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Discuss the theme of revenge in literature
Discuss the theme of revenge in literature
character of revenge in literature
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Authors employ similar qualities of motives and characteristics to the antagonists of their novels in order to relate the situation to the reader through the common traits witnessed in human nature. In the novels Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, each author attributes the qualities of jealousy, manipulation, and questionable sanity to the antagonists of their composition. Through this depiction of conventional topics, the authors are able to convey that when people are driven by the greed for power, they will always be defeated by those driven by honorable means.
In Goose Girl and Water for Elephants, the motives of Selia and August derive from their envy of the main characters and desire for power, which ultimately leads to their demise. Selia, the lady in waiting to Princess Ani, murders members of the royal guard and attempts to kill the Princess in order to assume the identity. Envy and resentment consume Selia, which drives her to conspire against the kingdom and disregard the lives of others by nearly causing a war to hide her true identity. The actions of August in Water For Elephants are powered by his jealousy of the relationship developing between Marlena and Jacob. August, through his desire to create the best circus and control Marlena, abuses her and the animals, while also killing members of the crew that he could not pay. Selia and August do not contain a moral conscience or value others’ lives. Both characters are depicted as ruthless, cruel human beings paired with charm and allure. This fixation on power and envy leads to the death of Selia and August at the end of the novels through gruesome measures. The author, through the triumph of th...
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...ruen shows the reader that no matter if the antagonist possesses a marginal excuse, the antagonist can still not prosper with dishonorable intentions.
Hale, Gruen, and Miller describe the antagonists of their compositions with qualities of jealousy, manipulation, and questionable sanity in order to convey messages that are applicable to reality in the reader’s life. The authors are able to convey to readers that through despicable intentions a person can never gain success or growth. The common phrase that “cheaters never prosper” is shown through the triumph of the virtuous characters and ruination of the plot of the antagonists.
Works Cited
1. Gruen, Sara. Water For Elephants. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin, 2006. Print.
2. Hale, Shannon. The Goose Girl. New York: Bloomsbury, 2003. Print.
3. Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin, 1976. Print.
The Crucible is a dramatic play by Arthur Miller that has a direct tie to McCarthyism and how the witch trials and false accusation was related to the fear of someone being a communist. Generally, the story is about an affair between two primary characters that live in a Theology-ruled village. The secret of the affair was supposed to be assured until things got out when the truth was close to being in the limelight and a huge lie came out instead. This lie led to false accusations of believing that some people were part of witchcraft. Therefore, the situations became much more risky as people got hanged on whether or not they confessed they were a part of the witchery. Through the play, the character Mary Warren is depicted as a shy and powerless girl until she finally gains some control over the lives of people through her lies. This results in being labeled as an antagonist of the story, but she has traits similar to a protagonist which contradicts her character. In the end, Mary Warren is still a villain through her selfish and inconsiderate actions in the play.
...his antagonist proves to be their own inner character which determines the trajectory of their decisions. As they all become aware, the consequences of their decisions prove to have an extensive impact on themselves and those around them.
The Crucible preaches an uncommon sermon where it warns readers about the power of fear. It teaches how far the good can be pushed before they become evil, and how heaven and hell can wear disguises. It teaches how complicated people can become before they realize what side they are on and where they wish to be. Above all else, The Crucible teaches that right and wrong are very easy to confuse when one does not know what secrets lay waiting to be uncovered.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Eds. Kylene Beers and Lee Odell. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007.
Politicians have capitalized on their power of persuasion on sway voters in one direction or the other. However, only the truly educated individual may navigate through a sea of logical fallacies in search of the truth. In literature as in life, figureheads make decisions that not only affect themselves but those around them. These decisions may conjure up characteristics of self sacrifice or selfish, self-serving power moves. Arthur Miller's play The Crucible tells the story of a group of teenage girls who do witchcraft in a religious town and blame innocent people for their actions. The town then begins to fall under mad hysteria and the lies told kill the innocent. Select Characters, inspired by real people,
Arthur Miller’s political allegory of McCarthyism, in the form of The Crucible, has been adapted into a faithful companion to the play that is able to incorporate the emotions and atmosphere that may not have been available to some in the play. Miller’s screenplay is very faithful to the book, having many of the same lines and situations the character in the play experience. Because of this, we are able to make an active connection to the play, thus expanding our understanding of the play. Lead by Daniel Day-Lewis, The Crucible’s plot is portrayed by a solid cast, who, for the most part, are able to engross the viewer into the story. The film contains many captivating scenes that exemplify hysteria meant to be depicted in the play, that demands the viewers attention while also immersing them in emotions. The film adaptation of The Crucible is a well produced version of the play that not only serves as a companion to the play, but an entertaining and though provoking experience.
Life as a human is dictated by an inborn hunger or purpose, and people, in general, will act on this hunger for their own personal gain in their individual ways. This hunger, be it for wealth, land, love, power, revenge, or pride, can, and will be the undoing or failing of all mankind as Miller so clearly points out in his play 'The Crucible';. This essay will explore the motives of characters within the play and even the motives of Arthur Miller himself and therefore show how conflict stems from certain recognisable human failings including those mentioned above, fear, and hysteria.
Many novels contain a character who is placed in a situation that changes their development. The best or worst of their personality can emerge, as well as their attitude towards those around them. Crucibles can be individual tests and are noticeable in most literary pieces. Commiting a sin or allowing yourself to have all the power in a community, can cause a crucible in your life, or in a fellow individual’s life. In The Scarlet Letter, The Crucible, and Animal Farm , the protagonists experience a situation that alters their perspective of themselves and others.
The Crucible is a play which brings to our attention many timeless issues. The nature of good and evil, power and its corruption, honour and integrity and our tendency to create scapegoats for all manner of problems are all brought up through the course of the play - sometimes in very dramatic fashion.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play that was first performed in 1953 in the United States of America in the midst of the persecution of alleged communists during the era of McCarthyism. Although the play explicitly addresses the Salem which hunt, many find that the play is an analogy to McCarthyism due to the striking similarities in which the people behaved. Miller highlight the different groups of characters in order to reveal overlying ideas of the play such as: Self preservation, power, and hypocrisy.
Authors often try to interweave themes or meanings into their works in order to create a deeper and more intriguing work of literature. For instance, The Crucible, a film written by Arthur Miller, and “The Minister’s Black Veil”, a parable by Nathaniel Hawthorne, are two pieces of literature that share the recurring theme of how fear affects a person’s decision making. By examining two of the characters from The Crucible, Abigail Williams and John Proctor, one is able to see how fear can lead people into hysteria, causing them to do things they normally would never do. Another example of fear changing peoples’ views and actions is displayed in “The Minister’s Black Veil”. This theme is well displayed in the town’s responses to Mr. Hooper’s
Authors often have underlying reasons for giving their stories certain themes or settings. Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible, is a work of art inspired by actual events as a response to political and moral issues. Set in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692, The Crucible proves to have its roots in events of the 1950’s and 1960’s, such as the activities of the House Un-American Committee and the “Red Scare.” Though the play provides an accurate account of the Salem witch trials, its real achievement lies in the many important issues of Miller’s time that it dealswith.
When analyzing literature from an archetypal perspective, one does not simply look at the character’s behavior in that literary piece. Rather, when using the archetypal theory, one connects the traits and actions of the characters in the literary work, the settings, the surroundings, and the situations to a familiar type of literary character. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, the characters Abigail Williams, John Proctor, and Reverend Hale exhibit common archetypal behavior and fit into a certain archetypal figure.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a play that discusses many issues and spurs contemplation within the reader. While reading this play, because of the controversy of many issues detailed within, it is difficult for one not to take a look at one’s own morals and determine what one would do if placed in a similar situation. The key issues discussed within this play, the effects of hysteria, marital betrayal, and the murderous powers of lies, are portrayed intriguingly and effectively. The lessons that can be learned from The Crucible are still quite applicable today.
The play, The Crucible, is a fireball of guilt, evil, and good compiled into one magnification. It is a play with tremendous feelings, with many inside twists hidden in the archives of the true story. It is a play with emotional feelings; feelings of anger, hate, and evil, yet also feelings of goodness, and pureness. Undeniably, The Crucible is a play illustrating good versus evil. The principal characters, Abigail Williams, John Proctor, Ann Putnam and Marry Warren all contain within them elements of good and evil.