John Gielgud Essays

  • A Comparison of Love in Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest

    1958 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Phenomenon of Love in Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest We know from the very opening scene of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet's love will end in tragedy. We may wonder why Miranda and Ferdinand in The Tempest do not end up with the same fate as Romeo and Juliet. Both couples are from opposing political families. Both couples are enraptured with their lovers. Why then does Romeo and Juliet end with their death's and the Tempest end with Miranda and Ferdinand's marriage

  • The Tempest Theme Analysis

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Tempest by William Shakespeare reveals a number of significant themes such as religion, revenge, discrimination, punishments, and many more. The three themes that represent this play the best are the use of magic, rebellion against authority, and the relationship between slaves and freedom. The Tempest takes place on a mythical island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. It is also where the first sign of magic appeared and used. Prospero, the protagonist has come up with a plan to avenge

  • Exotic Setting and Its Relevance in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Twelfth Night

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    colonized. Language itself is the second area of c... ... middle of paper ... ...hn-gillies-la-trobe-university John. R.Shakespeare and His Comedies. London: Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1957. John Gillies “The Open World : The Exotic in Shakespeare,” in Shakespeare and the Geography of Difference, La Trobe University.. http://www.enotes.com/topics/william-shakespeare/critical-essays/john-gillies-la-trobe-university Jurline T. Franklin. “Magic and Music, Revenge and Reconciliation: The Tempest”. Ortiz

  • Theme Of Feminism In Shakespeare's 'Romeo And Juliet'

    1790 Words  | 4 Pages

    Early modern England was a highly patriarchal society. One of the many preconceptions of Shakespeare’s audience was ideas about gender. At that time, people valued certain characteristics in women and a completely different set in men. Women experienced suppression and were expected to be obedient. Shakespeare’s society was highly invested in the domination of women. Obedience was not just desirable - it was considered necessary. For the male-dominated society to function, women had to submit to

  • Quicken In Othello

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    Just like Cordelia in King Lear, there is a sense that forces in the play conspire against Desdemona, so that her death becomes an inevitable outcome of momentum of the play. Othello speaks ‘the plague [of] great ones’ (3.3.314) which seems to pertain to great Shakespearean protagonists: ’Tis destiny unshunnable, like death. Even then this forked plague is fated to us When we do quicken (3.3.316). Here, Othello seems to perceive the impetus of the play driving forward to its climax and end – one

  • A Comparison of Olivier and Branagh's Adaptations of Henry V

    2702 Words  | 6 Pages

    A Comparison of Olivier and Branagh's Adaptations of Henry V Media Comparative Essay: (in the medium of film) concerning the 2 well known film versions of Shakespeare’s Henry V of Olivier (1944) and Branagh (1989) in the specific scenes of “A Little Touch of Harry in the Night” and “The Crispin Crispian Speech” A comparison of these scenes in the two film versions of Henry V indicated above in a discussion of all the major cinematic issues in integrating a story like Shakespeare’s and

  • The Role of Malvolio in Twelfth Night

    1551 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Role of Malvolio in Twelfth Night The main storyline in Twelfth Night is love between Cesario, Orsino, Olivia and later on in the play Sebastian. Malvolio’s part in the play is a backdrop situation separate from the main story. He brings a level of both humour and sympathy to the play. Malvolio is one of the main sources of humour in Twelfth Night. In the later part of the play a different side of him is exposed. Malvolio is Olivia’s steward and his job is to manage Olivia’s house;

  • Comparing the Presentation of War in the Oliver and Branagh Film Versions of Henry the Fifth

    2289 Words  | 5 Pages

    Comparing the Presentation of War in the Oliver and Branagh Film Versions of Henry the Fifth Many films have been made of Shakespeare’s play, “Henry V”. The two I am analysing are by Laurence Olivier (1944) and Kenneth Branagh (1988). They are made for very different audiences with different aims. Although they seem very different, in some ways, Branagh’s version used many techniques of Olivier’s. Both productions were performed to communicate the director’s feelings on war to the audience

  • Suffering In Shakespeares Plays

    1874 Words  | 4 Pages

    Suffering In Shakespeare's Plays How does suffering affect one's actions? Do different types of suffering affect one in different ways? This paper seeks to determine how William Shakespeare's character's respond to various types of suffering. Suffering can be defined in two ways; physical suffering, in which the character is inflicted with physical pain and trauma, and emotional suffering, where the character suffers an emotional trauma or loss. In The Tempest, the physically traumatized characters

  • Romeo And Juliet 1996 Vs 1996

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful classic love story of two star crossed lovers, but it gets tragic. For about the last month or so, we have been reading the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. We have also watched three different versions of it. We have watched the 1996 one with Leonardo Dicaprio, The original 1968 version, and the 2013 Live Broadway Production version. All three of these movies have a lot in common but they also have many differences. Let’s talk

  • The Adaptation of The Tempest by William Shakespeare to the Film "Prosperos Books"

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Adaptation of The Tempest by William Shakespeare to the Film "Prosperos Books" When adapting a play for the screen, a director’s primary responsibility is to visualize an enactment that remains true to the original work’s perception. In addition to this task, the director must also build upon the foundations laid by the script; without this goal, (s)he would have no reason to have undertaken the project in the first place. Providing an innovative reading of a well-known play is undoubtedly

  • The Effectiveness of Zeffirelli's Interpretation of the Death Scene in Romeo and Juliet

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Effectiveness of Zeffirelli's Interpretation of the Death Scene in Romeo and Juliet I think Zeffirelli’s interpretation of “Romeo and Juliet” is quite successful at expressing how he feels the play should be shown. He uses lots of techniques to make the play enjoyable, appealing and imaginative. To do this he uses different camera angles, realistic scenery, costumes, sounds and music. He cut some scenes that he didn’t think were particularly relevant to the storyline, and added some

  • Essay on Social Hierarchy in The Tempest

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social Hierarchy in The Tempest During Shakespeare's time social classification was much more rigid than today and some members of society were considered superior to other members. Shakespeare provides an example of this rigid social structure through his play, The Tempest. Shakespeare illustrates how superior men differentiated themselves from lesser beings on the basis of race, financial status, and gender. Through the character of Prospero, Shakespeare provides and example of one, who had

  • Use of Thematic Images in The Tempest

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Caroline F.E. Spurgeon says that an image "is a description or an idea, which by comparison or analogy, stated or understood, with something else, transmits to us through the emotions and associations it amuses, something  of the 'wholeness', the depth and richness of the way the writer views,  conceives or has felt what he is telling us." Images not only show emotion and give associations, but they can also give the reader a better understanding of a theme. Thematic imagery connects to the underlining

  • King Lear

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    King Lear, Abbey exhibited King Lear, another of his large, dramatic pictures, at the Royal Academy in 1898; the painting was accompanied in the catalog by these lines from Act I, scene i: Ye jewels of our father, with washed eyes Cordelia leaves you. I know what you are; And, like a sister, am most loth to call Your faults as they are named. Love well our father. To your professed bosoms I commit him. But yet, alas! stood I within his grace, I would prefer him to a better place. So

  • The Analysis of Antonio’s Character

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Analysis of Antonio’s Character The lines selected for analysis are Act II, Scene I, lines 277-291, when Antonio is trying to reassure Sebastian that killing his brother—the King of Naples—is a good idea and well worth the effort. As the reader knows, Antonio usurped his brother, Prospero, and became the Duke of Milan. This sets the stage for his attitude towards Sebastian’s wanting to kill his brother, King Alonso. Because of Antonio’s past actions he sees nothing wrong with getting

  • Willa Cather's Short Story Paul's Case

    957 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willa Cather's Short Story "Paul's Case" In Willa Cather’s short story Paul’s Case we learn of a young man who is fighting what he fears most: to be as common and plain as his world around him. How others perceive Paul only encourages him to fulfill his dream of escaping his monotonous lifestyle. Paul feels he is drowning in his everyday environment and his only breath of air is his savior: the theater. Paul has very little interest in his class studies. This leaves him open to distraction

  • Analysis of Malvolio in the Twelfth Night by Shakespeare

    1148 Words  | 3 Pages

    The character of Malvolio is treated too cruelly for Twelfth Night to be classed as a comedy. Malvolio is constantly humiliated and has some of the major elements of a tragic character. The revenge served to him is extremist and is not an equal reaction to his behavior. Malvolio's puritan nature and extreme unwillingness to be social with his peers upsets certain characters more than others. Sir Toby and Maria show carelessness for his person as he has a strict adherence to rules, contrasting with

  • Reflection On The Theme Of Moral Agency In Shakespeare's Othello

    1211 Words  | 3 Pages

    Reflect on the theme of agency in the three plays we have studied in this course. What is agency? How do characters lose or gain it? What role does it play in the structure and thematic layering of each play? If you wish, you may want to discuss its relevance to your own life (although this personal note is not required) “Agency is the capacity to act, and ‘agency’ denotes the exercise or manifestation of this capacity. It has been argued that agency can and should be explained without reference

  • Creative Writing: Romeo And Juliet

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    Being awoken by something licking my face is not the best morning call. Peeling open my eyes, I realised the panting, licking animal that woke me up was my dog Tilly. "Morning, girl!" I greeted with a smile while stroking her soft fur. Tilly is a Cocker Spaniel/Poodle mix. I 've had her for the past two years and I love her more than anything! She is one of my most loyal of friends. "Well, I need to tidy up my flat, draw a bit then get ready for the party," I planned my day, half talking