Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare - 1666 Words

In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the main story told is of the battle between silliness (Feste, Maria, romance, pranks, and drama) and seriousness (Malvolio, dourness, rules, and stresses of life). One facet of this is gender – the main protagonist Viola presents as male for most of the play. Shakespeare, whether intentionally or not, has shown prime examples of projected identity based on sex, gender roles, and the power associated with each sex. These messages were revolutionary at the time, and only in recent decades are people really beginning to examine them, but Shakespeare has been known to slip messages into his works that were far ahead of his time. Shakespeare uses Viola’s identity as a character in relation to gender roles and gender itself, and Olivia’s relationship with her. Shakespeare has clearly separated almost all elements of the book into two categories; silliness and seriousness. Viola’s gender and presentation would fit into silliness – at face value, the changes began because of a ridiculously dramatic act of love, and Shakespeare uses many lines of dialogue such as the frivolously dangerous wordplay Viola uses (as described by the Duke in the end, â€Å"Boy, thou hast said to me a thousand times / Thou never shouldst love woman like to me.†), which might blow her cover, to inject more unrealism into the entire situation. However, looking deeper at the subject, Viola’s gender presentation is one of the most ambiguously casted elements of the play. She is onlyShow MoreRelatedTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare1279 Words   |  5 Pages Within the play ‘Twelfth Night’ it can be argued that the audience may be entertained by the outlook of Malvolio’s gulling. To start with his name means â€Å"ill will† within Italian which already suggests his attitude towards the other characters thus showing his place within the play as an â€Å"unpopular†character. He is a part of a religious order who sought to regulate forms of worship. In modern time the word â€Å"puritan† is often used to mean Against pleasure . Historically, the word was has been usedRead MoreTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare1019 Words   |  5 Pagesconsidered elements of a comedy. Shakespeare wrote a comedy called Twelfth Night because that’s the Christmas Celebration when pranks and deceptions were allowed when people were off work. However the last day 6th January was when all the decorations came down, which brought a tinge bit of sadness to the Elizabethans. William Shakespeare employs the dramatic conventions of mistaken identity and disguise to establish humour in an example of Act 2 Scene 2 of Twelfth Night. Viola realises Olivia is inRead MoreTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare1164 Words   |  5 PagesIn the comedy Twelfth Night written by William Shakespeare many of the characters experience emotional pain. The pain that a character name Olivia experiences is the death of her brother, causing her to mourn. Malvolio who is Olivias steward is involved with emotional pain caused by humiliation, which occurs more than once in this play. Lastly, a great deal of characters battle with the feeling of unrequited love. Even though Shakespeare wrote this as a comedy, there was still a mass amount of emotionalRead MoreTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare2088 Words   |  8 PagesTwelfth Night, or, What You Will by William Shakespeare is a comedy that was written for the Christmas season. Twelfth Night presents many different topics through out the play like: crossdressing, homosexuality, unknown same sex desires, and undertones of talk about genitals. Although some are more noticeable than others, they are all present. I will be focusing mainly on the homosexuality of some of the characters and what the difference between that and just having a ‘male friendship.’ I will alsoRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night2005 Words   |  9 Pagesrole that gender plays in Shakespeare’s work. Focus on Twelfth Night or King Lear—or discuss both plays together. Do you see these patterns repeated? Or do you see them being challenged and somehow undermined (implicitly or explicitly) in the plots and language of the play s)?† wants to know if Shakespeare wanted to break the pattern of women being passive objects to men in the literature. In the story Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare all of the roles are played by men. In the fifteenth centuryRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Twelfth Nig ht Essay1515 Words   |  7 Pageselements in plays and films. Slowly with the knowledge gained, we transitioned into examining the adaptations of the world famous playwright, William Shakespeare. For this assignment, we were to choose a modern Shakespeare adaption and compare its successes and failures to its traditional script. With the choices given, I decided to choose the Twelfth Night to its modern adaption directed by Andy Fickman called, â€Å"She’s the Man.† I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it as an option, therefore I feltRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1967 Words   |  8 Pages William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Twelfth Night† or â€Å"What You Will† was written around 1601-1602 with the primary performance being in February 1602. It is known to be a high point of Shakespearian comedy as it is one of Shakespeare’s finest works. Twelfth night was written to commemorate the close of the Christmas season being possi bly one of the first ever holiday specials, kind of like the Middle Ages version of â€Å"Love Actually†. The play centres on the twins Viola and Sebastian, who are separated duringRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night Essay1470 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night can easily be interpreted as a romance play. Given that the majority of the characters in the play in some way or another fall in love, but there are many twists that come with these romantic relationships. Some of the characters fall in love with the same character, others fall in love with a character that loves another, who actually loves another causing a chaotic love triangle. Within every romance a character is tragically hurt, turning the romance play intoRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night Essay2147 Words   |  9 Pagesaffection for another person,† love takes on many forms throughout life and literature (Merriam-Webster). Through its passionate drama and witty repartee, Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, explores the intricate, and often complicated, realm of interpersonal love. By tracing the intertwining storylines of four unique characters, Shakespeare communicates the futility of self-love, the desperation of hopeless love, and the immeasurable virtue of selfless love. An after-effect of human’s sinfulRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Twelfth Night1762 Words   |  8 PagesShakespeare wrote the romantic comedy play, Twelfth Night, in the year 1601. Despite being over 400 years old, people have been studying and performing the play continuously. Even though some may argue American audience now cannot understand the significance of social hierarchy in the play nor the lines written in Shakespearean English, Twelfth Night remains popular today as shown by New York Times’ publishing of seven reviews on different performances of Twelfth Night. At the same time, Shakespeare

Essay on Tom Robinson is Proved Guilty Before Trial

Tom Robinson is Proved Guilty Before Trial In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, the black man falsely convicted of rape, had absolutely no chance of a fair trial. There is proof of this in the time period in which it occurred as well as evidence from the novel itself. Tom Robinson had an unfair trial because it was his word against the Ewell’s, a white, trashy family. To Kill A Mockingbird took place in the 1930’s, a time that was enormously charged with racial tension. One example of this is the existence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Even though the KKK was in a time of decline in the 1930’s, it had been very prominent in the 1920’s and had still not completely died out. The KKK had rallies and†¦show more content†¦They would send these pictures out like postcards as a reminder of what happened to people when the befriended blacks or blacks, that went against what the mob thought was right. Lynchings almost always occurred when there was a trial that involved a black person that went against a white person. These lynchings were used by the mob to control the court system. The person on trial would not have the chance to be proven innocent if they were dead. The mob did not always get what they wanted. Sometimes the police would be able to keep the prisoners in a different county until their trial. In the case of the Scottsboro â€Å"Boys,† the prisoners were lucky enough to escape the being lynched when they were moved into Scottsboro. In this trial, nine young, black boys were charged with the rape of two white girls while on a train. This case was a major source of controversy in the 1930’s. â€Å"Despite testimony by doctors who had examined the women that no rape had occurred, the all- white jury convicted the nine, and all but the youngest, who was 12 years old were sentenced to death† (â€Å"Scottsboro†). The boys’ lawyer, Samuel Leibowitz, did not even get assigned to the case until the first day of the trial. â€Å"If he could show a jury that these nine boys were innocent, as the record indicated, the jury would surely free them. To Leibowitz, that was simple!† (Chalmers 35). However, it was not that simple. Many white citizens would not change their minds aboutShow MoreRelatedExamples Of Racism In To Kill A Mo ckingbird741 Words   |  3 Pagesand discrimination. In this book, Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman, which was something that he’s never done, even though all the evidence proved that he did not violate that white woman, Tom was judged guilty because he was a black man. Racism is presented throughout the entire book especially when Scout got teased by her family about Atticus taking Tom’s case, and the townspeoples perception about Atticus, as well as during the trial of Tom Robinson. Racism is presented in theRead MoreEssay Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird1463 Words   |  6 PagesMockingbird are affected by racial discrimination, whether they are the cause or not. Throughout the novel, three characters stand out as being affected by racial discrimination the most. These characters are Jean Louise â€Å"Scout† Finch, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson. Jean Louise Finch, known to Maycomb as Scout, is affected by racial discrimination in many ways throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Although most discrimination appears as white people against African American people, there is one case where theRead More Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird Essay1367 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird In the early twentieth century, the United States was undergoing a dramatic social change. Slavery had been abolished decades before, but the southern states were still attempting to restrict social interaction among people of different races. In particular, blacks were subject to special Jim Crow laws which restricted their rights and attempted to keep the race inferior to whites. Even beyond these laws, however, blacks were feeling the pressure of prejudiceRead MoreAnalyze the trial scene and its relationship with the rest of the novel1535 Words   |  7 PagesAnalyse the trial scene and its relationship to the rest of the novel: The trial scene, which takes up several chapters of the book, can be seen as the climax of the story. This part of the book sums up some themes Harper lee refers to in the novel such as racial prejudice, morality, injustice and maturity. The trial is the backbone of the novel, and was an effective way to for the author to show that racism was present in the society of Maycomb and its relationship with the novel becomes apparentRead MoreEssay on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee665 Words   |  3 Pagesa prejudice towards women. Men believed that women were the weaker sex, and not equal to a man. A prime example of this is when the men believed they should protect their women from Tom Robinson because he allegedly raped a white woman. This is another reason the jury could have used to charge Tom Robinson as guilty. Not only could they do it for upholding their white supremacy; they could also say they were just protecting their women from a predator. The author portrays the women who have tea withRead More How does Harper Lee Manage to Draw Together the Stories of Boo Radley1133 Words   |  5 PagesHow does Harper Lee Manage to Draw Together the Stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson? Do you find her Way of doing this Effective? There is a strong literary motif running through Harper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The stories of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are drawn together by the way they are both mockingbirds in their own way. Both men are on the outskirts of society and are misunderstood by the predominantly white population of Maycomb. In the first part of the novel, thereRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay1397 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout the entire court case of Tom Robinson. Harper Lee writes: â€Å"I shut my eyes. Judge Taylor was polling the jury: ‘Guity†¦ guilty†¦ guilty†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ I peeked at Jem: his shoulders jerked as if each ‘guilty’ was a separate stab between them (Lee 211). This quote demonstrates that Jem and Scout’s awareness of the true society around them begins to shape up into a more of an adult perspective. In the Tom Robinson trial, the jury makes the incorrect verdict of ruling him guilty, although all the evidence provesRead MoreIt s Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1013 Words   |  5 Pagesinnocence. Harper Lee portrays the theme that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird through Tom Robinson, Arthur Radley and Jeremy Atticus’ loss of innocence because they are symbolic mockingbirds. Firstly, Tom Robinson is a mockingbird because he is an innocent man convicted of raping a white woman due to the colour of his skin which in turn leads to the loss of his innocence. Atticus was able to make a good defense for Tom by stating the fact that the right side of Mayella’s face had suffered severe damageRead MoreThe Court Case Of Marbury V. Plessy V Ferguson1119 Words   |  5 Pagessealed by the acting Secretary of State at the time, John Marshall. Although both of these actions were taken, the signatures were not delivered before the expiration of Adams’s term as president. President Thomas Jefferson refused to honor the commissions of President Adams because of the circumstances of the situation. When the court was brought to trial, it was found that William Marbury had a right to the commission and that his rights were being violated. This violation meant that the laws ofRead MoreStereotypes Then, Now and Later1396 Words   |  6 Pagesin our courts all men are created equal. â€Å"I’m no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and in the jury system—that is no ideal to me, it is a living, working reality. Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury. A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant

LuckyChrist Essay Research Paper We as people free essay sample

Lucky-Christ Essay, Research Paper We as people do non take comfort in the strange and ban. Because of this, we try to happen accounts or personal connexions to everything in our experiences. It therefore follows that any playgoer will do an effort to set the work in forepart of him or her into familiar footings, much to the discouragement of a one Samuel Beckett. His attitude towards critics who attempt to enforce values and thoughts onto his work ( on of arrant disdain ) is good documented. But he seems to give us no other pick by supplying us with really unusual and dour environments in his theatrical plants. Each of these plants has a few by and large accepted # 8220 ; accounts, # 8221 ; none endorsed by Beckett himself. Many critics say that Waiting for Godot ( the merely 1 of his theatrical plants that I have seen in production, and hence the lone one I am qualified in the least spot to notice on ) is shaped with Christian symbolism, particularly symbols for a dying Jesus. We will write a custom essay sample on LuckyChrist Essay Research Paper We as people or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page One such symbol is the character of Lucky. Lucky enters the universe of Godot on a tether, held and followed by his maestro, Pozzo. Lucky carries Pozzo # 8217 ; s baggage and acts as his slave, wholly subservient and sedate, salvage when he violently lashes out against an effort to comfort and when he is ordered, by Pozzo, to believe. He is the topic of much treatment by two of the other characters in the drama, a brace of Buster Keaton/Charlie Chaplin-type hobos by the names of Vladimir and Estragon. His reaching in each act is the first possible mention to Lucky as a Jesus. Throughout the drama the two hobos, Vladimir and Estragon, refer to Godot, the adult male for whom they wait. They can non go forth until he comes, for fright of penalty. This is popularly compared to waiting for ecstasy or the coming of God. Thus, when Lucky enters in the first act, apparently entirely due to the huge length of his tether, the first premise by the two hobos is that this is the adult male they have been waiting for ; this is Godot. This impression is shortly smashed when Pozzo enters, as he is evidently Lucky # 8217 ; s maestro. This exhilaration and confusion is repeated ( along with many other elements ) in the 2nd act. This clip Lucky wears a much shorter tether so as to suit Pozzo # 8217 ; s sightlessness ( blind religion? ) . And although these two enter together, and are evidently non Godot ( to one of the hobos in any instance ) , the two hobos trumpet their redemption from the desol ate ennui of waiting, which may be a metaphor for being itself. Therefore we may be able to state that the redemption or ecstasy ( flight from ennui ) that Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for does so arrive, but it shortly becomes every bit boring as their old state of affairs and is merely ephemeral. Lucky # 8217 ; s phase presence in the first act bears a dramatic similarity to the narrative of the crucifixion of Jesus. Just as Lucky enters edge and enslaved, so was Jesus a captive of the Romans. Pozzo carries a whip, used on phase merely to scare Lucky, but the narrative goes that the Romans whipped Jesus while he was their confined. Lucky is beaten, cursed and spat upon by Estragon, merely as the Romans did to Jesus before they put him up on the cross. Lucky carries Pozzo # 8217 ; s bags to the market wher vitamin E he is be sold, a kind of concluding humiliation. Jesus was paraded through the streets, transporting his ain cross on the manner to the hill where he was crucified. During this trip, Jesus fell three times under the weight of his cross, and in Godot Lucky repeatedly falls under the weight of Pozzo’s bags. Finally, Estragon wipes Lucky’s eyes ( Jesus’ face was wiped by Veronica ) so he will â€Å"feel less forsaken† ; Jesus cried from the cross â€Å"God, why have you forsaken me? † Most of these points are non really memorable when compared to Lucky # 8217 ; s one chance to talk. Pozzo, in an effort to affect and entertain Vladimir and Estragon, orders Lucky to believe, aloud. Lucky so begins a drawn-out philippic that makes small sense every bit far as the English linguistic communication goes, but can be made clear by the histrion # 8217 ; s accent on certain images, words and thoughts and the audiences # 8217 ; connexion from these thoughts to their ain thoughts. An extract from this address: # 8220 ; That is to state blast snake pit to heaven so bluish still and unagitated, so unagitated with a composure that even thought intermittent is better than nothing. # 8221 ; As for the words themselves, evidently we hear the # 8220 ; snake pit, # 8221 ; and the # 8220 ; heaven, # 8221 ; but we besides may take specific note of the repeated # 8220 ; composure, # 8221 ; and finally # 8220 ; nothing. # 8221 ; Thus before we even connect the sentence together, we are faced with torment ( # 8221 ; snake pit # 8221 ; ) , ecstasy ( # 8221 ; heaven # 8221 ; ) , a diminuendo ( # 8221 ; unagitated composure composure # 8221 ; ) and an termination ( # 8221 ; nil # 8221 ; ) . This series of events is repeated many times ( every bit good as the contrary ) throughout the drama by most of the characters and has frequently been said to hold sexual intensions. In this quotation mark we are besides faced with a complex set of images. # 8220 ; Hell, # 8221 ; and # 8220 ; heaven, # 8221 ; together conjure up some sort of conflicting image in most western people, # 8220 ; blue still and quiet, # 8221 ; seems to propose a still ocean, an image that is ab out the complete antonym of the war and violent imagination of # 8220 ; snake pit # 8221 ; and # 8220 ; heaven # 8221 ; . These Christian images and appositions are common throughout Lucky # 8217 ; s full address, and may be said to be it # 8217 ; s full content. If we view Lucky as a Christ-symbol so his address can be seen as a sum-up of the instructions of Christ. But if the instruction of Lucky provinces that we are to # 8220 ; blast snake pit to heaven, # 8221 ; so heaven should be no award for the good, but instead a topographic point non at all unlike Earth, a mixture of the tolerable and the agonizing. Thus redemption is no great award. And if redemption is no great award, so why do we keep our Christian beliefs? Is Christ non dead? Lucky hence seems to do a strong, but dejecting, Christ symbol. This deceasing Christ ( and by illation, deceasing Christianity ) is really much in line with Beckett # 8217 ; s experiential beliefs. The two hobos are lost merely because they are waiting for Godot, but Godot neer comes. If they were each to take his ain being into his ain custodies and do something of it, both of them would be able to take a normal life, but alternatively they both put their lives in the custodies of Godot. Beckett himself was raised a devout Christian, but gave it up after an intense scrutiny of all the deductions that such an association had ( the Second World War, for illustration ) . We might all make good to re-examine our beliefs ; Are you waiting for Godot?