who hides and what is hidden? how does deceit function in the world of the play, and how does it help the play comment on life in general? a central motif in the play is trickery or deceit, whether for good or evil purposes. counterfeiting, or concealing one's true feelings, is part of this motif. everyone seems to lie; good characters as well as evil ones engage in deceit as they attempt to conceal their feelings: beatrice and benedick mask their feelings for one another with bitter insults; don john spies on claudio and hero; don pedro and his 'crew' deceive benedick and beatrice.
The years 1949 and 1953 mark the beginnings of the two most glorious tragedies playwright Arthur Miller has ever composed. The Crucible tells the story of John Proctor, a man who was wrongly accused of witchcraft, and his struggles to prove his innocence without tarnishing his family’s name. Death of a Salesman tells of Willy Loman, an unsuccessful salesman caught up in high hopes for his sons, who both soon become failures as well. In reading these plays, one may find that both The Crucible and Death of a Salesman were intended to criticize the frailties of society and human nature. While the settings and theatrical elements of the two plays may differ, one thing that I found particularly interesting was the amount of similarities between John Proctor and Willy Loman.
Williams’ play is an example of a modern tragedy and Blanche is a complex tragic hero, as she is embodying both the traditional aspects of a tragic hero, but also introducing the new ideologies simultaneously. Williams introduces glimpses of an Aristotelian tragic hero in Blanche’s entrance. Blanche initially appears to fulfil the criteria of nobility; her arrival in the shabby and deprived setting of New Orleans coupled with her reaction of surprise and disbelief, ‘this- can this- be her home?’ clearly highlights her incompatibility to the surroundings immediately. Williams includes stage directions that allow the reader to build up a strong idea of Blanche’s appearance: ‘Her appearance is incongruous to this setting,’ and her distinct mannerisms. She seems to be superior compared to her surroundings, virginal and demure due to her ‘Southern belle’ upbringing and these traits are obvious in her choice of attire: ‘She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and ear-rings of pearl, white gloves and hat...’ These are expensive garments that denote grandeur and wealth and ultimately purity.
This is also shown with Polonius’s un-trust worthiness for Hamlet. As to with Laertes who feels the exact same way as his father. Paolo Feliciano Mr. McCarthy A.P. Lit Examination Act 2 Open Ended Questions 1. After the slow transition from Hamlet’s mournful state, to his ever growing state of madness, does his madness itself become his primary mode of communication with the other characters?
However, the most incredible of all these passages is found in Act 4, Scene 1, Lines 164-177, where Macbeth contemplates his inner thoughts to himself. Here, Macbeth speaks to time, providing the audience with a more in depth image of its importance. Also, Macbeth’s diction is short and fierce, further pushing the play’s theme of insanity slowly taking over Macbeth’s mind. Lastly, the passage faultlessly illustrates Macbeth’s fatal flaw of ambition slowly ruining his inner being. With these things taken into account, it will be effortless for one to show just how lovely this passage is
Again, Vonnegut's main character is composed of two complementary sides; one good, and one evil; together forming the whole person. We must view Billy, however, as essentially good in order to see Vonnegut's point; that government with this type of moral stronghold on society is essentially bad and will force good men to perform evil acts in the name of freedom. This theme is carried into another story from Welcome to the Monkey House, entitled "Harrison Bergeron." This story, only seven pages long, was expanded into a movie because of the interesting questions it raises. "Harrison Bergeron" is the story of a futuristic world in which everyone is equal.
This lets the audience gain an understanding of the motifs such as evil intentions, thoughts and counterparts in the human nature behind both corresponding literature. Earthly desires erupt from aspects of human nature as we gain the tendency to ponder on malignant thoughts. Shakespeare’s use of archetype in the play Othello examines this concept. He has manifested one of literature’s most complex archetypical villains, Iago, as a vehicle to convey the harsh and self-centred human nature that lies within us. Having not received the promotion, recurring motifs such as jealousy, greed and revenge overcloud Iago’s mind.
Shakespeare and Marlowe use trickery and deception to present their characters with certain qualities. Prospero is presented as powerful and vengeful at the beginning by conjuring the tempest using magic to trick the characters on board. Throughout the play he becomes wiser and leans the values of forgiveness of those who have deceived him. Faustus is a character that is put in the position of power and doesn’t use it for valid purposes. He’s useless tricks display vanity and indicate his wastefulness to the audience.
In William Shakespeare’s play, Henry VIII, a bitter tone, structured figurative language, and biblical allusions are employed by the author in the process of conveying Cardinal Wolsey’s complex response to his dismissal from court. Shakespeare’s use of biblical allusions brings emphasis to the extent of Cardinal Wolsey’s downfall to that of Lucifer’s, the author reflects Wolsey’s lack of hope. This allusion serves as a tool to help establish the idea that Cardinal Wolsey has fallen from a grace he shall never return from. He expects himself to live in a life full of shame and misery after his dismissal. Through the use of figurative language a powerful understanding of Wolsey’s despair is established.
Lord Henry is morally ambiguous in that he plays the role of the Devil on Dorian's shoulder through out the novel. He does not provoke Dorian specifically, but tells him philosophies and gives him books that corrupt Dorian and turns him into the creature the portrait shows in the novel. An example of the corrupting philosophies is evident on page 21, where Lord Henry first tells Dorian "Yes, that is one of the great secrets of life- to cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul." Dorian spends the rest of his life pondering this phrase and following it to the letter by indulging in both obscure fads for his pleasure and eventually using drugs like Opium. The book that corrupts him further is described on page 104.