... wine and women drink water?"(p24) "Why was one sex so prosperous and the other so poor?"(p.25) In trying to find an answer to these questions she takes a trip to the British Library and tries to make sense of all the questions that came to her the day before. She looks in the card catalog for books written on the marvels and great things that women ... very scarce and for the most part only wrote novels of the period, for that is really all they were able to grasp besides a certain few. The narrator also includes that the women who wrote all the books or novels like Lady Winchilsea, Mar...

• Word Count: 1454
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... , a social climber and an officious snob" stating that "he well deserves to be put in his place" (Levin in Bloom, 1997). I agree with the first part of Levin's statement, he is all of these things. What I can not see is how false imprisonment is a suitable way to punish a social climber. The humiliation in front of Olivia should have been punishment enough but the characters, in a sadistic ... saying such things in retaliation for Malvolio's comments that they are "idle shallow things" (3, 4, 121-2) would be fine had they not made a genuine attempt to drive him to insanity. Comments such...

• Word Count: 1722
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... his first real soliloquy totally introspective and in his own mind. The Franco Zeffirelli film, while similar to the Olivier in setting, is otherwise completely different in tone, theme, and manner. The character of Fortinbras and all things related have been removed. Effectively, this cuts down a significant portion of dialogue. The film opens with a funeral for old king Hamlet. Young Hamlet, played by Mel Gibson ... have their correct parts. One camera perspective consistently used here captures the ambience of flourish and celebration by framing the view of the king with all the subje...

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

... the staging. ( Brooke and Mason, 177). During the 1700s Othello was recorded as being staged in all but nine years of the century. Many notable stage actors of the day performed as Othello, and one of the most striking was Thomas Betterton, who held the role from 1684 to 1709. He was much praised in the role, and Colley Cibler was quoted as saying, "Betterton ... other's genius." (Brooke and Mason, 179) Betterton believed that it was his job to not focus on the violence and rage Othello must feel, but instead to make the audience see his thoughtful and tender side. He played the role wi...

• Word Count: 1708
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... , "Stand, ho! Who is there?" (1:1:15), which further show the unease of the sentinels and the fact that they are very wary of the situation as well as what is yet to come. The setting of this scene further expands upon the drama of the opening. The play opens in the dead of night on the battlements of a Danish Castle, a harsh and cold image. We are informed by ... guard, and the unease with which Francisco initially greets Barnardo, followed by relief clearly demonstrate that all is not right, "Francisco: For this relief much thanks. 'Tis bitter cold, and I am sick at heart." (1:1:8-9) F...

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

... as he announces his action plan. Unlike Zeffirelli's version, Branagh's version possessed flaws in his direction. This was evident when Ophelia came to talk to Hamlet about her love for him. In Branagh's version, Hamlet is very brutal with Ophelia. He drags her across the room and ... out to be the murderer of her beloved father. In Zeffirelli's version, Helena Bonham-Carter plays the part of Ophelia, while Kate Winslet for Branagh's version. Kate Winslet did not fit well in the role of Ophelia. Ophelia is a character that is small, timid, and fragile. She is controlled by all that ... b...

• Word Count: 2265
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... with love. Shakespeare explores the distortion of natural order to emphasize the importance of nurturing family ties. The importance of retaining familial ties in maintaining natural order holds relevance to all audiences. Richard Eyre's 1998 production highlights the values of a modern egalitarian society as it focuses on everyone's need to equally fulfil their familial duties. Eyre utilizes the setting of the shot by seating all the family members around a long table ... , as it acts as a potent symbol or icon of family. It highlights the equal responsibilities of each member in holdin...

• Word Count: 1414
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the same manner, Othello struggles furiously, Hamlet meditates and wavers before the problem of humanity, and the action that he is called upon to take; and in the same manner, all are enwrapped in the veil of Eternity" (Krull 32). Only a few surviving documents give any glimpse into the life of Shakespeare. While there are historical records that prove he was an actual person during ... see "some good dancing and some handsome women" (Marx 55). Perhaps the setting, which included fanciful landscape, fireflies, toadstools, fairies, and elves were all too much for Pepys to take in all at...

• Word Count: 2347
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... only they were in the same social class, if only Viola was not to be wed to lord Wessex, if only she was a poor woman with ambition. In the play Shakespeare in love there are several influences that social standing and class affected how the characters and story developed. The setting of the movie takes place in the 16th century. Social classes had a large ... the women he was used to. Due to the fact the Shakespeare was of lower class he did not have the privileges of meeting well educated and opinionated woman. Shakespeare was stuck with the lower class, illiterate woman that he was a...

• Word Count: 1378
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... performances are constructed for the contemporary audience at the time of production. How these adaptations are constructed is a reflection of the contexts of these performances and creates an interaction between the responder and the production. All the appropriations and criticisms of King Lear however, cannot be completely valid, as they are all created as a subjective opinion of the director or critic about the Shakespearean classic tragedy. The ... for the play and is vital in developing an understanding of the performances. The traditional setting of Elliot's cinematic constructio...

• Word Count: 2216
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... acceptable in their world, because all the laws that govern the world of reality have no existence in the dream world. The fairies make fools of the lovers, because humans are not accustomed to the fairy's way of life. The words moon and water dominate the poetry of the play. This makes the story more magical. The setting plays an important part of the play. It takes Shakespeare ... 's imagination and it brings it to you as the reader. The setting makes the games that the fairy plays over the humans seem all but a dream. The characters ... don't seem to remember any of the events that h...

• Word Count: 2024
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... polite requests, "Pray you, undo this button. Thank you sir- (V, iii, 311). The magnificence of Lear's language is that all authority is quickly replaced with servitude and hysterical rage. This will significantly impact on the audience as the dramatic and direct acting of the actors playing Lear on stage have stressed through tone and movement the journey and greater understanding ... production, the Fool delivers his lines in a fast, loud yet comical manner. In the student's interpretation however, all the Fool's lines are delivered in song to emphasise his piercing wisdom, despite hi...

• Word Count: 2146
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... with the sense love is most associated with -the sense of sight- taken away in a motif of night. The play would seem to require the light of day rather than a setting in the darkest of all places at the darkest of all hours, but Shakespeare brilliantly combines this motif with the related symbols of the play to demonstrate the power of night and its correlation with love and vision. The reliance ... on different kinds of perception other than the sense of sight, as well as ... the power of the magic in ... ...

• Word Count: 1261
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... , stage, and make-up. The magical and fairy realm setting, the costumes of the fairies, and Nick Bottom wearing a donkey head would constitute this play as a comedy. The story of A Midsummer's Night Dream begins with an introduction of the two political leaders of Athens. Thesues, the Duke of Athens and Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazon are to be wed. Theseus and Hippolyta are not directly affected by ... " show, it is impossible to transition from story to story with ease and without confusing the audience. However, in film, the viewer has the advantage of seeing all viewpoints and scen...

• Word Count: 1278
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... with the sense love is most associated with -the sense of sight- taken away in a motif of night. The play would seem to require the light of day rather than a setting in the darkest of all places at the darkest of all hours, but Shakespeare brilliantly combines this motif with the related symbols of the play to demonstrate the power of night and its correlation with love and vision. The reliance ... on different kinds of perception other than the sense of sight, as well as ... the power of the magic in ... ...

• Word Count: 1268
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... states afterwards, "They are not near my conscience." (Hamlet V.ii.58). This example illustrates that betrayal is so easy to perform, even when it is performed on close friends. In many, if not all of Shakespeare's tragedies, fate is a common theme. The protagonists tend to blame fate for their misfortunes. In his famous soliloquy, Hamlet debates with himself whether he should kill himself, or ... 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 in a high school clas...

• Word Count: 1601
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... at the performance continuum, I could easily break down the theatrical performance created here in "Shakespeare in Love" and also of the performance of "Romeo and Juliet". The movie setting was in , England in the mid to late sixteenth century and the performance of, "Romeo and Juliet", was first practiced at the theatre known as "The Rose", but was performed later at Bourbages, "The Curtain". The ... actors that took part in this play were all young to middle aged men, because at the time, women were not allowed to perform in any piece of theatre ... as the movie, can be considered co...

• Word Count: 1874
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Graduate

... 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 and the theme of proper revenge. He use's these elements as brush strokes to paint a powerful picture. He uses the castle of Elsinore and it's vicinity to depict a rundown and depressing place where incest and murder are a normal part ... Elsinore. We see the room littered with dead beings and Fortinbras taking his rightful throne among the vengeful. There is also a bit of foreshadowing found in Hamlet from al...

• Word Count: 1486
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... Shakespeare's original version of "Romeo and Juliet" to one that he is able to successfully bring to a new and younger audience. The original version of "Romeo and Juliet" was written in the 1600's and set in Elizabethan England. Baz Luhrmann's version of one of Shakespeare's most loved plays portrays the classic story in a modern day setting. Luhrmann chose Verona Beach as the setting for his adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet ... after "In fair Verona" flashes up on the screen there is a fast camera shot to the city where the image is one of chaos, disorder and violence. Police helicopte...

• Word Count: 1575
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... , conveying how Lear' s possession of power lead to corruption as he felt he could divide his industrial power. The stage was stripped of all natural elements, even human emotion, to form a bleak and barren vision of negation. The setting caused the responder to realise the consequences of the corruption and abdication of power, as Lear falls from an industrial despot to an industrial outcast. His absolute attainment of power was potently communicated ... through the utilisation of a microphone as he spoke of dividing his power between his daughters. In ... ...

• Word Count: 1753
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... . Shakespeare's best works were revised and edited in order to remove the numerous curse words or obscene phrases he included. The harmless use of profanity in an informal setting should not be penalized, by the assignment of an essay. Profanity continuously to evolves, and has a very rich and interesting history. The system of assigning essays for the use of profanity is ineffective and counter productive. "When angry ... they tell you, people like having their buttons pushed" (Macrone 6). His works contained many profane words or phrases and as a result, were censored to protect the in...

• Word Count: 1988
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... the struggle for power that takes place later in the play" (Watt 160). Killing for revenge is a theme exhibited throughout this play. "As events continue, the reader comes to realize that by the end of the play the characters of Hamlet, Fortinbras and Laertes have all had their fathers killed, the main reason being revenge" (Campbell 109). The fact that Fortinbras father (the King ... further suspicion from him. Another death resulting from deceit and revenge would be the killing of Banquo. MacBeth creates a false situation in which to lure Banquo over. He pretends he is having a dinner...

• Word Count: 1279
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... the struggle for power that takes place later in the play" (Watt 160). Killing for revenge is a theme exhibited throughout this play. "As events continue, the reader comes to realize that by the end of the play the characters of Hamlet, Fortinbras and Laertes have all had their fathers killed, the main reason being revenge" (Campbell 109). The fact that Fortinbras father (the King ... further suspicion from him. Another death resulting from deceit and revenge would be the killing of Banquo. MacBeth creates a false situation in which to lure Banquo over. He pretends he is having a dinner...

• Word Count: 1279
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... well in real world situations. The battlefield and Senate are, at least in Othello, depicted as places of honour, where men speak truly. In addition, the matters of war and state are relatively simple; no one lies to Othello, all seem to respect him. He never even has to fight in the play, with the enemy disappearing by themselves. This simplistic view does not help him ... for it. It is a noble speech, and a dubiously noble ending, but still, like Othello, flawed. The setting for Othello's final moments onstage is critical to how Othello, the other players onstage, perceives it and the...

• Word Count: 1266
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... otherworldly metaphors extensively in this play. It is significant to point out and compare the superstitious beliefs of the characters in King Lear to indicate just how deeply ingrained these tendencies were in the mindsets of Elizabethan citizenry. King Lear was a British king who reigned before the Roman period. The setting is in a time of remote antiquity where society is still quite barbaric and ... brutality was common. This facilitated the placement of the play during pagan times. The pagan setting indicated that (most of) the characters in the play were heavily influenced by what...

• Word Count: 1633
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School