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Hamlett and Krapp, 2002.
A comparison of themes in the plays "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare and "Krapp's Last Tape" by Samuel Beckett.
879 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
The paper shows how "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare and "Krapp's Last Tape" by Samuel Beckett are very different sorts of play, emerging from different theatrical traditions, but they have similar themes within the context of their time and in their own style. The paper discusses one theme which is addressed in both - the theme of order versus disorder. It shows how each play finds the main character facing a state of disorder and the desiere to restore order.
From the Paper
"It may be more difficult to see the conflict in a play like Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape, which has only one character, but conflict can also be developed within one character warring with himself or between the single character and the audience watching him or her. Conflict is inherent in the vocation of attitudes, ideas, characters, and situations, and it is not possible to have a drama without any of these elements and so it is impossible to have a drama without conflict. As noted, there is only one character on stage, though the voice of the same man from many years before might constitute a separate character, heard only on a tape recorder."
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"Don Giovanni", 2002.
A review of the opera "Don Giovanni" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
660 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 23.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the story of "Don Giovanni," a morality tale of what occurs when a man does wrong and evil is punished, told through Mozart's opera of the same name. When the Don?s castle is in ruins, the surviving revelers weave in and out of the ruins and sing ?such is the fate of a wrong doer.? It discusses how the contrast of irony and melodrama in the final scene, suggests a far more nuanced moral vision of Mozart in his opera. It describes how at the end, as the Don is engulfed by flames, the music sweeps up into a more religious, reverent tone and the chorus takes over, rather than individual voices. Although this is supposed to be pious and the Don only gets what he deserves, there is a sense of loss at very end.
From the Paper
"The scene being referenced is, of course, the ending deus ex machina of the opera, where the murdered father of a woman Don Giovanni has raped, the Commendatore, comes back from the dead in the form of a living, breathing, animated statue. The depiction of this phenomenon is alone a theatrical marvel and a challenge in and of itself. However, the Don?s apparent casualness in the face of this event makes the striking nature of the Commendatore, even more astonishing. When the statute, who was unwillingly invited by the Don?s surprised servant Lepordello to the Don?s banquet, arrives, he pounds on the door of the Don?s castle with great clashing blows, an entrance that is underscored by ominous music. He solemnly informs the Don that his time has come."
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"Hamlet", 2002.
An analysis of the character Hamlet's relationship with his parents, as found in Shakespeare?s play ?Hamlet".
1,935 words (approx. 7.7 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 61.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Shakespeare?s play "Hamlet" in terms of the main character?s right to independently choose his own lifestyle and his parent-child relationship with his royal family. The paper describes the play in chronological order and investigates the religious climate in Shakespeare?s time as it reflects the meaning of the play. The paper illustrates Hamlet?s adolescent questioning of all moral codes, and even sanity itself.
From the Paper
'The parent and child relationships within Shakespeare?s ?Hamlet? are primarily characterized by the conflict between a child?s right to question and pursue his or her own destiny, in contrast to the need of honoring the child?s parental directives. The conflict inherent in parent and child is first evidenced, not in Hamlet?s first meeting with his father, but when Hamlet bemoans ?frailty thy name is woman,? in his first extended speech. Hamlet is angry because his mother has married his uncle so quickly, even though he obeys his mother?s wishes to stay in Denmark. Hamlet thus begins the play in a conflict about how to honor both his dead father and his living and remarried mother, a conflict that is highlighted by the advancing Norwegian Fortinbras? own claim for his dying parent."
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"Death of a Salesman", 2002.
The theme of ?American Dream? in Arthur Miller?s ?Death of A Salesman? with references to Mark Twain and Henry Thoreau.
1,587 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
Arthur Miller?s play entitled ?Death of a Salesman? is a story about a man who has created a conflict with his family because of his great belief in the American Dream. Willy Loman, the main character in the story, makes a living by being a salesman, and the story revolves around his frustrations in life, particularly the strain in his relationship with his eldest son, Biff Loman. This paper examines how this problematic relationship is what leads to Loman's downfall.
From the Paper
"Willy?s frustrations stems from the fact that Biff was not able to have a permanent and stable job, and is often fired from work because of some petty offense or misconduct on his son?s part. Willy always insist that his son Biff must develop relations with other people, and he must also have charisma and the ability to interact with them in order to achieve prosperity and success in looking and handling work/jobs. Biff, meanwhile, has conflicting opinion about Willy?s advice: he thinks that Willy?s dependence on relations and charisma is not applicable in the advanced, modern American society. Instead, hard work and perseverance are valued instead of personal relations with other people. In addition to Willy?s dependence on personal relations in job-finding and economic prosperity is coupled with his faith in the American Dream. The American Dream is, at Willy?s society, the main ?ideology? of many people: the American Dream is the equal opportunity of every individual in the American society to achieve economic success and prosperity."
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"Everyman", 2002.
An analysis of the morality play "Everyman", written anonymously around 1495.
1,724 words (approx. 6.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the concepts of morality, heavan, earth, god and death in this classic play. The paper shows how in the course of the play, all that Everyman has relied on in this world abandons him, for in the end, when faced with death and judgment, man is alone and can rely only on how well he has lived his life, an idea expressed allegorically in this story.
From the Paper
"Clearly, this play was written in a Christian community whose members needed to be reminded from time to time of the nature of their relationship with God, the requirements God placed upon them, and the futility of believing in the things of this world over the requirements of the next. The Messenger who begins the play makes it clear that the moral applies to all when he notes that the play "That of our lives and ending shows/ How transitory we be all day" (Everyman 2121). The moral is for those who "think sin in the beginning full sweet,/ Which in the end causeth the soul to weep" (Everyman 2121). The speech by the Messenger, reinforced subsequently by God and Death, tells the audience for the play precisely what to expect, points out the meaning of the play to come, and relates that meaning to the lives of those in the audience. The play has a didactic purpose, intending to teach a lesson by having the ideas acted out by people representing abstract concepts, and it is more important that the allegorical story communicate with each member of the audience than it is that there by any surprise in the way the plot unfolds. After all, the essential ideas underlying this story are not new in any sense. They are central Christian ideas, known to all members of that religion, but they are also ideas that the Church wants to emphasize again and again in order to overcome the appeal of sin."
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Women in "Hamlet" and "Othello", 2002.
This paper introduces and discusses the role of women in "Hamlet," and "Othello" by William Shakespeare.
2,210 words (approx. 8.8 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 68.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the significance of the women and their roles and what they add to the meaning of the two plays. The paper contrasts the women characters in each play and examines which play more important roles. Characters analyzed are Hamlet's fianc?e, Ophelia; Hamlet's mother and Othello's lover Desdemona.
From the Paper
"Therefore, the women exist in Hamlet as a form of support to show why he hates them. They are all evil, troubled, or deceptive, and they back up Hamlet's disgust with the fairer sex. Some critics even go so far as to intimate that Hamlet chooses death to remove himself from his mother's sexuality (Maccary 51).
The women both serve another vital purpose in the play; they become the scapegoats that allow Hamlet to hide his own jealousy and rage at himself, for allowing his father to die, and not living up to his own expectations. His mother is living a seemingly happy life after his father dies, and this is too much for him to take."
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Hamlet as Tragic Hero, 2002.
Examining the qualities of a tragic hero according to Aristotles and questioning whether Shakespeare's "Hamlet" falls under this category.
714 words (approx. 2.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 25.95
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Abstract
Aristotle describes the characteristics of the tragic hero in "Poetics." Three of these characteristics are: that the character is mainly admirable; that the character exercises free choice in bringing about their own downfall; and that the character has one fatal flaw that leads to their demise. This paper analyzes the character Hamlet and shows that Hamlet meets these three characteristics of the tragic hero.
From the Paper
"The first of Aristotle?s characteristics is that that character is mainly admirable. Hamlet achieves this by having many good traits including intelligence, sensitivity and humility. However, the best evidence of Hamlet as an admirable character is his unwillingness to commit murder, even when given a reason that would justify the act. This shows that Hamlet is basically a good man. In the play, the ghost of Hamlet?s father orders him to take action and ?revenge his foul and most unnatural murder? (I,iv). Despite being given what at the time, can be seen as an acceptable reason to take action, Hamlet hesitates and procrastinates. It is Hamlet?s good nature and his rejection of committing murder that causes this hesitation. This represents the good qualities of Hamlet, his intelligence, his ability to be rational and the inherent goodness of his character. This also shows that Hamlet is a man who does what he believes in despite outside pressure to do otherwise. This shows that Hamlet is an admirable character in many ways."
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Making the Familiar Unfamiliar, 2002.
A review of the play, "Conduct of Life" by Maria Irene Fornes, focusing on the theme of making that what is familiar, unfamiliar.
2,102 words (approx. 8.4 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 66.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the part of the process of staging a play that makes the familiar unfamiliar, that isolates elements so as to suggest reality, the familiar, in an unfamiliar way. Maria Irene Fornes' play, "Conduct of Life", is examined and compared with other literary works. A brief background of Fornes is presented.
From the Paper
"Part of the process of staging a play is to make the familiar unfamiliar, to isolate elements so as to suggest reality, the familiar, in an unfamiliar way. Plays do not take place in the real world but in a created world, a world set in one isolated spot (the stage) with several specific individuals isolated from real life (characters) interacting in a manner that conveys thematic issues and concerns to the audience. Such communication is controlled in a way that real life is not. Issues are isolated from the extraneous and conveyed in a way that has been shaped by the playwright for maximum impact. In the play "Conduct of Life" by Maria Irene Fornes, the familiar is made unfamiliar first in the setting, which is suggested as a set of four horizontal planes selectively illuminated and selectively populated as characters move from one area to another, evoking images of life but not life itself."
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Euripides' ?Medea?, 2002.
This paper presents a critical analysis of Euripides' love story, entitled ?Medea?.
950 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, $ 33.95
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Abstract
The paper begins with a synopsis of the play?s plot, highlighting the themes of family and foreignness. It looks at Medea?s husband?s betrayal and the implications of her plight following this betrayal. Medea?s loss of reputation and status is explored on several levels. The play?s commentary on woman?s rights and its controversiality are discussed, and the text is analyzed for its references to societal injustices against women.
From the Paper
"The Medea relates a story about the power of love, which induces sacrifice as well as jealousy and feelings of revenge aroused by betrayal. Medea, the principal character, is a woman, who is so smitten by her love for Jason that she forsakes her family, country, and people to live in ??the land of Corinth with her husband and children, where her exile found favour with the citizens to whose land she had come?.?
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Tragedy, 2002.
This paper explores the history of the tragic art form.
1,190 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 8 sources, $ 40.95
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Abstract
The paper begins by looking at different forms of tragedy and at the purpose of tragedy, as espoused by Plato. The basic element of tragedy (the fall of a noble person due to their own inherent flaws) is discussed. The writer brings in examples of tragic art forms, such as Shakespeare?s ?Othello? and Arthur Miller?s ?Death of a Salesman? and ?The Crucible?, to highlight variations of tragedy. It looks at Miller?s seminal essay,?On Tragedy? and at the components of the modern tragic drama. It presents a comparison between the themes of the Elizabethan ?Hamlet? and the modern/absurdist ?Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead?, two plays following the same tragedy from radically different angles. The paper concludes with a study of the key to writing a good tragedy.
From the Paper
"The history of the tragic art form has through-out history undergone many apparent metamorphoses, even while keeping certain elements consistent through their many changes in form and theory. This artform is thought by many to have been brought into existence by the Greeks, and it is certainly best known classically according to Aristotle?s definition in the 4th century Poetics. Yet the writing of tragic stories, and the role they play in history predates even Aristotle. The Jewish scriptures and Egyptian mythologies both relate stories of overwhelming loss and tragedy and hold these events up as tales which should be repeated often. According to Plato, tragedy on the stage is nothing more or less than play-actors pretending to be sad or villainous for no reason, and thus detrimental to the minds of the impressionable who might be purposefully made sad or villainous. Yet Aristotle claimed, most astutely, that tragedy serves instead a noble purpose (and surely the writers of Jewish scriptures and Egyptian tales would agree) He writes that tragedy serves as a catharsis, a purging and cleansing of the soul. While most other conventions and concepts of tragedy, have undergone and should undergo radical reinvention, this central theme of spiritual or emotional cleansing remains consistent and it may be suggested is the primary reason why tragedy has and should continue to exist."
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Othello?s Characters, 2002.
A study of the characters in William Shakespeare's "Othello".
1,160 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how the characters in William Shakespeare?s ?Othello? are what really make the play come to life. It provides a brief summary of each of the main characters with a character analysis and a description of their contribution to the plot of the play. It shows how Othello is bold warrior and a good person, how Iago brings all of the evil and fallacy into the play, how Desdemona is young and innocent and how Cassio?s character is vulnerable and easily manipulated.
From the Paper
"The character of Desdemona is young and innocent. When she is wrongly accused of infidelity, her innocent response to his rage is "I never gave him cause!" (III.iv.155). Desdemona?s innocent nature is highlighted in the play, through the contrast with the two other female characters, the cynical Emilia and Cassio's mistress, Bianca. These women are harsh and ugly, and make Desdemona seem all the more pure. Her love for Othello is a major part of her character. She permits his abuse of her, although it shakes her self-confidence. She is an obedient and devoted wife. She carries her love for Othello with her even as he strangles her to death."
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"Tambourines to Glory", 2002.
A review of a play about religion and morals, "Tambourines to Glory" by Langston Hughes.
953 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 33.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses and analyzes the literary work, "Tambourines to Glory" by Langston Hughes. The paper examines the significance of the work, and shows what Hughes was trying to say through his fiction. The paper describes the good versus evil theme of the story and illustrates the author's humorous approach to telling the tale.
From the Paper
"The protagonists are two women who pose as sisters and decide to start a church, not for spiritual salvation or a great belief in the Lord, but for money. "Money! I sure wish I had some. Say Essie, why don't you and me start a church like Mother Bradley's? We ain't doing nothing else useful, and it would beat Home Relief. You sing good. I'll preach. We'll both take up collection and split it" (Hughes 19-20)."
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"Macbeth", 2002.
This paper looks at the natural and unnatural in Shakespeare's "Macbeth".
1,780 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 57.95
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Abstract
This paper focuses on the presence of natural and unnatural in the Shakespearean play, Macbeth. The paper also discusses supernatural forces and their role in the creation of unnatural events. The author discusses the intermingling of natural and unnatural and how it shows that Shakespeare used supernatural forces in a manner that gave them a realistic, authentic touch.
From the Paper
"Macbeth is a typical Shakespearean tragedy, which is interspersed with supernatural incidents giving birth to some unrealistic situations. In the clash between natural and unnatural, we notice it is the latter which usually triumphs because it is always given a dominant presence in Shakespearean plays. Often the supernatural forces lead to highly unnatural and unrealistic incidents, which include shifting of forests and mountains to other locations. We need to understand that it is the presence of such forces which make Shakespeare?s plays unusual and more exciting than other plays of his times. It is true that most of us find these incidents figments of playwright?s imagination yet we cannot deny their importance as they add to the power and force of the entire play."
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"Macbeth", 2002.
An analysis of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and a look at various aspects of the play.
1,788 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 57.95
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Abstract
The paper analyzes the tragic play, "Macbeth" by Shakespeare. The paper explores several aspects of the play including: The images and symbols used in "Macbeth"; gender contradictions in Act V; interpretation of the phantasmagoric aspects; male anxiety about maternal issues and why "Macbeth" is more than just a story about a heartless, ambitious murderer.
From the Paper
"Male anxiety about maternal issues is addressed in the play. Macbeth mentions maternity in some form in many of his speeches. An example is where he describes sleep saying, ?the innocent sleep, / Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care, / The death of each day?s life, sore labour?s birth? (II,ii). This is relevant as a reference to the power of women, a maternal force that Macbeth does not have. It is relevant that the witches and Lady Macbeth both lead Macbeth into murder and then madness. These references to birth can be seen a reference to wanting to avoid the power of women, but being unable to. It is also relevant that Lady Macbeth and the witches both take on maternal roles with Macbeth. In many ways they treat him as a child, especially by uses his weaknesses to trick him."
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Free Will in ?Oedipus?, 2002.
A paper which argues that the concept of free will, and, not merely the acceptance of fate, is present in ancient Greek Sophocles' "Oedipus".
2,750 words (approx. 11.0 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 82.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how the works of the ancient Greek playwrights are difficult for us to read within the context of the 21st century because most people today believe in the validity of the idea of free will. It shows the difficulty to square such an almost inherited insistence on the importance and sovereignty of free will with the idea of fate that runs so deeply through classical drama. The paper argues that a closer reading of classical texts demonstrates that perhaps the classical Greeks were not so different in their understandings of human nature as we ourselves are. By examining Sophocles? treatment of the story of "Oedipus", the paper examines the fact that the Greek?s insistence on the importance of fate is in fact not so very different from our own understanding of personal responsibility.
From the Paper
"There are clear corollaries to human behavior today: We look at someone like the man accused of being the Washington DC-area sniper and we can see elements of his own past that brought him to the point where he is today, and we say to ourselves, he had little choice in becoming this terrible man. But we also believe that he did have some choice: We understand that life limits the chances that each one of us has, and yet we do not believe the fact that our lives were limited gives us leave to act wrongly.
Perhaps Sophocles is saying to us, this is the hand of fate pressing down on the head of Oedipus: He has no choices. But it seems more likely ? given that human nature in Sophocles?s time is much the same as it is today ? what he is saying is that we often have very few choices, and often not very good ones, but we always do have choices."
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"Oedipus Rex" -The Film, 2002.
A critical review of the 1967 film (also known as "Edipo re") directed by by Pier Paolo Pasolini.
1,720 words (approx. 6.9 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the film, comparing and contrasting it to the written play. The main body of the paper is composed of the differences between the play and the film. The paper refers to Internet research and to professional reviews of the film and play. It includes a brief overview of the plot, a character analysis, and a look at the dominant motifs in the film. It concludes by evaluating the effectiveness of both the play and the film.
From the Paper
"Pasolini's film merges the ancient Greek myths of "Oedipus Rex," and "Oedipus at Colonus." The original play by Sophocles, "Oedipus the King," is still studied worldwide. In the Sophocles version, Jocasta sends Oedipus away from his home as a baby, presumably to be abandoned in the mountains because of a prophecy that he will bring ruin on the kingdom of Thebes. However, he does not die in the mountains, as everyone expected. He grows up in another kingdom, where he hears the prophecy he will kill his father and marry his mother. He leaves the kingdom so the prophecy will not come true."
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"Antigone", 2002.
This paper discusses Sophocles' "Antigone".
1,840 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
An analysis of the different interpretations as to why Antigone chose to kill herself instead of awaiting her natural demise in her ?bridal chamber.? These are discussed as Sophocles didn't spell out Antigone's last thoughts and actions. Interpretations for her suicide from various authors and sources are examined and the author's personal explanation is discussed.
From the Paper
"However, on consideration of all the various views, it does seem that Antigone?s suicide was necessary for fulfilling the theme of the play, which is one of hubris or arrogance ultimately being humbled by the will of the Gods, the latter being emphasized also by humanity not being able to change the destiny willed on it by the divine."
According to Mary Lefkowitz, the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Wellesley College, Antigone kills herself because of her impulsive and headstrong nature:"
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Dr. Faustus, 2002.
Examines Christopher Marlowe?s play ?Dr. Faustus" and the main character's relationship with the angel and devil within himself.
1,135 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
Analysis of the play focusing on the character of the old man, and scholars in Dr. Faustus, and how they can be compared to saints and holy figures. Looks at the themes of redemption, eternal life and instant gratification and how these are connected to the character of Dr Faustus.
From the Paper
"In Christopher Marlowe?s play ?Dr. Faustus,? the reader or viewer is treated to a strange sight early on in the play. The central character, the scholar Dr. Faustus, is subjected to the cartoon-like debate of two characters upon his shoulders, that of a good angel and a bad angel. The good angel states that it is ?never too late if Faustus will repent.? The angel means if the Doctor repents of his evil decision to turn from God and make a deal with the devil for conjuring powers, he can still be saved. (2.1.82) However, the bad angel on Dr. Faustus? shoulder soon responds that it is too late, ?If thou repent devils will tear thee in pieces.? (2.1.83-83) This debate highlights the very clear dichotomy between good and evil set up quite early on in the moral economy of the play. However, as the play progresses these highly schematic characters begin to retreat in their importance, and instead the characters of the scholars of Wittenberg where Dr. Faustus dwells and a mysterious old man becomes more prominent in Faustus? conscience. Marlowe does not do this to make the drama seem either more realistic, as the language ?Dr. Faustus? is quite heightened and surreal. Nor does the author do this to make the representations of good and evil seem more human, as most of even the human characters in the play are quite broadly drawn. Rather, Marlowe does this to suggest the nature of Dr. Faustus? dilemma."
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