literature-essays

As far back as Plato’s theory of imitation it has been asserted that “the poet always copies an earlier act of creation from reality or from other literary representations” (Carter 49). When Shakespeare wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream around 1595 and Macbeth around 1606, he drew strongly from source material, including known history, recent events and classical texts. It is argued in this essay that in doing so he included topical allegorical meanings that suited the concerns of his patronage and personal interests. In addition to using these elements, no writer writes in seclusion from all other influence. Allen writes that “works of literature, after all, are built from systems, codes and traditions established by previous works of literature.” (Allen 1). Allegory was an established and expected element of writing in the Elizabethan period. John Harington may have tended toward literal preferences himself (Nelson 361), however he notes that: "while some audiences might be sa...

The purpose of this essay is to discuss Shakespeare’s intention in using medical detail within his plays. The use of medical allusion is a frequent occurrence in Shakespeare’s works, touching upon a wide variety of topics in the sphere of physic; modern physician R.R. Simpson concludes that the plays contain 440 major medical references (Hoeniger 1992: 11). However, the focus of this essay shall be on the theme of remedy and curative methods, beginning with a discussion centred on these concepts in Hamlet (c.1599) and Macbeth (c.1606). The discussion shall then be expanded out to consider the connection between playwright and purgation or healing, and also the attitude towards physicians in the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean era. Before engaging in the proposed discussion, it is important to initially consider the general extent of medical understanding and physical knowledge during the period. Medical knowledge in the early modern era derived from the dominant theory of practic...

Throughout much of Macbeth, its titular protagonist is concerned with his future. He kills Duncan so that he can become king, he kills Banquo to protect his throne, and he goes to the witches to help him learn how to protect his life. Most of these actions, though, which he takes to preserve himself and his future, are reactionary and decided upon in remarkably short periods of time. The play presents Macbeth as a thoughtful, rational person; he can easily see both sides of the argument as to whether or not to kill Duncan and he seems to act in a rational manner. Yet, at the same time, the play presents him as impulsive. He decides to commit murder in an afternoon, and he kills one of his closest friends because he thinks that he might have some idea that Macbeth was the murderer of Duncan. Even when he consults the witches, which is a wise idea and shows a desire for forethought and premonition, the act of consultation is a reaction to seeing the ghost of Banquo. This presents a centr...

It is often debated as to whether the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth represent instruments of fate or whether they are simply manipulating and toying with Macbeth and influencing him to act in certain ways. However, Orson Welles, in his 1948 adaptation of Macbeth, uses the witches in a completely different sense, depicting Macbeth’s descent into insanity by leaving the witches in Act 4, Scene 1, out of frame while Macbeth toils onscreen, causing the audience to wonder whether, in this scene, the witches are truly present or are instead of Macbeth’s mind’s creation, thereby drawing parallels to the own turmoil and absolute paranoia of the times. Though much is to be made for the argument that the witches truly were present, as Welles inserts a scene prior to Macbeth’s crowning that shows the witches placing a crown on top of a doll’s head (likely taking influence from his own groundbreaking 1936 production of Voodoo Macbeth), the purposeful absence of the witches seems to int...

Hao 11F William Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’ and Kevin Macdonald’s film ‘The Last King of Scotland’ both highlight the destructive nature of ambition when it is not guided by its moral constraints. Both the play and film demonstrate that making decisions based off a person’s desire will only bring consequences and there will never be a positive outcome. Shakespeare condemns those who obtains power through unlawful means, similarly Macdonald supports the perception that power stolen from its rightful owner is only temporary as going against your morals for desires will only result in the downfall yourself. Shakespeare however suggest that one can redeem themselves by paying for your sin through death, while Macdonald paint a less superstitious outcome of strong willed individuals who attempt to turn their lives around through the redemption of their wrong doings. Shakespeare and Macdonald both illustrate the vicious nature of unconstrained desires through the downfall of those that co...

Shakespeare’s Macbeth , written in 1623, and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, written in 1953, are both historical plays based on a character’s extreme behaviors that have stemmed from evil desires and ulterior motives. Miller and Shakespeare set their plays in secluded religious societies that help in the progress of either mass hysteria or individual paranoia. The two authors make the audience second-guess themselves in their disturbing plays by using symbolic concepts that deconstruct the ideology of good and evil. Additionally, with corruption of power, female characters from both stories challenge the men they love to further their own needs. These stories panic, overwhelm, and frustrate their audiences with the twists and turns of their problematic characters and plot. Although ambition is a great motivator for success, it can become an unforgivable force where goals distort to work against you. Shakespeare and Miller use fragmented, obsessive, and repetitive language structure in...

Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth portrays the protagonist Macbeth, as a good man undone and led astray by his ‘vaulting ambition’ as well as external pressures, from his wife and the witches. In the context of this play, ‘good’ is defined as a man with courage, exceptional fighting skills and unquestionable loyalty to his king and his country. ‘Undone’ means to having been led astray from the conventions of society and ‘vaulting ambition’ is the inner drive to achieve a goal, regardless of obstacles. Macbeth is introduces as ‘brave’, but then is influences by both internal (ambition) and external (Lady Macbeth and the witches) forces, to then in the end, become an apathetic tyrant. Shakespeare introduces Macbeth as the protagonist of the play, who having been won a battle is deemed as “Brave Macbeth- who deserves that name”, and a man with “brandished steel”. Shakespeare implements imagery to emphasize his iron-like courage and unyielding nature. Even after hearing the tempting prophecy...

Drama is the performance of a narrative by actors on stage, and differs from prose fiction in that it is interpreted and presented by others rather than the individual viewer. The Crucible , by Arthur Miller, is a drama that illustrates a theocratic society corrupted by expectations and pressure to maintain a respectable reputation. These ideas are highlighted in the text through the use of dramatic conventions such as dialogue, stage directions, body language and lighting. Another play: Macbeth , written by William Shakespeare, conveys a similar message of the manipulation and exploitation that is experienced by mankind. This manifests itself through the use of character development and relationships as well as language and symbolism. Both of these texts make comment on what it is to be a man or a woman, and how each gender is expected to conform in order to meet society’s expectations. However they do differ in the way they communicate this message to their audience. David Gilmore ...

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is filled to the brim with images of various sorts from nature to darkness to blood. It is near impossible to read a page from the script without coming across imagery of some kind or another. Because his writing seems so deliberate, it becomes possible to read into the imagery to discern what Shakespeare might have been trying to imply about his characters. The imagery of blood in Macbeth is indicative of the characters’ attitudes towards the heinous acts that they commit. Imagery of blood is in abundance in Macbeth . It is present in thirty-nine lines that spread across all five acts (Open). In the second scene of the first act, there are two references to blood. “What bloody man is that?” (King 1.2.1) and “For brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name- \ Disdaining Fortune with his brandished steel, \ Which smoked with bloody execution” (Captain 1.2.18-20). Both of these quotes are talking about Macbeth who was an incredible soldier. The blood imager...

Despite the notion of a utopian society, absolute perfection ceases to exist simultaneously with the human race. Mistakes have inevitably plagued humans since the commencement of civilization, but it is the accountability for these failures, not the failures themselves, which serve to characterize the human species. Archaic works such as Antigone by the classical playwright, Sophocles, testify to the timeless nature of human malevolence. In Antigone, a sage named Teiresias observed that a virtuous man seeks to reform and repent once he becomes conscious of his moral shortcomings. Only a prideful individual who refuses to admit his faults resides at the epitome of evil. As one of the deadly sins, pride encourages individuals to pursue personal gain, even if it means the annihilation of themselves and their loved ones. Certain literary characters such as Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Lord Macbeth from William Shakespeare’s pla...

While modern sensibilities claim a wide array of roles and identities for women, current feminine archetypes are still heavily influenced by those of the past. Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, portrays a dichotomous archetype of what an ideal woman should be against that of what a woman would be if she does not uphold that archetype. Through understanding the character of Lady Macbeth and her relationship to others in the play, we can better understand Shakespeare’s commentary on the toxicity which can emerge as a result from the failure to uphold these societal constructs. Lady Macbeth’s position as wife and woman stand in contrast to Shakespearean-era definitions of femininity. Her ultimate downfall emerges from her inability to reconcile the competing desires for power with her womanishness. According to Joanna Levin, author of Lady MacBeth and the Daemonologie of Hysteria, Shakespearean era representations of femininity “came to emphasize the good mother over and against the threa...

The tragedy Macbeth written by William Shakespeare is thought to have been first performed in 1606. Needless to say, the information about the date of it being written is not known, yet the date of publication is - 1623 in the First Folio. That, in turn, adds up to the common fact that plays are written primarily to be staged. Those choosing the expose themselves to the staged version of the play are choosing the right tactics of getting the full play’s appreciation above all. Particularly, these approach will also suit students seeking literature or philology degree that have to prepare for their literature classes and get the fullest impression possible, with their literary sensibility and sensitivity at hand. Choosing the paths of least resistance, the student might embark on the theatric or even screen productions that he can easily access in YouTube - as a free and open source of full version of stage productions. Yet, these productions tend to deviate from the original textual m...