Hamlet feels heartbroken when his mother, Gertrude marries the new King, Claudius. Hamlet is also seen as a tragic hero because he faces and accepts death with honor. However, it is not just Hamlet that could be seen as a tragic hero, Ophelia and Gertrude can also be seen as tragic heroes. Aristotle defined tragedy as 'the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself'. A tragic hero will effectively gain our fear and pity if he is a good mixture of good and evil.
To what extent is Blanche a tragic hero in ‘Streetcar Named Desire’? Aristotle believed that a tragic hero could be summarised as a male of generally a high social standing (such as a king or a prince) who possessed a fatal flaw that would result in their downfall. Aristotle displayed this view of a traditional tragic hero in his book ‘Poetics’- a major work that discusses literary and dramatic theory. However, over time the stereotypical image of a tragic hero has transformed, for instance in 1949 the Arthur Miller essay ‘Tragedy and the Common Man’ contradicts Aristotle and states that tragedy can also portray ordinary people in a domestic environment. 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.
How does Ibsen use symbolism to convey aspects of modern domestic tragedy in 'A Doll's House'? In ‘A Doll’s House’; Henrik Ibsen successfully uses symbolism to convey many aspects of the tragic tale of the Helmer’s life, including the way that the protagonist, Nora feels towards her marriage at the end of the play, the true but unrequited love the character Dr. Rank has for her and the tragedy that is the death of an individual and the death of a family. ‘A Doll’s House is defined as a ‘modern domestic tragedy’ which is a genre of drama in which the tragic protagonists are ordinary middle or lower class individuals, as opposed to the royal or aristocratic protagonists of classical tragedy. The focus in the play is on the household and the repercussions within this environment, opposed to the effect on a national level, which is usually portrayed in more classical tragedy. Ibsen’s eye for resemblance and use of symbolism highlights issues that he wanted to convey about the social environment at the time, including the harsh patriarchal society, seen mostly in Torvald in the play and the role of women, represented mostly in Nora.
The Role of women in gothic genre is as victims, always subject to male authority” Compare and contrast the extent to which this interpretation is relevant to your 3 chosen texts The 19th Century was the time of Gothic Literature, where supernatural suspicions and beliefs were dominating the minds of the British public. With this, many novels such as ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley and ‘Northanger Abbey’ by Jane Austen were introduced with the theme of supernatural villains and their helpless subjects. The Victorian era was structured with social classes and rigid gender roles where the men were strong, aggressive and intelligent and the women were supposedly physically weak, emotional and sensitive. This heavily influenced the definable features of Gothic Literature where the female characters were portrayed as ‘victims’ and ‘always subject to male authority’. In this essay I am going to compare and contrast how certain characters are portrayed in the novels Dracula (1897), The Turn of the Screw’(1898) and the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, focusing on physical descriptions, events, linguistic techniques and the significance of symbols whilst also taking into account the historical context of the Victorian period.
In the end, it is both fate and misfortune that are driving them to their untimely deaths. Although some characters may contribute to their bad luck, no single person is held accountable. The enduring quarrel between the two families proves that Romeo and Juliet were never supposed to be together in the first place. The Capulet family is very conventional, and would want their only daughter to marry someone of who they approve. The arranged marriage between Juliet and Paris is just another obstacle hindering Romeo and Juliet from having a future together.
Crystal Tenhet Professor Scott Point of View and Theme Essay February 7, 2010 Poe writes the story “The Tell Tale Heart” from the perspective of the murderer of an old man. The unreliable narrator tells the story in first-person point of view. The theme of this story can be a little confusing. First you have that all humans have a good and evil side, Second, the bad within each of us is worse than that which is outside of us and that the fear of being found out can actually lead to being found out The narrator is not named anywhere in the story. When the narrator is the protagonist and tells the story from a personal account it makes the overall impact of the story more vivid.
Elinor’s character ‘cares little for conventional properties and is driven solely by concern for others’. Do you agree ? Conventional is conforming to accepted standards. In the novel ‘Year of Wonder’ written by Geraldine Brooks the patriarchal society of 1666-67 is one of which divides the people according to their financial and social status. For some characters, conventional properties are something they care little for, but instead re driven solely by concern for others.
Hecate clearly should not have been included in Macbeth because her lines don’t correlate with Shakespearean form, iambic pentameter. Shakespeare purposely makes all the witches very mysterious, but Hecate is very clear and detailed in her monologue. The witches are meant to mystical characters in the play, often speaking in riddles to confuse Macbeth: “Lesser than Macbeth, and greater. / Not so happy, yes much happier./ Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.” (Act III, 3, 72-75). Although the witches allude to the fate of Banquo and Macbeth, they are not clear and leave much to interpretation.
In William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, there were numerous factors that accumulated to lead up to the tragedies that occurred. The Weird Sisters were not catalysts for these tragedies, as they only acted as a mirror to reflect and reveal man’s true nature and flaws. A Shakespearean tragedy is when character flaws become so dominant that they lead up to a number of tragic events, and eventually the downfall of the characters themselves. This was demonstrated in the play when, after being foretold by the Weird Sisters that he would soon be King, Macbeth’s true nature began to surface. His desire for power eventually overpowered his morality and caused him to perform a series of violent murderous acts.
William Shakespeare through one of his most well known plays portrays a tragic downfall of a king through his ambition and human weakness. Shakespeare develops the play Macbeth by showing the changes in the protagonist and the effects others have on him. Shakspeare's use of detail helps to show the changes in Macbeth through a gradual process. Before actually completing his horrendous act of killing the much loved King Duncan, Macbeth suffers mental conflict "having no spurs to prick the side of my intent" between the "vaulting ambition which leaps over itself and falls on the other" and the "deep damnation of his (Duncan's) taking off." At this point in time, scene 7 of the first act, Macbeth exposes sensitivity