks we discover that he is...

• Word Count: 1630
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... to be a simple romantic drama. Iago is a villain who we hate; he is the maker of the play but at the same time aims to break down all the other characters around him. He is the instigator of all the tragic events within Othello. He is a complex character in all the Shakespeare's tragedy (Chatto & Windus, 19). Othello's plot outline can best be understood ... in the portrayal of Iago as an evil epitome as seen in his characteristic traits. To heighten his devious nature ... comes across in his series of soliloquies that show his real intentions and motivation. The real dramatic irony of...

• Word Count: 1487
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... the reality can be seen, but relying on vision, all things are not as they appear. Lears eyesight lacked understanding and insight into the future. He couldnt see the true character inside others. Lear was getting too old to rule over his kingdom and wanted to retire the throne. He held a contest and whichever daughter can lavish him with the most ... much time to think about it for a moment and calls his son a villain. Edmund did little convincing to Gloucester to make him believe the letter was from Edgar. This villain of mine comes under the prediction; theres son against father. (T,...

• Word Count: 1444
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School