The Role Of Tragedy In Richard Van Camp's Mermaid

A central character in a tragic piece of writing should develop in a way where they are lead [ushered] to their demise due to a critical flaw, which is caused by the inability to solve an inner conflict. Torchy was found to be at a rather low point in his life evident by his use of drugs and his gambling issues. Despite these vices, he does not allow it to destroy him. His relationship with the young girl, Stephanie, who was neglected by her parents, allowed him to reflect on his past particularly after his brother’s death. “ ‘[M]y daddy’s gone,’ she says... ‘I’ll be your sister… if you’ll be my brother’... I start to cry”(Van Camp 5). This section

Torchy choosing to willfully blind himself from the truth leads himself and others to pursue actions that ended up being a

The October Crisis was a crisis that involved the kidnapping and murder of Pierre Laporte, and kidnapping and later release of James Cross. James Cross was a British Trade Commissioner, while Pierre Laporte was the Deputy Premier and Minister of Labour for Québec. James Cross kidnapping occurred on October 5th 1970, after 60 days as a result of negotiations with kidnappers who requested exile in Cuba and not facing trial in Québec he had been released. On the other hand Laporte kidnappers had murdered him, this resulted in arrests to whoever was associated with his death and jailed for kidnapping and first-degree murder. This was the first time Pierre Trudeau used peacetime the use of “War Measures Act” in Canada’s history, he made this decision

Nearly half of seniors do not take their medications when or how they were prescribed. There are mistakes on dosages, methods of delivery, time of delivery, what they should be taken with, and even if they should still be taken. Compounding the issue, most seniors over the age of 65 are taking between 8 and 13 different medications. Put these numbers together and it is no wonder that problems with medication management are one of the leading reasons seniors end up in the emergency room, and is the number one reason seniors end up back in the hospital after being recently discharged. According to a study published in "Pharmacotherapy", nearly 70 percent of hospitalized seniors suffered from at least one

“The Swimmer” is an allegory that is narrated in third person point of view as someone who is observing Neddy’s journey. This

First and foremost, the character development in “Mermaids,” is the polar opposite of what any tragic story would be. The main character Torchy has no evident or visible hamartia, he is indeed a weak character when he is first presented, however he does not have that key tragic flaw that every protagonist in a tragic story has. He also lacks the element of peripeteia, it is true that he does many foolish things, such as gambling, drugs, and self inflicting harm. However, none of these acts initially lead to his demise, in fact, his poor experiences help him grow as a character. “I feel my blood drain… I lean hard against a parking meter” (Van Camp 1). When first presented to us, Torchy is shown as a person that is strong on the outside, he always has his guard up and is constantly aware of his surroundings. However, on the inside he is a vulnerable man, conscious of his mortality where he harms himself to relieve the pain that he is feeling. “I can feel it build. I don’t want to scare her… I hug her

Macbeth is an epic tragedy inspiring pity and remorse because the hero, though flawed, is also shown to be human. The play portrays a journey of self-discovery and awareness as both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pass from happiness to misery. Their punishment is well deserved but the retributive price is enormous.

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

Hamlet is a suspenseful play that introduces the topic of tragedy. Throughout the play, Hamlet displays anger, uncertainty, and obsession with death. Although Hamlet is unaware of it, these emotions cause the mishaps that occur throughout the play. These emotions combined with his unawareness are the leading basis for the tragic hero’s flaws. These flaws lead Hamlet not to be a bad man, but a regular form of imperfection that comes along with being human.

Aime Cesaire’s A Tempest is a ‘new world’ response to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. In Cesaire’s adaptation, the characters and plot are generally the same. However, there are a few small deviations from Shakespeare’s The Tempest that make a significant impact on the play as a whole, and lead the play to illustrate important social issues occurring in the time of the adaptation.

The word ‘tragedy’ is a common in the modern world, and it is often associated with a “sad or unhappy ending”. Accordingly, every time there is misfortune in a work, it is classified as a ‘tragedy’. Arthur Miller offers the observation that a tragedy is something that is more than just sad. Miller argues that tragedy is not a ‘pessimistic’ view on an event, but it allows for “the reinforcement of the onlookers brightest opinions of the human animal”. Since humans are not in control of his/her own fate, unfortunate things are bound to happen. However, the human spirit that is able to withstand catastrophe allows for hope. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare presents his tragic hero, Hamlet, as a noble figure who is to be admired because he

Thoughts of drowning run rampant in every man’s mind on that boat. At dawn, the men decided that their only chance is to row toward the distant shore again and swim when the boat finally capsizes.

William Shakespeare uses his plays not only to entertain the audience, but also to push the audience toward self-evaluation. The brilliance of Shakespeare is that his plays may be interpreted in different ways. The Tempest is not simply a fictional story meant to entertain the audience, but also a complete figurative narrative meant to mirror the art of the theatre. In this play each character represents a significant part in the alternate interpretation of the narrative. Examination of specific characters and their corresponding role in the theatrical world encourages a deeper understanding of self-reflexivity of The Tempest; which highlights William Shakespeare’s struggle to relinquish his art. The scenes and language used by Shakespeare

As parents, we all are concerned about the safety and welfare of our children. But at times things get bad when families fail to have adequate resources to provide for the children. Even the environment they are born in, sometimes become unsafe for them. This is the time when services like long term fostering in Greenwich, comes in handy for the families and for the child.

The Tempest is a play which by William Shakespeare thought by many critics to be the last play that he wrote by himself. The setting of the play is on a remote island where Prospero the sorcerer and also the legitimate Duke of Milan, plans to return his daughter Miranda to her rightful status, he uses magic and skillful manipulations to achieve this. He magically creates a storm that makes his rival brother Antonio and Alonso the King of Naples be shipwrecked and marooned on his island. On the island, Prospero uses his talents to reveal Antonio’s lowly character and vindicate the king. The main moral lessons from the poem are forgiveness and absolution but there are many other lessons we can learn from The Tempest. This paper explains how The Tempest leads us to a creative perspective of the modern world by tackling issues of colonialism, power, and forgiveness. Basically, is the humanity and society in the world today.