Essay about Jaques Speech Act in As You Like It

I will show understanding of the plot, character and themes and Shakesperes use of language and dramatic devices within the play.

Throughout history, literature has been able to captivate and enchant audiences of all backgrounds. Words have an undeniable ability to sway a crowd’s emotions and truly affect them. William Shakespeare, one of the most revered writers of all time, had such skills. His plays are timeless pieces of art considered the foundations of the English literature. Shakespeare’s most dramatic and infamous tragedy, Hamlet, has earned its place as a cornerstone. In the play, Shakespeare poetically writes speeches that show the true colours of the characters, whether good or devious. The main antagonist, Claudius, shows his treachery to the Elizabethan audience, through his speech to his wife Gertrude. Claudius’ conversation with Gertrude in Act 4,

The differences in styles of language truly brings alive the plays' various characters, from the lowliest drawer to the noblest knight. The playwright's audience would have been composed of a similarly diverse spectrum of society, from the groundlings at the foot of the stage, to the members of the court in attendance, and these disparate members of the audience might very well have come away from the plays with different interpretations of

For any play to be a successful the audience must be able to feel a connection with it, they must feel like they are not just an audience, but perhaps characters in the play itself. One way of making connections between the audience and the play is through speeches that target the audience. In the Play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, there are many examples of this technique of targeting the audience. One example that is very effect in doing this if found in a speech given by Hamlet in act IV, Scene 4. This speech makes many connections with the audience of the Elizabethan era, relating to their social, cultural, and economic values and perspectives. By touching on these topics the speech given by

However, by the formal introduction of the rumoured moor in Act 1 Scene 2 and his monologue in Scene 3, our previous doubts of Othello’s character diminish. The magnificence of Othello shines through through his behaviour and rhetoric, becoming a juxtaposing image of a ‘Valiant Othello’ both the Duke and senators speak of. “Rude am i in my speech” proves Othello’s confidence and elegance in his language. The use of the rhythmic Iambic Pentameter within his monologue suggests a well thought out and educated response from Othello, Shakespeare decides to gift his character with eloquent and virtuous speech in order to highlight his composure as a hero and admirable character. His measured language is a sign of his confidence, self-discipline and virtue, thus agreeing to his admirability of being the tragic hero.

In the novel, Speak by Laurie Hales Anderson, the main character is Melinda Sordino. Melinda started her freshman year terribly. Not only is Melinda an outcast, she is also hated and ignored by everyone because she ruined the end of the summer party by calling the cops. Melinda is emotionally distressed due to a sexual assault that occurred at the party. On the other hand, Melinda has a passion for art, but is having a hard time in art class. She doesn’t just have a hard time in art class, she has a hard time making friends, interacting, and expressing herself. At home, she hardly has a relationship with her parents and mostly spends her time at home in her room. Melinda is a quiet person with a lot on her mind. Academically, she is a decent student who barely passes her classes,

In this novel, Camus sets the story in Oran, Algeria, coincidently , where he grew up. He describes the town as dull, boring, and soulless almost. “ The town itself, let us admit, is ugly”. (Camus, p. 1) The author is showing us that there is nothing really special about Oran, or in existentialist terms, the people don’t make Oran special. Their only concern, or their only focus, was conducting what they called “business”; nothing more. However, the main protagonist, Dr. Rieux, was one of the few in his society to actually question, what is the true definition of life? He seemed like he was the only one that realized that Oran was missing just this; life. He was curious what was a person’s or an individual’s purpose in this dry town. When masses of dead rats were lining the street, the public showed little curiosity with, of course, the exception of the doctor. As the plague soon hit, the attitudes of the public had miniscule change.

Beauvoir begins her work discussing how man, or people in general, have felt a tragic sense of ambiguity that has more than often attempted to be masked (6). Elimination of this ambiguity has been pursued through ethics, however, Beauvoir believes that these ethics only accentuate the ambiguity that one faces. Due to this accentuation, Beauvoir states that man needs to face the truth and “try to assume [his] fundamental ambiguity” (8). Satre is referenced in the text to assist in emphasizing the abridged notion that man has a responsibility for himself. Through man’s vain aim to be God, man is then able to exist simply as man which allows him to concur with himself, if he is satisfied with his existence as man (11-12). Man also “bears the responsibility

“As You Like It”, is a Shakespearean comedy that is believed to have been written around the 1600’s. This play holds onto many strong motifs throughout the entire play. One of the most obvious motifs would have to be the concept of exile. Many of the characters in the play have been intimidated away from their homes, while others left voluntarily to live in the forest of Arden. This separation from their homes in the court aids in helping Shakespeare’s major themes come alive. The major themes evident in Act 4 Scene 3 is the malleability of humans through experience, the effects of love, and a comparison of city life to country life.

Around the turn of the century, he argues that Americans lost their love of and patience with oratory. At the same time, those who read Shakespeare’s plays began to insist that the Bard’s talent as a poet went unappreciated when his plays were performed alongside farces, juggling acts, and other popular forms of entertainment. Theatres began to perform Shakespeare’s plays less frequently, and isolated from the other acts that formerly accompanied them. Parodies and alterations of Shakespeare became less popular and even seen as blasphemy. Shakespeare’s works moved from the body of common cultural knowledge to the realm of high art worthy of study by the elite and educated, not crude enjoyment by the masses. This shift in conception of Shakespeare’s place in American culture did not happen suddenly and was not fully accepted, as evinced by the conflict between Mcready and Forrest and the subsequent riots as the masses defended the rights of the audience and the popular theatrical styles while the elite insisted that “discreet” audiences should be privileged to view the plays enacted with more decorum. Those who wished to divorce Shakespeare from popular culture appear to have won in the 20th century, as Shakespeare is now viewed as an artist to be admired and studied but whose works aren’t accessible to the population as a whole, and are certainly not to be compared with popular entertainment, despite their origins as such.

The power of language holds great significance not only in Shakespearean study but of our daily lives as well. Every nuance Shakespeare creates leaves a clue to a greater truth or understanding of our humanity. Exploring the works of Shakespeare with this in mind allows for audiences to gain more appreciation and awareness of the depth of language and communication through his dialogue and characters as Shakespeare: “asks us to adorn the actor with our thoughts and ‘carry them here and there, jumping o’er the times’” (Bevington xiii).

Gender identity and its roles in 17th and 19th century England were regarded as rigid fact — definite and unyielding. The adherence to these social protocols was of utmost importance. Masculinity was viewed as being dominant, assertive, and bold, whereas femininity involved beauty, obedience, and chastity. The theatre became a method of challenging this rigid social concept. Both William Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest explore these public values through their characters. Wilde and Shakespeare’s use of gender reversals satirize the traditions of social order, marriage, and gender responsibilities at the time, thereby revealing that gender is not absolute.

      While it is a comedy of the turmoil of love and the experimentation with gender roles and identity, William Shakespeare's As you Like It is a historical preservation of Renaissance music. The play is fraught with spontaneous song and poetry, yet Shakespeare strategically manipulates these musical elements. Specifically, the lyrics and poetry of the play function to establish a soundtrack and a direct appeal to their Elizabethan audience, while providing Shakespeare with a valuable shorthand for character development.

Shakespeare has a difficult task entertaining the rowdy Elizabethan audience, especially during the exposition of the play, which sets up the entire plot. The audience needs to be engaged and invested in the play, otherwise many of the Elizabethan audience would throw food and furniture on stage or vandalize the theatre in response. Shakespeare employs a variety of techniques throughout the exposition of the play in order to do this, by creating tension between characters, introducing scandalous plots and unresolved issues right at the beginning of the play leaving the audience waiting for an answer. This essay will explore Shakespeare’s techniques and methods of engaging his Elizabethan audience.

In a genre that contradicts a novelist's affluence of narrative explication, the language in its purest form becomes Shakespeare's powerful instrument, wherein he controls it with the unusual combination of force, subtlety, and exactitude”