King Lear - A World too Cruel? King Lear is at once the most highly praised and intensely criticized of all Shakespeare's works. Samuel Johnson said it is "deservedly celebrated among the dramas of Shakespeare" yet at the same time he supported the changes made in the text by Tate in which Cordelia is allowed to retire with victory and felicity. "Shakespeare has suffered the virtue of Cordelia to perish in a just cause, contrary to the natural ideas of justice, to the hope of the reader, and, what is yet more strange, to the faith of chronicles. "1 A.C. Bradley's judgement is that King Lear is "Shakespare's greatest work, but it is not...the best of his plays.
There is a reason why books are often remembered by a few famous scenes within them. In Tom Stoppard’s epic poem Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, there are multiple scenes that are both hilarious and gripping. One remarkable scene that lives on in memory and is essential to the play was when Claudius and Queen Gertrude were unable to distinguish between Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in their first meeting in Act One. This scene is used to show how these two protagonists are interchangeable and insignificant as individuals. It was unwise for the king and queen to choose such simple minded individuals to get information out of the much smarter character of Hamlet.
It seems almost as if Shakespeare wishes us as an audience to connect with the least flawed character given to us. We immediately latch onto Othello, the brave war-hero. We feel insulted and angered by Brabantio’s accusations against him. Perhaps it is the differing color of his skin that makes our connection with him all the stronger. In any case, we are presented with Othello, the greatest character in ... ... middle of paper ... ...nd Cassio together, Othello’s emotions began to seep through.
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet "The Most Interesting Characters in the play are not Romeo and Juliet" I believe that the above statement is true and I agree with it entirely. If it wasn't for the other characters the play would go something like this: "Romeo met Juliet, they fell in love, and lived happily ever after." How boring! You need other characters to complicate matters a bit. For this essay, I shall write about two other characters in the play that have a great influence on the chain of events in it: Mercutio and Friar Lawrence.
The opposite poles are attracted to each other. I am not saying that Romeo and Juliet were bipolar, but they were aggressive towards other people. Romeo and Juliet is probably Shakespeare's most famous work. I believe that a major part of this fame i caused by the severity of the consequences of this work. No one wants to read a book without an antagonist and struggle.
These comparisons give one a vivid description of his mistress' lacking beauty, and sets one up for the couplet at the end of... ... middle of paper ... ...manner, making them focus primarily on the lacking, yet lustful, physical attributes of his mistress. When he writes "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare as any she, belied with false compare." (lines 13-14) in the final couplet, one responds with an enlightened appreciation, making them understand Shakespeare's message that true love consists of something deeper than physical beauty. Shakespeare expresses his ideas in a wonderful fashion. Not only does he express himself through direct interpretation of his sonnet, but also through the levels at which he styled and produced it.
Ultimately, concepts such as happiness cannot be guaranteed to skeptics like Jane Eyre and “hideous” men like Rochester -- only the divine union of passion can be guaranteed. Yet, for Bronte’s characters, this is sufficient reward and an appropriate closure for a love story about such atypical characters. Below, I will use characterizations of the Romantic literary school, as well as criticism of Jane Eyre, to explain how the ending of the novel fits perfectly with the rest of the landmark novel. Jane Eyre ends only after a succession of unlikely (and frankly hideous) circumstances come to pass, transforming the lives and psyches of Jane and Rochester beyond their stoic realism. However, because Jane and Rochester are such believable characters, the events that wrack their mortal lives are taken in stride by both the characters and the reader, although the grap... ... middle of paper ... ...e that she could not write a novel that ended with man and woman being absolute equals in marriage, and Charlotte producing Jane Eyre to satisfy the bargain.
“Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond; no more nor less.” (1.1.90-92) The King flies into a rage and disowns Cordelia. Chuck Rose explains, “King Lear mocks many stage conventions. It adds another entire plot; it explains few of the central motivations that drive the play; its treatment of time is out of joint; things that should lead ... ... middle of paper ... ...n his tremendous play writing was plot development! Without a good plot development, Shakespeare’s plays would not be as remarkable as they are.
There really is no reason to read on. And yet they do. The reader continues because Shakespeare was a genius at creating dramatic tension. In Romeo and Juliet, he uses two main vehicles to do so. One is the theme of love (Romeo and Juliet) versus hate (The Montagues and the Capulets).
Shakespeare’s timeless, in-depth story permeates an emotionally impelling outlook on the constraining barriers of enmity between the families of two fated lovers and the substantiating aftermath this leads to. Romeo and Juliet’s primeval themes continue to persevere as incessant topics in contemporary literature. Though this play, along with many others of Shakespeare’s, is written in an older context he explores motifs that are expertly crafted and gripping with many persistent characters. Shakespeare insights a powerful love story past the bounds of moral obligations that will timelessly exalt in literature.