PAPER Topics

... the afterlife. This is one of the reasons that the ghost of his father has such an effect on him, which is a trigger for all the subsequent events in the play. Moving on to the fourth scene, the next interesting speech is on l. 23. It is a long and complicated speech, but its general gist is that if a person has one fault, no matter how virtuous they may be in other ways, they are soiled by "the stamp of one defect". This speech is quite ironic, because it is Hamlet's "one defect" (his hesitancy and inability to take action), regardless of his other qualities (such as honour and integrity), will be the main reason why the play ends so tragically. Although we are supposed to suspect t ...

... script that it has changed, and was most likely suggested by a few props. Abstract settings place more emphasis on the language and the performer, which causes the spectator to use their imagination. It also places more emphasis on costuming. This type of setting helped set up the style of representational theater, which places high emphasis on the realistic. The style used in classical Greece was presentational which, because of the use of the mask, gave no illusion that this story is happening before their eyes. The audience is reminded that they are watching a play, and not merely observing life. Thus, the use of the thrust stage is the only similarity of the two types of presenta ...

... miss the knock of opportunity because of over analysis, nor does he act too swiftly to realize whom he should attack. In the end of the play, Fortinbras arrives just as everyone is dying and does not have to exert a great deal of strength to accomplish his task because the others have killed one another. Each character has a different approach to get to the final goal of revenge, but each achieves his quaesitum. In each instance, the character is retaliating in order to get even. If one studies the play, he will clearly see that Hamlet provides a good definition for revenge through the characters of Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras. ...

... the stresses of battle must be and uncountable times worse. Othello seemed to be and was mentioned as a good leader with the respect of the Duke. The stresses of being a black man leading an army of white soldiers that might respect you as a leader but might not respect you as a human would affect you also. Othello seemed to handle the stresses of war just fine but with the jealousy added into his life by the most evil Iago's plot against him and Cassio was something that Othello had trouble managing. Othello was new to the married life and did not want to leave his wife behind so he left her in the hands of the “honest” Iago. “My life upon her faith! - Honest Iago, /My Desde ...

... to tell you what I am thinking. I hope I can write again very soon. I want you to know that I am in good health. I feel this is a good opportunity to tell the tale of our great victory over the Thane of Cawdor and evil MacDonwald. Things were looking very horrible, it seemed like all my troops had perished. Our brave general MacBeth came from nowhere to the center of the battle and slayed MacDonwald like the dragon he truly is. MacBeth took a spear and forced MacDonwald's head onto it and rejuvenated our troops while striking fear into the hearts of the enemy, Before the smoke cleared another blaze had started. The king of Norway and Cawdor initiated an assault. With our pre ...

... insanity. Maybe he’s scared of taking revenge on Claudius, he may think by taking revenge he endangers his own soul. “No matter how right a man might think his motives are, if Claudius is innocent; the act of revenge would inevitably make Hamlet as evil as the accused in the eyes of God” (Becker p.32). “Hamlet decides to test Claudius’ guilt and the authenticity of the ghost; he will stage a performance of a play, which will reproduce Claudius’ crime and observe his reaction to it”(Durband p.304). This plan was successful because Claudius broke down during the performance. Hamlet now knows Claudius is the murderer, and the ghost was actual his father. Hamlet has a perfect opportunity ...

... to him. In the following passage, the idea constantly recurs that Macbeth's new honours sit ill upon him, like a loose and badly fitting garment, belonging to someone else: New honours come upon him, Like our strange garments, cleave not to their mould, But with the aid of use. (1.3.144) The second, most important chain of imagery used to add to the atmosphere is that of the imagery of darkness. In a Shakespearean tragedy a special tone, or atmosphere must be created to show the darkness and blackness in a tragedy. In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the design of the witches, the guilt in Macbeth's soul, and the darkness of the night to establish the atmosphere. All of the remarkab ...

... birds. It is ironic because they thought the birds would bring no harm, but in reality, the birds kill all of them. Foreshadowing is used many times in this selection. When it is stated that the birds had been more restless than ever this fall of the year, it implies that something strange and unnatural is going on with the birds. Another example of foreshadowing in this selection is when smoke is not coming out of the chimney in the Trigg’s house, and the windows of the Trigg’s house were smashed. Dead and living gulls surround the house. The implication is that the Triggs are dead, for if they were alive, a fire would be burning and the windows would not be smashed. The military do ...

... told the Puerto Rican's and the American's that if they get into another fight they all will have to go to jail. The difference between the two peace-makers is that the Prince has more power than the Lieutenant. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, Paris wants to marry Juliet against her wishes. Her father wants Paris West Side Story to marry Juliet. Juliet goes off and marries Romeo without telling anyone. In Chino wants to marry Maria against her wishes, just like Paris in Romeo and Juliet. Maria and Toni do not get married, which is in contrast to Romeo and Juliet. Marcucio in Romeo and Juliet, is killed while battling Tybalta. In West Side Story Riff is killed in a knife fight wi ...

... so do the characters view their lives as caught in a pattern they have no power to change. Lear sets the play in motion in banishing Cordelia when he swears "by all the operation of the orbs from whom we exist and cease to be" that his decision "shall not be revoked". How like the scene in Julius Caesar wherein Caesar says "For I am constant as the Northern star" Lear vows to be resolute but dies regretting his decision at the hands of his daughters who claim love him "more than word can wield" and are "alone felicitate" in his presence. That Edmund disbelieves in the influence of the stars adds to the play's recurring theme that part of our fate is our character; that we choose ou ...