This is hardly surprising considering Gothic fiction's entrance onto the literary stage in mid eighteenth century England, which was dominated by the Reformation and poised to embrace the Romantic movement. ... William Freedman, in "The Literary Motif: A Definition and Evaluation," in Essentials of the Theory of Fiction, elaborates on this definition "[A motif] is generally -that is, it can be seen to carry a meaning beyond the  one immediately apparent; it represents on the verbal level something characteristic of the structure of the work, the events, the characters, ...

• Word Count: 2655
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

"Macbeth" "Marquis de Luc de Clapiers Vauvenargues once said, "The greatest evil which fortune can inflict on men is to endow them with small talents and great ambition." Although aspirations and dreams are a healthy standard among society as a whole, what happens when these desires gain an "any means necessary" approach? In Macbeth, William Shakespeare show that blind ambition and greed can overcome any sense of decency remaining in individuals, turning them into soulless representatives of evil. Shakespeare uses characters, motifs, and tone throughout the novel to portray this theme. ...

• Word Count: 2918
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

Evil Macbeth EVIL MACBETH Darkness in our society is indicative of evil. For instance, a black cat, a dark night, a dark place are all symbols of evil. There are only a few good people out there today. In Macbeth William Shakespeare proves to us that there is evil in all of us but in the end the good triupths. In this play the main character Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth represent evil the king and queen of Scotland become murderers and the most hated people. ...

• Word Count: 12917
• Approx Pages: 52
• Grade Level: High School