McCallum 1 Maya McCallum Ms. D. Salter Honors English 05 December 2010 Ophelia: Character Analysis The character that I have chosen to analyze is Ophelia, from Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet. In this essay, I will be focusing on Ophelia’s portrayal in this great work. She was shown as one of the main characters, but one that was rarely around for any of the plot’s pivotal points. In fact, her death was one of the biggest plot points, but she obviously was not around to witness this. Ophelia was not a protagonist, nor was she an antagonist; she was actually more of a catalyst for change.
Both Kreon and Antigone share hubris. According to Sophocles, the play “Antigone” Kreon discusses the love for ruling Thebes: “This girl learned insolence long before she broke this law. What’s more, she keeps on insulting us, and then gloats about it. There is no doubt that if she emerges victorious, and is never punished, I am no man. She will be the man here” (519).
Antigone's downfall is the result of her own doing. She refuses to listen to Creon because she is Polynesis' brother and wants him to be buried and suffers the consequences of disobeying the king. Antigone's death is not deserved for the crime she did. Creon sentenced her to death because he was threatened for his thrown. The readers are saddened because Antigone should not have died and she should be the queen of the kingdom instead of Creon.
Gentlemen, I beg you to observe these girls: One has just now lost her mind; the other, It seems has never had a mind at all (1.150) said Creon. Creon humiliates his own nieces publicly. Tragic flaw is a very important characteristic for a tragic hero. Both Creon and Antigone have a very strong sense of pride, but Antigone’s tragic flaw is her lack of fight. Antigone was very heroic and brave at first, Creon now punishes her, and she does not fight back, but she simply badmouths her father.
During a tremendous argument between Juliet and her mother, Lady Capulet claims that Juliet must marry Paris, an innocent, charming man who wants to marry her, but she refuses and shouts, “ He shall not make me there a joyful bride…I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo” (3.5.132-137). Even though Juliet was already married to Romeo, she could have accepted her fate because of the hatred between the Montague and Capulet families. Yelling at her parents causes them to be mad at her, and lying makes the situation worse. Eventually, the choices the two “star-crossed lovers” made led to their
We are shown these aspects through Shakespeare’s use of comedy. Shakespearian comedy isn’t necessarily identifiable today as comedy, but there are a few common features of Shakespearean comedy which can help us to distinguish which genre a certain play is, although it can sometimes be extremely fine line between which genre a play would fall into. One common feature of a Shakespearian Comedy is through the use of language. Examples of this in Much Ado About Nothing are I the language used by Verges and Dogberry, they use language used as malapropisms. Another feature of comedy is Love.
When his most loved daughter comments on her sister’s reactions about his wishes, he then begins to go insane after irrationally separating his land between two of his three daughters based on their charm bringing terrible consequences for everyone. I would say that’s Lear’s first mistake; separating power and responsibility. His two eldest daughters are prepared to be in control of their own lives (age wise) but not necessarily mature enough. A reason of immaturity from the daughters that Lear didn’t notice was how fond they were of him when he declared his wanting, therefore, they aren’t ready to rule a kingdom. They allowed their father to act as if he is still in charge.
'Better a witty fool than a foolish wit.' Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed to an audience from different social classes and of varying levels of intellect. Thus they contain down-to-earth characters who appeal to the working classes, side-by-side with complexities of plot which would satisfy the appetites of the aristocrats among the audience. His contemporary status is different, and Shakespeare's plays have become a symbol of culture and education, being widely used as a subject for academic study and literary criticism. A close critical analysis of Twelfth Night can reveal how Shakespeare manipulates the form, structure, and language to contribute to the meaning of his plays.
CELIA’S ELECTRA COMPLEX In Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Celia, the only daughter of the usurper Duke Frederick, is a secondary participant in the central plot and so appears to lack the fullness and three-dimensionality in character possessed by her cousin Rosalind. However, upon closer examination, it can be seen that Shakespeare does bequeath Celia with a certain level of complexity. In Celia, Shakespeare shows his prowess in crafting fictional characters, no matter how minor, that possess a great deal of real human emotions and arraying them in such a manner to contribute positively to the overall flow of his works. Shakespeare designs a realm, in the physical form of the forest of Arden, where the characters in his play can self-reflect and many of the major characters gain valuable self-knowledge. Celia, though probably not regarded as a major character, is one that does subtly evolve and obtain an identity by the end of the play.
Dedicated Desdemona A Character Analysis of Desdemona of Othello Throughout the play The Tragedy of Othello, written by William Shakespeare, Desdemona undergoes significant trial and change. She begins the play dedicated to her new husband, Othello, in a marriage not approved by the culture in which they lived. Due to Othello’s differing race and status as a moor, Desdemona’s father does not approve of their marriage and instead prefers one of his own arrangement with a wealthy, white man. Desdemona is first portrayed in the play as a woman of confidence, honor and a with loyal and distinct love toward her husband, despite the objecting opinions of others. In Act IV, Desdemona portrays both loyal characteristics and qualities of innocence.