Norman Rabkin

William Shakespeare is the world’s pre-eminent dramatist whose plays range from tragedies to tragic comedies, etc. His general style of writing is often comparable to several of his contemporaries, like Romeo and Juliet is based on Arthur Brooke’s narrative poem, “The tragical history of Romeo and Juliet”. But Shakespeare’s works express a different range of human experience where his characters command the sympathy of audiences and also are complex as well as human in nature. Shakespeare makes the protagonist’s character development central to the plot.

By completing the readings assignments of Shakespeare assigned to me by this class, I have achieved broader positive assumptions about Shakespeare, as well of understanding how Shakespearean plays apply to modern day society. Although I have had moderate experience in the readings of Shakespeare in High school, such as the reading of Othello. By participating a completing readings about Shakespeare’s plays and attending lectures discussing sexuality regarding Shakespeare, I have gained a greater overall understanding of Shakespeare. Through Shakespeare’s plays, overall, I have gained a greater understanding of what Shakespeare attempts to convey in his plays.

Shakespeare’s plays have endured over 400 years of significant history and have played an important role in this world’s culture. His play Romeo and Juliet (1597) is especially prolific because of the substantial use of dramatic techniques used to disclose the complexities of human nature. Shakespeare has shown these complexities through the incorporation of the dramatic techniques soliloquy, dramatic Irony, foreshadowing and conflict. These techniques emphasise the complexities of human nature through the characters Romeo, Juliet and Tybalt and identifies aspects of their personalities which, otherwise, would not have been so obvious in the absence of the dramatic techniques.

In the “Polemical Introduction” of Mark Edmundson’s book, Self and Soul, he calls William Shakespeare “our great de-idealizing author.” In his book, Edmundson examines the ideals of the ancient world and how they have been lost in the modern world. In one section of the introduction to his novel he analyzes Shakespeare’s works and how they function as a shift between these two worlds. Specifically, he examines Shakespeare’s rejection of the “religious ideal [and] the ideal of contempt,” as well as his use of skepticism and “uncertainties, mysteries, and doubts without driving forward to conclusions.” Furthermore, Edmundson discusses how Shakespeare dismissal of these ideals worked as a reflection of modern societies shift away from the

Literary critics frequently insinuate that Claudio’s love for Hero does not epitomize true Shakespearian love. Critics like Stephanie Chamberlain and Jennifer Low claim that his affection roots in societal aspirations and material desires. Claudio, however, is not bereft of genuine love for Hero; rather, his actions result from the insecurities that typically accompany deep affection. In her essay “The Duelist as a Hero,” Low criticizes Claudio’s feelings towards Hero for being as shallow as his pockets are deep.

    The meaningful term “love” can be applied to differing relationships in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. In this essay let us examine under a microscope the “love” that we find throughout the play.

In many of the plays by William Shakespeare, the central character goes through internal and external changes that ultimately shake their foundations to the core. Numerous theories have been put forth to explain the sequence of tragedies Shakespeare wrote during this period by linking it to some experience of melancholy, anger, despair, and the antagonist 's ultimate fall from grace in their lust for power. But such theories overlook the fact that it is in this very same period and in the same tragic works that portray the heights to which human nature can rise and fall in its purest and noblest, if not happiest terms. Surely the creation of so much light alongside the darkness and the perfection of the artistic medium through which

There is no denying that Shakespeare is a definitive playwright. He has presented us with classic works that have set the precedent for drama and the theatre. Among Shakespeare’s more notable plays are his tragedies. In the tragedy his protagonists are often given flaws in their character and hence, are suitably named tragic heroes. The downfall of these protagonists is often a result of their own character flaws and unfortunately, they suffer a doomed and unhappy ending. While the tragic hero is flawed they must also be honorable and worthy of the audience’s understanding and sympathy. On a quest for righteousness the tragic hero often goes through immense suffering which is why the audience can feel bad for him. For the most

After reading the plays written by Shakespeare, I have a newfound appreciation for both the writer and the plays. Prior to this course, I had only read Shakespeare in High School, and I failed to follow much of the intended themes within the play. Additionally, the Old English language created difficulty in my comprehension of the plays. Throughout this course, I have learned to read into the play in an effort to find the meaning behind the words and the actions of the characters. While the language is still difficult to decipher, I find myself dissecting the intentions behind the carefully placed words, and looking for the imagery, symbolism and other figurative literary elements within the plays, and I now see why Shakespeare’s plays have

Shakespeare, the favorite dramatist of all time fascinates himself with the usage of the language of Elizabethan poetic drama. His plays were lived to a full appreciation and pleasure. One of his most common plays full of comedies, twelfth night published in 1623, was written with a well hatched plot where the analysis on love is brought in both comic and tragic situation. The reader will note the three very different story lines within these paragraphs. The following prognostications will outline the final act.

In many of his later comedies, Shakespeare developed a habit of having young men and women fall in love. These comedies, “previews of the modern theatre,” usually end in a marriage, and are very lighthearted in nature. At first glance, Shakespeare’s works may seem complicated. In many ways, they are extremely complex, but, diving deeper into his text, there is an underlining meaning that might be extracted through in depth coverage. The use of contrasting the apparent versus the real is substantial in his plays.

Shakespearean theater productions continue to express seemingly timeless ideas and concepts to his audiences— from complex, diverse women, to the various plots of each writing piece that has set an example for writers centuries later— readers are still able to infer the intricate themes and attitudes that entwine themselves in his scripts. Like in “The Comedy of Errors,” it presents the contemporary question, “how effectively can family control our actions?” Shakespeare answers this inquiry to an implied, open-ended extent, by revealing that the meaning of the work is, “family may influence our actions, but we, in the end, are the main manipulators of our own actions.” This supports Barthes’ observation, “literature is the question minus

[ 1 ]. All the quotations I am going to refer to in this essay are from The Norton Shakespeare (New York: W.W. Norton, 1997).

In all literary writings, authors have a basis that sets up their narratives and propels the story forward. Many authors will employ motifs or moods as a means of traveling through the narrative. Without love, lust, and hate the literary and physical world would be very boring. These three are topics can cause controversies and conflicts in life and in literature. In Shakespeare’s

Discuss some of the ways in which Shakespeare’s plays use the interaction and distance between their protagonists and surrounding minor characters to illuminate the ‘human position’ of suffering.