As with the potential result of the marriage between Sebastian and Olivia, Shakespeare is able to keep the play within the intended genre while at the same time giving it an aggressive edge. ... The argumentative exchanges between them allow a conflict to cause comedy, aggressive comedy. ... Feste acts as a curate and then calls Malvolio a lunatic. ... It is clear that Hamlet can turn statements around in order to change the meaning of what people are actually saying. In this way Hamlet plays the fool during the play. ...

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

William Shakespeare in "The Tempest" brings up the conflict between masters and servants that, as the story progresses, becomes perhaps the major motif of the play. ... Through the play the struggle for power can be seen. ... He gives false meanings to things, just because he does not know or understand the real meaning and reason for occurring events. ... At the end of the play, Prospero forgives his enemies and through his forgiveness the happy ending of the play can be achieved. ... Education, reasoning, and understanding of meanings of things are vital in securing a life of peace and a lif...

• Word Count: 902
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

This speech is concluded with the line "I am not what I am." ... The theme of deception gains depth and added meaning. ... This is continued in Act IV, Scene 1, when Iago arranges for Othello to overhear a conversation between Cassio and himself. ... This line shows clearly how far Othello has fell into a jealous rage and it is all because that is what Iago wants. ... When he learns that he was deceived, as was Roderigo, Othello immediately repents his acts and asks that the be remembered as acts of love and honour, not jealousy and hate, then kills himself. ...

• Word Count: 1345
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

This speech is concluded with the line "I am not what I am." ... The theme of deception gains depth and added meaning. ... This is continued in Act IV, Scene 1, when Iago arranges for Othello to overhear a conversation between Cassio and himself. ... This line shows clearly how far Othello has fell into a jealous rage and it is all because that is what Iago wants. ... When he learns that he was deceived, as was Roderigo, Othello immediately repents his acts and asks that the be remembered as acts of love and honour, not jealousy and hate, then kills himself. ...

• Word Count: 1285
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

These motivations are the reasons behind all the sinister plans.In order to examine these motivations, I plan to explore the following passages and soliloquies: (1) Who Othello, Cassio, Iago and Desdemona are at the beginning of the play. (2) What are the relationships between them. (3) How Iago gets angry and alliances with Roderigo and uses him... (4) How he plots his plans and how he plans the seed of doubt in each of them. (5) How he plays Cassio and Othello with the help of Roderigo (6) What Iago reveals in passages/soliloquies. (7) What are the motivations of him doing his wicked plan...

• Word Count: 1146
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Elliott, on the other hand, presents the more traditional meaning of the play, putting emphasis on the family feud and the idea of nature as an element of human behaviour. ... This is making a link to the idea in the original play that Lear had to be striped down to the bare essentials for him to realise what it is to be naturally human. ... With assistance from the supporting crew, Holm is able to present Lear as superior in his own mind, Kent played by David Burke, in particular, acts inferior towards Lear. ... Sir Laurence Olivier has taken his character straight out of the original play an...

• Word Count: 1073
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Throughout William Shakespeare's play "Macbeth," the title character goes against his moralities and betrays his country, his king, and his loyal friend Banquo. ... However, Banquo cannot reveal his doubts to anyone else for fear of what Macbeth may do to him if he were to learn of Banquo's feelings. ... The guilt becomes a barrier between Macbeth and his throne. ... These acts of betrayal from Macbeth lead to the theme of the novel which is the corrupting power of unchecked ambition; meaning that Macbeth's very ambition drove him to turn to tyranny. ...

• Word Count: 523
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Literary scholars have decoded the real meaning behind the scene in the beginning of Othello in which Othello is accused of wooing Desdemona via witchcraft. ... To fall in love is what she fear'd to look on! ... " (Shakspeare 3.3.31) In this section of the play, Othello claims that he won't let this jealousy of the supposed affair between Cassio and Desdemona. ... In the last few acts of Othello, the evil side of Othello's character is finally unleashed. ... To really understand what makes Othello execute the actions that he does throughout the play, the audience must caref...

• Word Count: 1345
• Approx Pages: 5

The pagan setting indicated that (most of) the characters in the play were heavily influenced by what they saw as forces of nature, which included gods, astrology, beasts and weather. ... Astrology is an apparent relationship between the movement of the Sun, Moon and planets and life on Earth. ... So, Ursa Major has no astrological meaning in that sense at all. ... But Edmund does not realize that he is actually playing right into the hands of astrology when he acts against his brother, father and the King. ... Shakespeare truly knew what he was doing on all levels and utilized this knowledge ...

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

Looking at the fine line between those who are civilized and those who are not, some of the characters in this play assume that they are better than others. ... "What, ho! ... Both Antonio and Prospero, in the midst of caring only about themselves, compose perilous acts. Hence, they both contradict the meaning of being a civilized human. ... Then he realized that he had become the opposite type of person from what he claimed to be. ...

• Word Count: 1196
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Symbolism and Imagery in A Midsummer Night's Dream In A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare brilliantly uses the night as a motif which plays a valuable role in the play. ... The night forest provides a setting for dangerous and daring acts such as Hermia and Lysander's plan to escape Athens. ... (Act III, Scene 2, 177-182) Throughout the course of the night, the gaze of the mind becomes enchanted, as depicted in Lysander and Demetrius "blindly" loving Helena under the magic spell; this twists the meaning of "love is blind". ... In Act IV, Scene 1, Demetrius comm...

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

In both plays, Shakespeare lessens language and bodies to their deepest levels. ... Through Lavinia's weakness and submissive nature, she acts as a prisoner to others declaration of themselves and of their power. For that reason, the anticipation or part that Lavinia serves within the Roman community is that of a tradable exchange between the Romans and the Goths, which by the closing of the play is degraded to nothing. ... Lavinia is the channel for this inter-social conflict between the Roman-Romans and Goth-Romans. ... As she is traded between domestic and societal realms, her roles...

• Word Count: 2903
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography

The two angels represent his choice between Christian good conscience and the path to eternal damnation (Marlowe 8). ... The readers' attention is focused on Faustus' intention to use the power and on what he wants to achieve outside the academic knowledge he possesses. As the agreement indicates, Mephistopheles returns and Faustus keeps his promise and signs away his soul; he signs the oath with his own blood and writes on his arm the words ˜Homo fuge' meaning ˜Fly, man'. ... The readers get aware of Richard's intentions early in the play, and they...

• Word Count: 4910
• Approx Pages: 20
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

She is knowledgeable to the ways of a soldier, yet only believes a portion of what her husband tells her. ... This becomes an intimate moment between the two, as Emilia is unpinning Desdemona's hair and preparing her for bed (like a mother helping her young daughter). This showing of affection is strictly among the women of this play. ... Act 4 ends with Emilia asking for equality between both sexes (this theme also appears in the other plays we read). ... They seek (or strive for) respect and equality between both sexes, and fall short in a male-dominated society. ...

• Word Count: 4504
• Approx Pages: 18