Literary Criticism essays

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2 Pages 843 Words
One of the earliest pieces of literature which have lived on into the modern era is the Epic of Gilgamesh from ancient Mesopotamia. It was written as a poem on 12 tablets in the Akkadian language in 2750 B.C.E. after years of being conveyed through storytelling by the Sumerian people. Storytelling was used by Sumerians in the early times to...
Epic of GilgameshLiterary Criticism
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2 Pages 931 Words
Introduction William Shakespeare's Macbeth stands as one of the most profound tragedies in literary history, drawing upon the quintessential elements of the tragic form. The play delves into the darker aspects of human nature, exploring themes such as unchecked ambition, moral corruption, and the inevitable descent into madness. At its core, a tragedy examines the downfall of the protagonist, whose...
Literary CriticismMacbethTragedy
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2 Pages 847 Words
To Be Human is to Be Flawed Are humans inherently flawed? Is there something fundamentally imperfect with human nature? These questions have been asked by philosophers from as early as 2000 BCE when the first book was ever written, Gilgamesh, was transcribed. Gilgamesh is an epic poem written by the Sumerians and eventually translated into other languages in the 1900s....
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3 Pages 1367 Words
Harper Lee was an American novelist best known for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Before she became a famous writer, Lee studied at Oxford and was planning to become a lawyer just like her father, but eventually dropped out of law school. Harper Lee only published two books during her lifetime: To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set...
Harper LeeLiterary Criticism
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3 Pages 1410 Words
Comedy vs. Tragedy: Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream vs. Romeo and Juliet According to Horace Walpole, “Life is a comedy to those who think, a tragedy to those who feel” (Wolterbeek). Over the course of many years, comedy and tragedy have been studied by various scholars, from Aristotle to Friedrich Nietzsche. In both of Shakespeare’s works, A Midsummer Night’s Dream...
Literary CriticismRomeo and JulietTragedy
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1 Page 442 Words
At the end of World War II, William Faulkner gave a speech after accepting a Nobel prize, his bold use of language portrays that a writer’s duty is to admonish the delusions that hinder our ability to perceive the world honestly. Two books that give an account of nostalgia, An American Childhood by Annie Dillard and The Road from Coorain...
Being a WriterLiterary CriticismWilliam Faulkner
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2 Pages 935 Words
'To be, or not to be?' To die, or to suffer eternally? That is the question the two protagonists are faced with, all in order to build resilience. Both protagonists possess the ability to rebel against and challenge their fate to prove their credo, but only one turns into a resilient hero. By comparing the lives of both Oedipus and...
HamletLiterary CriticismOedipus
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2 Pages 807 Words
As the events are happening in Spain, the author used Spanish words in order to emphasize this circumstance, for example, when the man mentions the name of a drink: The girl looked at the bead curtain. ‘They’ve painted something on it,’ she said. ‘What does it say?’ ‘Anis del Toro. It’s a drink.’ ‘Could we try it?’ Anis del Toro...
Hills Like White ElephantsLiterary Criticism
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4 Pages 1688 Words
A Marxist Take on Sonny’s Blue The oppression and social status of African Americans in the late 1950s were harsh. This essay will be viewing the story through a Marxist critical lens. During this time frame, there were major Culture differences. African Americans were often looked down upon strictly just because of their nationality. We see many examples of oppression...
Literary CriticismSonny’s Blues
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4 Pages 1641 Words
Addiction to drugs is an overall theme in “Sonny’s Blues”, impacting both those with the addiction and their loved ones. In the story, heroin takes a toll on lives, families, and talent. From another perspective, it offers a period of time where the user can escape from depressing physical and emotional environments. Sonny uses heroin as a way to cope...
Literary CriticismSonny’s Blues
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3 Pages 1195 Words
My essay is going to be based on the reading passage taken from the short story written by Edgar Allan Poe; ‘The Black Cat’, which was published in 1845. What I first notice when reading this passage is that the cat idolizes and admires its owner. He says in the text that when he gets up to walk, the cat...
Edgar Allan PoeLiterary CriticismThe Black Cat
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2 Pages 904 Words
‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson is a short story in which there is an isolated character, Tessie Hutchinson. There are many themes and techniques in the story such as foreshadowing, symbolism, and setting which highlight Tessie`s isolation from society. In the story, there is a village that takes part in a lottery each year when someone is chosen by a...
Literary CriticismThe Lottery
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2 Pages 800 Words
I’m going to talk about Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar was born around the time of the industrial revolution and he was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and macabre. Edgar was best known for his poem including the raven and a valentine. Edgar's life...
Literary CriticismThe Raven
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4 Pages 1706 Words
The epic poem, Paradise Lost which is a masterpiece of John Milton is a work of amazing resourceful genius that continues to have an impact on English literature today. It relates the account of the combat for heaven and man's expulsion from Eden, which is written in more than 10,000 traces of clean verse. Its sections try to recognize the...
Literary CriticismParadise Lost
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1 Page 581 Words
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'A Rose for Emily ' is a Southern gothic short story written by William Faulkner which revolves around the protagonist Emily Grierson. This short story was published on April 30, 1930. In this short story, Faulkner used some literary devices such as stream of consciousness, flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism, ambiguity, and allegory. This report will be focusing on how Faulkner used...
A Rose For EmilyLiterary Criticism
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1 Page 403 Words
This play teaches us about deception and manipulation to create an environment where it seems no one can be trusted. This play is still relevant and can teach us a lot about modern-day society and the fundamental parts of politics. Looking over the past, nothing much has changed. Interpreting the play from different perspectives grants us not just knowledge, but...
3 Pages 1211 Words
Peter Fritzsche’s Life and Death in the Third Reich gives personalized accounts of the Nazis’ different approaches, rationales, and justifications for their actions in their relationship with the German people between 1933 and 1945. Rather than blaming the German citizens for allowing Nazi ideology, he focuses on the complex relationship between the German population and the Nazis. He argues that...
Book ReviewLiterary Criticism
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3 Pages 1439 Words
Actions have always proved to speak louder than words and thoughts. You can think whatever you want about yourself, and you can perceive yourself in any way but none of that matters when you put that against what you are physically doing to other people. The actions of oneself are what get called into question here. In Shakespeare’s ​Julius Caesar,...
2 Pages 858 Words
Words are one of the most powerful tools that we possess. If one may decide to use them carelessly or spitefully, persuasion, deception, and control can be achieved quite easily. In our modern society, great speakers often have been associated with powerful leaders. This cannot be more apparent than in Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar. The chief characters in the play...
Literary CriticismThe Tragedy of Julius Caesar
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1 Page 632 Words
Antonio does not understand rhetoric as Brutus does. Their styles are different, such as the words and phrases they use, the symbolic resources, the duration of each speech and the interaction with the people, the reasons they present, and the vividness of the descriptions and manifestations, being abstract and intangible for Brutus and concrete and sensitive for Antonio. After César's...
Literary CriticismThe Tragedy of Julius Caesar
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2 Pages 991 Words
Throughout the development of civilization, humans have learned that effective leadership is the key to its success. An effective leader means to complete goals efficiently and in a practical manner, resulting in a better future for their followers. William Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caesar”, showcases leadership and all of its elements in their most undisguised form: the play’s namesake Julius Caesar,...
Literary CriticismThe Tragedy of Julius Caesar
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1 Page 673 Words
Eulogies are normally presented by a family member or loved one. Brutus is in the play Julius Caesar written by Shakespeare and Steve Irwin was an Australian zookeeper. Brutus gives a eulogy about Caesar, while Bindi Irwin gives a eulogy about her father. Bindi Irwin’s is much more personal than Brutus’. These two speeches have similar and different qualities. The...
Literary CriticismThe Tragedy of Julius Caesar
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2 Pages 862 Words
Introduction The character of Brutus in William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" stands as a complex figure caught between the ideals of patriotism and the acts of betrayal. His involvement in the assassination of Julius Caesar—despite a close friendship—poses an ethical dilemma that has intrigued scholars for centuries. Was Brutus a patriot acting in the best interest of Rome, or a traitor...
2 Pages 877 Words
The primary concern of good literature is the representation of the human experiences of surviving, to successfully engage and provoke their readers to morally question their own values and identity. Yan Martel humanizes his characters through the process of spiritual experiences that are developed throughout his novel in order to establish a bond between the audience and the characters. The...
Life of PiLiterary Criticism
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2 Pages 1043 Words
Characters of this story by Thomas King include the strong-willed mother who feels as if she declares herself a “Canadian” she is denouncing her native roots. She sees the Blackfoot as a whole and refuses to acknowledge the “border” around it. She is loyal and stands her ground as a member of the Blackfoot tribe. Her son who is also...
Literary CriticismShort Story
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2 Pages 1011 Words
In A Christmas Carol, Dickens presents the hope of redemption in the novel as a whole through the contrast and by using Scrooge from stave 1 to stave 5. At the start of the novella, we see how Scrooge has disconnected himself from society. He doesn't allow Bob to heat the office by burning coal, he believes Christmas is a...
A Christmas CarolLiterary Criticism
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2 Pages 930 Words
“What is History?” A question that needs a lot of thinking to be done. Before I read the book I thought the definition that best suits the question is “History is a narrative of what civilized men have thought or done in the past” given by Will Durant. EH Carr’s “What is History?” Not only talks about history being an...
Literary CriticismWhat Is History
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2 Pages 875 Words
In Greek Mythology, people describe Odysseus as a godlike person. He struggles with adversity during his sailing, showing his bravery, intelligence, and perseverance. However, the basis of Odysseus is still a man. Therefore he has normal human characteristics. In the battle with the Cyclops Polyphemus, both his godlike and human-like characteristics are shown. The wisdom of Odysseus is in his...
Literary CriticismOdysseus
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2 Pages 1120 Words
The importance of the theme of acceptance is illuminated in Boaz Yakin’s film “Remember the Titans” (2000) through the interactions of the various characters. Set in the 1970s, the racial barriers present in society at the time are projected onto the characters who belong to a football team called “The TCW Titans”, causing conflict between the coaches and as a...
Literary CriticismRemember The Titans
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