Act 1 “If but as well I other accents borrow That can my speech diffuse, my good intent May carry through itself to that full issue For which I razed my likeness.” (1.4.1-4) After being banished, Kent attempts to disguise his appearance with the use of clothing in order to continue serving the King This…
The concepts of blindness and sight are not explored by Shakespeare as physical qualities, but rather mental attributes. Blindness in characters exacerbates their ability to understand, causing misjudgment which leads to chaos in the play. This recurring theme of blindness and insight is portrayed primarily through Lear and Gloucester, who demonstrate that physical sight does…
Avoid contractions (can’t, won’t, etc) unless in a quotation. Don’t use slang or common words (thing, stuff, etc), unless in a quotation. Write only in third person. Don’t use “you” or “I.” Underline the title of major works (novels, plays); use quotation marks for shorter works that can be published in an anthology (short stories,…
POETRY A type of literature that expresses ideas, feelings, or tells a story in a specific form (usually using lines and stanzas) POET The poet is the author of the poem. SPEAKER The speaker of the poem is the “narrator” of the poem. POETRY FORM FORM – the appearance of the words on the page…
The Elements Include: Plot Symbolism Character Theme Setting Irony Point of View Tone and Style PLOT An author’s selection and arrangement of incidents in a story shape the action and give the story a particular focus. Discussions of the plot include not just what happens, but also how and why things happen the way they…
A literary essay analyzes literature A literary essay must be primarily analytical It doesn’t just say what happened (this is simply plot summary and belongs in a book report, not an essay) It doesn’t just say what the theme is but explains how the writer conveys the theme It doesn’t just give examples of something…
Written by William Shakespeare in 1605 Macbeth is a man who overthrows the rightful King of Scotland Shakespeare wrote Macbeth at the beginning of King James I reign Before James succeeded Elizabeth I he was king of Scotland Placing the play in James’ homeland probably pleased him Will the real Macbeth please stand up? Macbeth…
We don’t know whether there was a historical Oedipus. “Oedipus” means “swollen feet”. The Greeks pronounced it “oy-DEEP-us”. Oed- is the same root as “oedema / edema” (tissue swelling; the British preserve the initial “o”), while “-pus” is feet (hence “octopus”, the eight-footed animal.) Laius and Jocasta were king and queen of Thebes, a town…
George Orwell immediately begins the essay by first claiming his perspective on British Imperialism. He claims that it is evil and he is fully against the oppressors, the British. Though he is a British officer himself at the time in Burma, he feels a certain hatred and guilt towards himself, his empire, and the “evil-spirited…
Context The Tempest was probably written in 1610–1611 and was first performed by the King’s Men in the fall of 1611. The Tempest is most likely the last play written entirely by Shakespeare, and it is remarkable for being one of only two plays by Shakespeare whose plot is entirely original. Because of its theme…
Religion The major two religions in Elizabethan England were Catholic and Protestant religions, Choosing the “wrong” religion brought risks to personal wealth, freedom, and life Schools taught these “favored” religions; if you did not practices these religions then it would lead to great danger: Imprisonment, Torture. Execution Catholics believed that the pope or the priest…
The Black Death – victims die in 2 to 4 days -rats fleas carried the disease -once the rats died out humans became new victims Symptoms of the Black Death Include – painful swelling – mental disorientation – vomiting – bleeding – high fever – desire to sleep (if they did, it was fatal) Began…
Biography Niccolo Machiavelli is one of the major political philosophers of our times. He was an Essayist, dramatist historian, sketch writer, biographer, dialogist, writer of novellas and a poet. Machiavelli was born on May 3rd,1496, in a family of a Doctor of Law, in Florence Italy. In 1498 he helped to dispose of Giroiamo Savonarola…
Definition and Explanation Concept: “everything in the world has its own place” No matter what you do, you cannot make your way up in the chain You are all that you are born with, for the rest of your life, no matter what you do to try and change it The English society depended on…
Evil and Justice The division among 20th Century critics in their interpretations suggests that Shakespeare may have left it to his audiences to provide the answer to the problem of good and evil. It is possible to isolate passages, each of which seems to provide an answer. Kent, placed in the stocks at the order…
The Three Types of Learning There is more than one type of learning. A committee of colleges, led by Benjamin Bloom (1956), identified three domains of educational activities: Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge) Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude) Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills) Since the work was produced by higher education, the…
An archetype is an original model which something is patterned or based on. This term is often used in literature, architecture and the arts to refer to something that goes back to the fundamentals of the art. Psychologist Carl Jung described several archetypes that are based on the observation of differing but repeating patterns of…
Setting In Hamlet, there are numerous references made to other countries which include France, Germany, Norway, Poland, and England. Despite these locations, the majority of the play occurs in and around Elsinore Castle, located in Denmark. Elisnore is better known as Helsingoer to the Danish population and to Shakespeare enthusiasts and the English, it is…
Poison Poison plays a big role in Hamlet. It is a symbol of betrayal, corruption, deceit, revenge and death. In Act 1 Scene 5, Hamlet follows the ghost of his father, King Hamlet and learns the entire story of how Claudius kills him. King Hamlet says, “…Upon my secure hour thy uncle stoleWith juice of…
Definition: The act or process of achieving understanding or knowledge of oneself; or becoming aware of one’s true potential, character, motives, etc. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s complicated path to self-discovery is demonstrated though: His soliloquies His attitude toward other characters Hamlet is known to continuously question himself through his soliloquies, which shows he has lost…