Shakespearean history

Anthony and Cleopatra was written in 1607, following the incredible period that gave us Hamlet, Orthello, King Lear and Macbeth. Although sometimes hard to categorise, some put this play with Julius Caesar and Corialanus, the Roman plays: all three use Plutharch’s lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans as their primary source and all three have concerns steeped in historical and political questions. Shakespeare shows an impressive ability to assimilate the classical world in his own terms and this

When Lee Soroko decided to produce a version of Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear, the University of Miami Theater department's director set out to make a modern version but one that remains relatively true to the original. It is a version of which Shakespeare himself would be proud. Soroko sets King Lear in the contemporary world. The base problem is the same: King Lear is old and needs to determine who will succeed him. He has three daughters from which to choose. Instead of choosing the best one

A tragedy is defined as an "a play dealing with tragic events and having an unhappy ending, especially one concerning the downfall of the main character." One of the most famous tragic playwrights was William Shakespeare. While most of his plays focused on comedic themes, some of his stories like Romeo and Juliet focused on more cynical darker themes. Literary devices like characterization, themes and imagery can help bring life to a story. Shakespeare's unique use of these literary devices could

Macbeth, an ironic tragedy of the 17th century, is perhaps one of the most appraised works by renowned playwright William Shakespeare. Such fame, though, can be justified through the play’s effective utilization of themes and their evocative subtext; however, Shakespeare particularly focusses on the theme of power and has done so with intent. Macbeth visualises power in two forms, being that of divine and supernatural. The play forms a representation that, alike with the socio-cultural beliefs of

Sophocles is very influential and one of the first great play-writes. One of his greatest characters is no-doubt Oedipus the king. Oedipus is one of the most complex and interesting characters ever put to paper. Oedipus’ actions are very unique and human, in the context of books. Oedipus has many different character traits, such as his hubris, determination, and knowledge, however all of them blend seamlessly together in a very believable and human way. When Oedipus first introduces himself to us

Shakespeare’s original text and the notion of violence, yet by drawing on modern characterisation and the day to day settings he is able to effectively create a modern appropriation of the play. Love is another key theme within the narrative of the Shakespearean tragedy, ‘Romeo and Juliet’, and Baz Luhrmann's modern appropriation. The most famous scene that represents the depth of the characters love is the Balcony scene, and the 1996 appropriation proves greatly effective for a modern audience. A metaphorical

Great writers create great stories. In “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and “Hamlet” William Shakespeare creates characters that want to protect a loved one's virtue and character that have no virtue at all. In “The Tragedy of Macbeth” Lady Macbeth does not show virtue and it all ends with her death. In “Hamlet” Laertes cared for his sister Ophelia and tried to protect her virtue until she drowned. Also, Hamlet wanted to protect his mothers virtues, because she married his uncle, until she was accidentally

Bibliography Anderson, Miranda. "Fission-Fusion Cognition in Shakespearean Drama: The Case for Julius Caesar." Narrative, no. 2, 2015, p. 154. The major conception in this article is the idea that poets and writers of the Renaissance and the citizens of Europe are directly influential on each other, meaning that plays, such as Julius Caesar, are affected by the desires of society. In turn, the outcome and narrative of the Shakespearean play impacts the audience. The author claims Shakespeare knowingly

Shakespeare's tragedies mainly revolve around one person in the play, Hence, the naming of the play after that character. For example: Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear and Julius Caesar. The readers are introduced to the "tragic hero" persona, a person of high social status and grace. The series of unfortunate events that befall the tragic hero evoke feelings of pity in the readers. This is called catharsis. The suffering of the tragic hero, due to his tragic flaw, leads to his downfall. Supernatural elements

William Shakespeare, known for being the best British writer of all time in the world of literature, where his works are still famous until this present. But how can we say that he was a great writer? Why are his works still famous? What makes him so unique and special? Shakespeare’s works portrayed about life, death, love, revenge, grief, jealousy, murder, magic, and mystery. He wrote more than 37 plays, were some of his plays are still famous and performed in the theater like Romeo and Juliet