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compare and contrast

Decent Essays

Old Story Time and Macbeth

4. Compare and contrast the dramatic function of deception in two plays. The two plays that are going to be compared are ‘Macbeth’ and “Old Story Time”. Macbeth is written by a well-known dramatist by the name of William Shakespeare. Old Story Time is written by one of Jamaica’s best playwrights Trevor Rhone. ‘Macbeth’ is often said to be one of Shakespear’s most powerful tragedies. According to Poem hunter.com William Shakespeare was widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world 's pre-eminent dramatist. He was a poet, playwright and an actor. Shakespeare wrote Macbeth between 1603 and 1607. Shakespeare died at age 52 on April 23, …show more content…

“Fair is foul and foul is fair”, say the witches at the beginning of Macbeth. This language of contradiction that Shakespeare uses adds to the play’s sense of moral confusion and quickly introduces the theme of deception to the audience, by implying that nothing is quite as it seems. Also, the play clearly shows how living a life of deceit will ultimately end in disaster. Macbeth, evidently led by his wife, but also by his own ambitions, is guilty of deception many times throughout the play. He deceives his comrade Banquo, King Duncan, as well as his public. From the beginning he welcomes Duncan into his home, knowing that he is about to be murdered. After murdering Duncan he then goes on to kill the guards outside Duncan’s chamber to cover up for himself and make it look as though the guards committed the murder. Lady Macbeth is also one who conveys the theme of deceit in this play. She is very skilled at persuading others, especially her husband.’ Deception in Old Story Time is always present with Len deceiving his mother by doing the total opposite of what she wanted him to do and George who was a thief/ exploiter. George was a very persuasive individual like lady Macbeth. According to the Performance and playwright’s craft section in Old Story Time, ‘George is an evil villain who tries to exploit Miss Aggy. He is the source of trouble to Miss Aggy, Lois and Len, in separate episodes. The second and third episodes are

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