Similarly in The Duchess of Malfi, when the Duchess’ attempt to deceive her brothers and conceal her marriage leads to her death. However self-deception is also a recurrent theme in both of the plays, in Othello, it can be argued that Othello’s self- deception proves just as destructive as Iago’s, as by deceiving himself of his true nature and labelling himself as “one not easily jealous,” he continually supresses his feelings of inner turmoil until he breaks under the influence of Iago. F R Leavis agreed with this stating, “The mind that undoes [Othello] is not Iago’s but his own.” The role of deception would be nowhere near as essential to the play without the influence of Iago; described by AC Bradley as the “artist of evil” his ruthless manipulation of the other characters in the play ensures not only the destruction of Othello, but his own. Self- deception plays a crucial role within Othello and The Duchess of Malfi; it allows the audience to see further into the characters personality and gain a deeper understanding of them as a character. Othello himself is the most palpable example of self- deception within the plays as from when the audience is first introduced to him in Act One Scene Two, he believes
However, it was unfair of Lenoato to make Claudio believe he had to spend the rest of his life with a complete stranger. In a way, Leonato got his revenge on Claudio for shaming him and his daughter. In Much Ado About Nothing, the point that Shakespeare seems to be making is that deception is not necessarily evil, but can be used to create pleasurable outcomes. The tricks themselves do not hold any moral values. People use tricks to get want they want, therefore it is the quality of the individual waho uses trickery that determines the type of outcome.
Romeo and Juliet By: Steff Commentary This section may appear to readers as unimportant because it is just Capulet and Tybalt talking and nothing happens. On the contrary, this passage illustrates how the characters handle situations given. This may foreshadow problems for each character such as maybe future aggressive conflict with Tybalt. The character Capulet is all a façade. He appears warm hearted and eager to end the conflict at first but then you see his real intentions and his real state of mind is focused on “what the people want” and not what is best for Romeo under the given circumstances of the families’ feud.
Module A: Comparison of Texts Individuals challenge the values that permeate time, in a manner that is relevant to their society. This rebellion is evident in William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew and Gil Junger’s film 10 Things I Hate About You whereby Katherina and Kat initially disregard the social expectations for women of their context. The composers portray this comparably, using textual integrity so the women’s misunderstood, shrew-like behavior is suited to their culture and society. This in turn, provokes both characters to experience a transformation of self and their values. In The Taming of The Shrew, Katherina challenges the values and themes of courtship and marriage, dismissing the female etiquette when meeting her suitor.
Although not shown explicitly in Act 1 of the play, Ibsen seems to be somewhat critical of the institution of marriage in the 19th century by showing how Torvald, the husband, patronizes Nora, the wife. To Torvald, it may be an expression of love, but he is treating Nora as a child to be coddled. Also, Krogstad persuades Nora to help him in order to keep his job, which shows how easily women were subject to manipulation by the male. Therefore, Ibsen characterizes the institution of marriage in the 19th century as extremely traditional and very oppressive to women. Act I indeed shows Nora as a doll-like character: she is coddled, pampered, and patronized.
Claudius and Gertrude’s love relationship is seen as incest by Hamlet, while Horatio and Hamlet’s friendship is a good friendship because Horatio is someone that Hamlet trust and can depend on for anything. Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship is one that is not accepted by her family because Hamlet is from royalty and Ophelia is not and because of this Polonius warns Ophelia about Hamlet. To everyone it seems as if Hamlet is just using Ophelia for sexual pleasure and nothing more. “Tis told me he hath very oft late/ Given private time to you, and you yourself/ Have of your audience been most free and/ Bounteous. If it be so (as so’tis put on me, / And that in way of caution), I must tell you/ You do not understand yourself so clearly/ As it behooves my daughter and your honor.”(I, iii, 99-106) Even Ophelia’s brother and father warn her about Hamlet, and how he may be using her but she does not listen because she is in love with Hamlet and does not believe he would use her.
Arguably, haste’s negative consequences only begin after Romeo and Juliet have been married. Mercutio’s death, caused by his overbearing chauvinistic personality and his need to defend Romeos diminishing family honor ultimately cost him his life. Romeo feels as if he needs to avenge Mercutio’s death, reacting with, “fire-eyed fury be my conduct now… Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.” Expressing his injudicious and imprudent plan to kill Tybalt. Romeo goes ahead with his vengeful killing, failing to realize the
Today, name of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are closely associated with betrayal of friendships as these two former friends of Hamlet is doing everything in favor of Hamlet’s top enemy, Claudius to destroy Hamlet’s influence. Ther is no doubt that Shakespeare inserts these two characters to be comic relief but the appearance of these two character in the play also symbolizes his mix emotion of ridicule and sympathy. The appearance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is not doubt to be comic relief just as the courtier Ostric is. Unlike Ostric who panders to whoever that are powerful enough for him to benefit from praising them even though he might contradicts himself, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are less of this clownish style on the surface in term of their acts, language and tone. Notice that these two friends of Hamlet in University of Wittenberg never make any assertions or statements during the course of the play.
Antigone 11. It is clear that Sophocles’ is bias in this play and he sides with Antigone when she is in conflict with Creon. Sophocles depicts a conflict between family and politics through the characters of Antigone and Creon. Sophocles placed Antigone as more just and noble and as the protagonist, showing his views and criticism of his philosophies. This play suggested that familial values and love dominate political values.
Hamlet in his first soliloquy demonstrates his disgust that his mother has allied herself in love and in politics with her late husband’s brother, so soon after his death, “frailty, thy name is woman... to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets”. Claudius is clearly established as the villain in Hamlet, murdering his own brother and then plotting to kill Hamlet. He lies and is deceitful toying with the notion that the appearance of things is not their reality. The audience is privy to the ‘reality’ of Claudius ‘deed’, and of his guilt, through an aside, climactically stating, “then is my deed to my most painted word. O heavy burden!”.