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Social Dynamics in A Doll's House

2 Pages 863 Words
Introduction Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House is a compelling exploration of social issues that were prevalent in the late 19th century. The play, often hailed as a landmark in feminist literature, challenges the societal norms and conventions of its time, particularly those related to gender roles and marital dynamics. Set in a seemingly typical bourgeois household, it scrutinizes the...

Feminism In A Doll’s House: Essay

4 Pages 1661 Words
In the nineteenth century, the society was patriarchal and controlled by men, women were deprived of all rights. The society was constructed and conducted in a way that women made completely dependent on men in all cultural domains, religious, political, and economic. This is the background in which Henrik Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” is written. Ibsen created a female...

Misogyny in Hamlet

1 Page 619 Words
Allan G. Johnson, a sociologist, defines Misogyny as 'misogyny is a cultural attitude of hatred for females because they are female'. (Johnson, 2000). In the play, Hamlet, there are just two individuals from the cast who are female characters. One is Gertrude who is anticipated as a forbidden, cutthroat and a prostitute. The other, Ophelia, is cast to be an...

Power And Responsibility In The Play An Inspector Calls

3 Pages 1375 Words
An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley deals with the theme of power which is conveyed as; an ability to influence the behaviour of others or events, this is demonstrated through the speech and actions of the characters. The play is deliberately set in 1912 (in Brumley, England), to show the distinct gender imbalances and class divisions which were apparent in...

Romeo And Juliet: Strengths And Weaknesses

2 Pages 1010 Words
Reviewed double_ok
Romeo is the young boy looking for love, Juliet is the clever girl, and Capulet is the protective father. William Shakespeare made these characters like this so the audience could relate to their characteristics and personalities. William Shakespeare made complex characters throughout The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet with both strengths and weaknesses. Throughout the Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet...

Imbalance Of Responsibility In An Inspector Calls

1 Page 431 Words
Priestley presents an imbalance of responsibility within the Birling family between the two generations , with the older generation (Mr and Mrs Birling) showing a lack of responsibility and empathy towards Eva smith’s death whereas the younger generation (Sheila and Eric) hold a majority of the responsibility showing maturity and understanding which the older generation should hold ,however, they evidently...

Shakespeare's Presentation Of Macbeth’s Doubt And Guilt

2 Pages 961 Words
In Shakespeare’s didactic play the themes of ‘doubt’ and ‘guilt’ play a central role in the presentation of the tragic hero: Macbeth. Macbeth has to make many decisions throughout the play that revolve around his guilty conscience.Whether it be him doubting himself about whether to kill Duncan or him feeling guilty and regretful after his act of regicide. However, Macbeth’s...

The Role And Theme Of Past In The Glass Menagerie And Never Let Me Go

4 Pages 1988 Words
Both Ishiguro and Williams explore many aspects of the past, including how it defines and contours their characters’ identities. Characters like Amanda and Kathy dwell on their past to bring them comfort and an escape from the depressing reality of their situation. ‘Never Let Me Go,’ Ishiguro portrays the past to be a memory that Kathy desires to cling on...

Shame In Hardy's Tess Of The d’Urbervilles And Death Of A Salesman

3 Pages 1275 Words
Shame is dependent on the expectation of the self, and society, with tragedy lying in the character’s ability to never accomplish their desires. Tess in Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Willy in Miller’s Death of a Salesman can never transcend their shame, not because a prejudiced society limits them, but because they internalise such prejudice that confines them to...

How Does Shakespeare Present Evil In Macbeth?

5 Pages 2396 Words
Introduction to the Theme of Evil in 'Macbeth The play Macbeth was written by William Shakespeare who was famous in the 17th century for his poems and plays during the Jacobean period. He wrote the play for James I who later became a patron to his theatre. The play was set in Scotland to appeal to the King at the...

The Importance Of Tricks And Disguises In Twelfth Night

1 Page 649 Words
‘Twelfth Night’ or ‘What You Will’ is a Shakespearean play that includes many comedic conventions like disguise, trickery and love interests. It is these conventions that make modern audiences enjoy and laugh at ‘Twelfth Night’, contrary to Sir Richard Eyre’s comment, 'It's true that a lot of Shakespeare's jokes aren't very good, because they're topical, you know. Comedy dates very,...

Shakespeare's Twelfth Night's Value in Modern Society

2 Pages 933 Words
What is the value of Shakespeare’s work in modern society? William Shakespeare, just the mention of that name is enough to excite a chorus of groans around any classroom. We’ve all heard of him, but the name incites a level of fear because we expect to not understand the difficult language or gain anything from someone who lived over 400...

Power and influence in Hedda and Brack

2 Pages 808 Words
Power and influence are prominent concepts in Hedda Gabler and the manner in which Ibsen illustrates particularly Hedda Gabler’s transition of power to Judge Brack is witty. This is apparent through the numerous symbols of which the main protagonist associates. A daring aspect regarding this novel, is during the commotion regarding the will of influence, Ibsen is challenging social norms,...

The Functions Of The Pistols In Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler

4 Pages 1990 Words
Our discussion prominently focused on time and setting. Throughout the oral, I realised that the play was situated in the Victorian era, during the 1890s. During this time period, there was a feminist movement where a women’s rights organisation was formed. This could have led to women being empowered, as shown through the female characters in the play, such as...

Character Analysis Of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler

4 Pages 1916 Words
Being raised in the upper class is an amazing privilege that some people only dream of. Some individuals work hard to achieve this goal, and some are luckily born into it. Hedda Gabler is one of these people. Hedda is the daughter of General Gabler. She is very spoiled as a child, and she has the opportunity to have luxury...

Manipulation in Othello: How does Iago Manipulate Othello and Others

3 Pages 1457 Words
Reviewed double_ok
Villains in literature play an important role in plot development. While villains initiate actions, they simultaneously illuminate the good qualities of heroes in the play. William Shakespeare’s play Othello is no exception. In Othello, Iago is a complex character that plays a major role in determining the events and fate of several characters in the play. He manages to deceive...

Exploring The Ambiguities Of Gender Identity In Twelfth Night

2 Pages 999 Words
William Shakespeare is deemed to be the greatest dramatist of all time. As Ben Jonson, one of his closest friends once said, “Shakespeare is not of an age but for all time”. Many of his plays continue to be studied in our modern era and are a staple to any English curriculum. He has many famous plays that have been...

Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night

1 Page 661 Words
Gender from Then to Today The societal role of women within british literature is a recurring theme seen across the centuries. Whether it be Guinevere in a lustrous affair with Sir Lancelot, to the Wife of Bath battling gender norms, to Viola fighting for work in a man’s world we see the importance of gender identity. In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth...

Hedda Gabler's Unhappy Life And Marriage

2 Pages 985 Words
Henrik Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” depicts a neurotic woman who is unhappy with her life and marriage. Because she was a daddy’s girl and never attained anything in her lifetime, she will go to great lengths to make the life of those that achieved their desires and goals a living hell. In the play we see that Hedda had a good...

Classic Aspects Of Dramatic Comedy In Twelfth Night

2 Pages 727 Words
By effectively manipulating comedy and the satirical use of jokes and humour, Shakespeare successfully managed to comment on certain aspects of Elizabethan society in his play 'Twelfth night'. Through his use of puns, irony, double entendres and satire, Shakespeare manages to entertain his Elizabethan audience whilst commenting on many ideas and values that revolve around their society. Twelfth Night contains...

Iago's Jealousy In Othello Essay

2 Pages 1137 Words
Reviewed double_ok
Jealousy has been around since the beginning of time. It starts when you are born. Jealousy comes from insecurity, bitterness and obsessive caring. It also comes from wanting something that belongs to someone else or wanting someone who is in a relationship with another person. Most of us have experienced jealousy at some point in our lives in some way...

1 Page 0 Words
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Hamlet: Discrepancy Between Christian Religion And Revenge Desire

2 Pages 983 Words
In plays, many outside forces such as geography, other characters, religion, culture, and society play an important role in the development of characters. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s strong beliefs in Christianity influence his behavior and lead to his internal struggle of action versus inaction and ultimately tragedy. Hamlet’s Christian beliefs about heaven and hell deter his desire to take...

Themes Of Power And Ambition In Macbeth

2 Pages 1001 Words
Tragedy is a form of drama that is centred around a lead character with a fatal flaw. The main cast is often a victim/subject of their inner turmoil, which is a build-up of their mental illness, paranoia, ego, and growing greed and envy. The tragic hero’s poor decisions, as well as manipulative influences, causes a myriad of murder and issues...

Personal Identity In Othello And The Importance Of Being Earnest

3 Pages 1513 Words
Shakespeare in his Othello, and Wilde in his The Importance of Being Earnest, are about realising personality through creative strategies to exploit the hypocrisy of society. Oscar Wilde’s play was first performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London. It is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations...

Features Of Comedy And Tragedy In The Play Taming Of The Shrew

3 Pages 1520 Words
Comedy in the world of Greek playwriting was considered a popular and influential form of theatre. In addition, Greek tragedy was also a popular form of genre for theatre, which mainly expressed scenarios or stories that end tragically mainly for the protagonist. In addition, Greek comedy is considered to be a public popular culture which in modern times, almost parallels...

Is Macbeth a Tragic Hero?

4 Pages 1617 Words
Reviewed double_ok
Throughout Macbeth Macbeth transforms from a respected Noble into a tyrannous ruler that is ultimately defeated by his own hubris. The play tells the classic tale of a tragic hero by giving macbeth a fatal flaw and excessive pride as well as a moment in his story where he loses everything and reflects on what brought him to that moment....

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