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Obsession as a Human Trait in Doctor Faustus, a Play by Christopher Marlowe
Human Obsession in Doctor Faustus In his Doctor Faustus, Christopher Marlowe writes on the topic of obsession. Through his examination of the extremes to which humans go when obsessed with an idea, Marlowe concludes that obsession is a human trait that must be checked. Obsession with any goal will lead to a change in a person's character, which will then lead to one's fall. In the play Doctor Faustus, Faustus's moral decline is attributed to his fixation on the attainment of power…...
Doctor FaustusFaust
Consequences of Dissatisfaction in Doctor Faustus
Doctor Faustus is the tragedy of a boundlessly striving man to misdirect great gifts of mind and spirit and hence progressively loses his soul by disintegration as well as by capture. Faustus fights a battle that has been fought by all and that is for perfection. But yet he is never able to achieve this betterment because of his human nature of never feeling satisfied. Faustus is offered salvation multiple times throughout the play, but he continuously turns the opportunity down. Although throughout…...
Doctor FaustusFaust
The Impression of Faustus and the Play as a Whole
Doctor Faustus is a complex play that demonstrates conflicting ideas with Marlowe's main preoccupation being a moral one of sin and redemption. This is embodied through the characterization of Faustus. In this passage, we are given a piece of dramatic dialogue that helps to create our impression of Faustus's character, and ultimately shapes our impression of the play as a whole. The language that is used in this scene between Faustus and Mephistopheles is figuratively dark, with the predominant repetition of damned', 'Lucifer'…...
Doctor FaustusFaust
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Power’s Negative Influence in Doctor Faustus
The play “Doctor Faustus” by Christopher Marlowe is a tragedy about life and death. A tragedy is a play that shows a conflict between a human character and a differing, overpowering force. In this play, the main character Faustus wants to experiment with black magic. This prompts a lot of inner conflicts for him, and an overall theme that power can be a negative influence. In this scene of the play, Faustus faces a conflict of whether or not to sign…...
Doctor Faustus
Gender in “An Inspector Calls”
An Inspector Calls is set in England in 1912, prior to World War 1. At this time gender was very segregated and controversial. During the play, we see how each character is portrayed and how they develop, despite their gender. In this time period, women were viewed as subsidiary to men. This is presented through the role of Mr. Birling. He quotes “and I speak and a hard-headed business man.” Through this quote we can infer that he is trying…...
Plays
A Literary Analysis of a Death of a Salesman
Introduction: State the topic: In Death of a Salesman, the American Dream is shown to be corrupted. Willy Loman, the protagonist of the play, is shown to have an exceptionally difficult time with his American Dream, which is to see his kids do better than him. Paragraph 1: Talk about Willy's American Dream and what he has to do to achieve it: Throughout Willy's life, he wanted to see his kids, Hap and Biff, thrive and succeed in life. He…...
Death Of A Salesman
A Literary Analysis of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman Initial Reaction When first reading Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, I was interested in this sad, yet comical character and his daydreams. I was annoyed though because many times I was unable to distinguish whether or not the main character, Willy, was daydreaming or not and which events were actually happening. For some reason, I came to identify with his son, Happy, more than the other son Biff. I just prefered his character to…...
Death Of A Salesman
Shakespeare’s Rethinking of Power
The Taming of the Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays with characters that are appealing with humor and based on an understanding of human nature. One can see the main character criticized as a shrew, Katherine played by Kala Ross a second-year MFA in performance student at UofL who I will be talking about in this critique. There have often been questions about the mischievousness behind Kate's character. Many inferences behind the reasons for Kate’s shrewd behavior as…...
The Taming Of The ShrewWilliam Shakespeare
Shakespeare: Advocate for Women in The Taming of the Shrew
William Shakespeare and John Fletcher were writing partners so it is not surprising that their stories shared the same subject matter. Jonathan Fletcher’s The Tamer Tamed or The Woman’s Prize is often considered the sequel to Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. While a continuation of Shakespeare’s work, it offers a new understanding of the original as well. Their respective characterization and mood offer insight into Shakespeare and Fletcher as playwrights. Fletcher and Shakespeare’s Petruchio in both plays is striving…...
The Taming Of The ShrewWilliam Shakespeare
The Night of the Iguana Play Report
In this Essayessay, I will discuss one of Tennessee Williams’ plays The Night of the Iguana. Among the synopsis of the show and the background of the playwright, I will talk about when this work was on stage, the awards, and the historical significance. In the Night of the Iguana the protagonist T. Lawrence Shannon, a defrocked minister and tour guide leader, leads a group of women on a tour to a small hotel outside of Mexico City during World…...
A Streetcar Named Desire
Between Illusion and Reality
There has been a large amount of discussion on Woody Allen’s film Blue Jasmine and while one can definitively notice the similarities between his film and Tennessee Williams’ play can one also overlook their differing messages. By exploring the discourse surrounding the similarities and contrasting factors of Woody Allen’s film and the renowned play A Streetcar Named Desire by Williams, I will decipher these messages. I will also attempt to answer some posed questions from the film and the drama…...
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Use of Suspense in Shakespeare’s Plays
William Shakespeare uses suspense in his plays. The suspense adds to the stories and shows different elements of it. The use of suspense in William Shakespeare's plays not only develops the story but it also attracts the crowd's attention. Two of William Shakespeare's plays that include multiple elements of suspense are: Much Ado About Nothing and Julius Caesar. Suspense has different ways of showing itself. In both of these plays they include a villain and elements of foreshadowing. Different parts…...
Julius CaesarMuch Ado About NothingSuspenseWilliam Shakespeare
Macbeth’s Insanity
A few pieces of life impact a person’s mental state, for example, a family ancestry of dysfunctional behavior, an abrupt crazy flare-up, or a steady movement of side effects. Mental illness is common in our culture and the literature often uses it to emphasize stories. Mental illness occurs in Macbeth A famous example of mental illness occurs in Macbeth by William Shakespeare; it tells the story of a hero who falls into disgrace when he becomes greedy for power. Toward the beginning…...
MacbethMental Health
The Story of Romeo and Juliet
The emotions people feel while reading Shakespeare are astounding. The story of Romeo and Juliet is a story that will both make one cry, laugh, and be confused all at the same time. The amount of highs and lows in just the first couple acts are unworldly, and when going deeper into the story itself it only escalates tenfold. Shakespeare impacted his audience through his writing because his audience was left with so many scenarios of what “really” was going…...
LoveRoller CoasterRomeo And Juliet
The Opinion On Dreama
Sometime this week I watched the play ‘And they came for me’ by James Still, who is an American author. The play combines several tapes of interviews with the friends of Anne Frank that were lucky to survive the Holocaust and Eva Schloss, together with other live actors that recreated the scenes of their own lives. It was performed in Germany on November 1938. Synopsis of the play This play is quite a unique theatrical experience. The live actors are…...
PlaysThe Diary Of Anne Frank
The Modern Dr. Faustus
The supernatural has always been a mysterious thing to the human mind, both back in history and even in the present. Numerous stories have been written pertaining to this topic, bringing to life demons, angels, and monsters alike. One often retold story is Doctor Faustus, where a human and demon made a binding contract at the expense of a soul. There have been many renditions of the legend of Faust, however, Marlowe’s inspiration came from the German work, “Faustbuch” otherwise…...
ContractDoctor Faustus
It Was Written In The Stars
What is the Significance of the Stars in Doctor Faustus? The stars have been all around since the beginning of time and have not drastically changed.People have been trying to understand the stars for centuries. It did not take too long for people to see that stars are a map in the sky, and the most basic knowledge of the stars and constellations was used for navigation. In ancient times, the stars were used to create the four cardinal directions.…...
Doctor Faustus
“The Tragic Story of the Life and Death of Doctor Faust” by Chris Marlow
Different periods in history had their different authors, and their characters reflected, more often than not, what was happening in that society. Chris Marlowe lived from the middle of the middle age to the early years of the renaissance, where his work is based. Doctor Faustus, like many other works of art, has a hero, a proponent who carries the day throughout the plot. The work of art in question is an Elizabethan comedy, which ends tragically. Written in the…...
Doctor FaustusWork
Concept of Honor Throughout History
Throughout history the concept that a of honor is seen everywhere. It can mean different things depending on the situation and person you are talking about. For someone of a higher-class honor might be in relation to their family or business that they are in. To someone of lower class it could be a moral standing or just a way the live one's life. Honor for males vs females Honor can also be portrayed differently when dealing with males and females. A man's honor…...
HonorMuch Ado About Nothing
Masculinity and Violence in Othello
There is a direct linked between masculinity and violence committed by men. Researches have reported that the men are stressed and in depression for not living up to their gender norms. And media has a role in for setting up these norms. According to TV and popular media to be a man, you must be stoic hard-working, emotionally constipated, intimidating, physical, strong, in control, rugged, be able to scare people, powerful, respected and much more. That is what our culture…...
Jealousy In OthelloOthello
The Bloody Hands Of Guilt: The Cause of Macbeth’s Downfall
Every living person on this planet has been shadowed by the feeling of guilt and remorse once in their life. Whether this cause stems from something as minor as lying to someone, or something as major as being nearly single handedly responsible for the death of many, William Shakespeare understood this as a feeling all humans go through. Shakespeare implemented underlying messages in one of the world’s most famous tragedies, Macbeth, to help the audience understand many aspects of guilt,…...
GuiltMacbeth
The Glass Menagerie Symbolism Analysis
The Glass Menagerie showed symbolism from the very beginning to add more profoundness to the play. Using numerous symbols that demonstrates within the whole play that is either realistic or nonrealistic. Unicorn Symbolism Tennessee Williams displays a drama by a family with many struggles of everyday life. Throughout the story, the author applies much needed symbolism for a deeper meaning of important objects, people and places. This play includes symbolism which has dual meaning that the character relates to and…...
The Glass Menagerie
Much Ado About Nothing Movie Analysis
Within the first few minutes, we are greeted by the whole main cast of the movie. The start shows the casual inhabitants of the manor lying in the sun and quickly dashing back to the castle in an effort to change and get ready before the prince and his entourage of knights arrive. The prince Don Pedro had sent a man ahead of the main party to forewarn the manor of his royal presence, but in the haste of the…...
Movie ReviewMuch Ado About Nothing
Shakespeare vs. Dumas: Romeo and Juliet and the Count
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is an adventure novel set in France during the first half of the nineteenth century. William Shakespeare’s, Romeo and Juliet is a play of the sixteenth century in Italy. Dumas used the influence of many Shakespearean plays; however, Romeo and Juliet is particularly similar to The Count of Monte Cristo. Both authors originated from different eras, are closely compared due to Dumas’s use of themes regarding vengeance and tragedies, symbols of objects,…...
Alexandre DumasRomeo And JulietThe Count Of Monte CristoWilliam Shakespeare
Shakespeare: It Analytical Paper
BBC Television Shakespeare’s: As You Like It, was released in 1978. This was a screenplay written by William Shakespeare. In Lecture 9: Sex and Genderbending, we learned that Crossdressing was written into the script to tackle the issue of “Performing” masculinity in the play. Genderbending was an occasional theme in Shakespeare’s plays. This film tells the story of Rosalind, who disguises herself as a man on a mission to find her banished father, Duke Senior, in the forest of Arden…...
As You Like ItWilliam Shakespeare
The Truth behind Hamlets Act of Madness in William Shakespeares Play
Hamlet acted mad and used it as a tactic in order to achieve his ultimate goal of revenge. Ophelia, despairing the once brilliant and truthful mind of Hamlet states with disappointment, “O what a noble mind is here o’erthrown!” (III.1.46). Ophelia sincerely believes that Hamlet has gone mad. Hamlet used Ophelia's vulnerability and love for him in order to convince not only Ophelia, but also his peers that he has gone mad. Tricking Ophelia into believing that he is mad…...
Hamlet
The Effects of Revenge on Soliloquies in Hamlet, a Play by William Shakespeare
Revenge Focus Paper No one quite understands whether revenge is a noble pursuit or not. For if one is wronged, it makes reasonable sense to enact revenge. It provides a sense of fulfillment and closure that would be difficult to gain otherwise. However, the lengths those that seek revenge go to may not appear as ethical. William Shakespeare's Hamlet discusses the question of revenge and its the effects through soliloquies. Shakespeare employs a critical tone and comparisons to portray Hamlet's…...
Hamlet
An Analysis of the Theme of Revenge in the Play Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Revenge is a Double Edged Sword Throughout his pieces and plays, Shakespeare incorporates themes that define human nature. In his play "Hamlet" he uses the characters to portray desire and flaws with society to teach the audience a lesson that is not always visible on the surface of his works. The lessons not only meant to be a lesson but also a warning, as Shakespeare is famously known for his ability to end the lives of many of his actors…...
Hamlet
An Analysis of Revenge Theme in Hamlet by William Shakespeare
In Hamlet, there are three characters that want revenge. Fortinbras wants revenge for his uncle's defeat by King Hamlet and to regain their lost land for Norway. Laertes wants revenge near the end of the play because he blames Hamlet for the death of his father-and rightly so because it was Hamlet who dealt the final blow-and for the madness and eventual death of his sister. Hamlet wants to avenge his father, the former king, because Claudius had murdered him…...
Hamlet
The Deep On Blue
The monstrous beast’s long white fangs sunk deep into my leg. I screamed as loud as I’ve ever screamed before. The pain was unforgiving as I slashed around violently, trying to get free. I could feel the pain spreading through my body when suddenly everything went black… “Ahh!” I screamed panting heavily. I woke up in a cold sweat. My pillow was slightly damp and cold but my face was warm. My room was completely dark except for the slight…...
As You Like ItSurfing
Culminating On Writing Task
In the play Our Town, Wilder paints a picture of a true community by showing in the play how a true community. Through the passages i’ve read, Solitude by Deresiewicz and Bowling Alone by Putnam and also the play Our Town by Wilder, there was an argument of social trust and solitude. The passages and book has very good evidence on why the authors think a certain way of the matter solitude and social trust. Our Town shows lots of…...
Plays
Three-Act Play “Our City”
Thornton Wilder that takes place in the town of Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire during the early 1900’s (1901-1913). The Characters throughout the play are all impacted by the period in which they live but I will be addressing George Gibbs, Emily Webb, Mrs. Gibbs and Mrs. Webb. Grover’s Corner is a small town in the beginning of the 20th century where the mother pertains to her household duties, the milkman makes his daily rounds and “town drunks” are known only…...
Plays
Emotions Throughout The Play
“Death of a Salesman” has various ways of showing the reader many emotions throughout the play but happiness is the key component within. The pursuit of happiness and living the so-called American Dream is a big part of the play “Death of a Salesman”. “The US Declaration of Independence guarantees the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all citizens. These promises are not about guaranteed outcomes, but about opportunities to seek fulfilling lives” (Graham 1). This…...
Plays
Review of the Play by Maggie Eileen Harrigan
Theseus is still on a year long exile after having committed some heinous murder. Aphrodite vows revenge for Hippolytus’s lack of courtesy towards her. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, does not condone his action of chastity. She is especially angered when Hippolytus shows his admiration to Artemis, who is the Goddess of chastity/childbirth, as well as animals and hunting. Aphrodite’s plan of vengeance is to have Hippolytus’s stepmother, Phaedra, fall madly in love with him. Not only that, but she…...
Plays
Story About the Disease With Radiation Synostosis
My name is Daniel Sagrero. I was born with a rare arm condition called radioulnar synostosis and if someone saw someone inflicted with radioulnar synostosis, they probably wouldn’t think they play a mean game of volleyball, a game predicated on using your hands, palms and wrists. But I feel I’ve bucked that notion. I was born with radioulnar synostosis in both of my arms-bilateral, which occurs when the radius and ulna bones in the forearm shift before they fuse at…...
Plays
The Pros and Cons of Playing Volleyball
There are lots of pros and cons with playing on a volleyball team. I have been playing volleyball for four years. One pro to playing volleyball is that you become very close with your teammates and coaches, and make lots of new friends during volleyball. One con is that volleyball is a lot of hard work and you have to have determination. And you have to stay positive and you can’t give up. What is Volleyball? What is volleyball? Volleyball…...
PlaysVolleyball
Comparison And Contrast Of Lion King And Hamlet
“To be or not to be that is the question”. In the Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, this is used as Hamlet questions his life, but I am using it to compare Hamlet to The Lion King. It was family affairs on who or how they killed someone or the relationships between characters in both text. The Lion King and Hamlet have themes that they also share that are both good and bad. They share loyalty and revenge, power and corruption, and…...
HamletLion
Patterns of Stage Performances In “Little Things
Please answer each question in ¾ page of thoughtful writing that incorporates specific textual evidence from each play. Total length: 1 ½ pages double-spaced, 12-pt. font What patterns does you notice in the stage directions in Trifles? Draw our attention to a particular pattern that you notice in the stage directions that you feel is important and tell us the idea being implied through that repeated element. In the play Trifles Glaspell showed command in her stage directions. She used…...
PlaysTrifles
Components That Make a Story a Fictional Story
Any nonfiction/fictional story contains components to make it a story. In the play, 'Trifles' by Susan Glaspell the theme seems to be basically conveyed by the plot, characters, setting, symbolism, etc, which really is quite significant. The author utilizing all these techniques to particularly convey the messages helps the audience understand the play more. For instance, the plot gives it conflicts, elevating actions, climaxes, falling actions, and resolutions in a fairly major way. Moreover, the setting mostly makes the action…...
Plays
Tragic Love Themes in English Literature
Authors Nicholas Spark and William Shakespeare both include themes of drama, tragedy and sacrifice in their love story in English literary tradition. Nicholas is a love story teller who expresses love by sacrificing a person’s true love, while the English poet William seeks tragedy in the end of his stories. The American novelist uses the word “love” as a real life scenario. The result was his 1996 novel The Notebook, which Sparks based on the romance between his wife's maternal…...
LoveRomeo And JulietThe Notebook
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