Act 2 Scene 1 is used to be the point of which the issues start to become apparent, with the ensuing psychological and emotional effects on Katherina now she is being subjected to Petruchio entering her life. However, Shakespeare has designed Taming of the Shrew as a comedy, and these issues become an underlying feature, and not the play’s main focus. Act 2 Scene 1 is the first meeting between the two characters and their initial interaction is quite explosive. A social concern that is made clear through the exchange is the lack of respect Petruchio has for Katherina, which is influenced through the fact that the play was written in the time of a Patriarchal society, and women had to get married if they wanted to be respected – even if it meant losing all their finances and belongings to the possession of the husband. Petruchio bombards Katherina with compliments as soon as she walks in such as “bonny Kate”, “prettiest Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate-Hall, my super-dainty Kate”, while being consistently referential to Katherina as being his through the use of the possessive pronoun ‘my’, even though at that point, they had barely just met.
The theme of deception in Shakespeare’s plays The typical themes of Shakespeare’s works, especially his plays, often reflect popular moods, problematic occurrences and typical traits of human nature from his time which are relevant even today. One such theme is deception. The idea of deception in Shakespeare’s plays has many different faces. In one instance, it is accidental, as in The Comedy of Errors. In another instance, it is used as defense against greater harm, as in Othello.
In a scholarly journal by Hugh Madean, ‘In disguise in Elizabethan drama’, disguise is described as ‘the substitution, overlaying or metamorphosis of dramatic identity, whereby one character sustains two roles, this may involve deliberate or involuntary masquerade, mistaken or concealed identity, madness or possession’. This is an important idea since Shakespeare takes this technique and uses it to add another dimension to the play, in the sense that it helps to distinguish what the characters are going through. Many say that this Shakespeare giving a social criticism of the nobility, illustrating how finery and expensive garments do not make a different to the inert nature of a person, instead it is portrayed throughout actions and sentiments. Clothing in King Lear can be contrasted with nakedness as much as pretence of appearances can be contrasted with truth or reality. For Lear, Kent and Edgar clothing is of great significance as they have all had to add an element of disguise into their lives for different reasons as clothing is the simplest to change.
Literary texts challenge audiences to question thematic concerns within. Thus, by presenting conflicting perspectives of various characters, events and situations in Julius Caesar, Shakespeare creates a political parable that warns his Elizabethan context of the devastating effects of the Machiavellian struggle for political dominance. Four centuries later, Michael Dobb’s political moral fable novel, House of Cards, and Rob Sitch’s television satire, The Hollowmen, also present conflicting perspectives to present similar thematic concerns, thus demonstrating the diachronic relevancy of Shakespeare. These texts have the moral responsibility to warn contemporaries of the danger of self serving ambition, vengeance and jealousy that lie behind a façade of integrity, tainting social order. In order to warn his audience of the dangers of creating false heroes, Shakespeare presents conflicting perspectives between the illusion of honour, and the private reality of Caesar, who believes himself to be the defender of Roman honour, tradition and democracy.
Connections in the texts such as the representation of Richard and his pursuit of power, notions of conscience and the use of language are indicative of the values in the respective societies. In Shakespeare’s text, Richard, one of Shakespeare’s most enigmatic and disturbing villains, outlines the consequences of separation from fellowship and God in a providential society. Shakespeare is critical of Richard’s individualistic nature; Richard lll enters ‘solus’ in the opening of the play that denotes his isolation. This concept derives from the end of 3HenryVI, “I am myself alone” and continues throughout The Tragedy of King Richard lll. In the opening soliloquy, he conspirers to the audience, further suggesting his isolation through the use of personal pronouns, “But I…I that am rudely
Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ and Michael Apted’s ‘Amazing Grace’ provokes election promises’ provokes audience’s interpretations of representation in texts, through the medium of political minds and situations. When points of view differ, diverse and sometimes provocative opinions will be generated. This is apparent in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, a play that explores a number of ideas from different perspectives: the clash of political ideologies; the clash of class and status; conflict between the public and private spheres. Shakespeare conveys the complexity of these concepts to the audience through language and dramatic devices. The ways concepts are represented shape how the audience will perceive them.
How people name themselves tells you a lot about their character. In William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of The Shrew,” characters’ names and meanings of words take on a particular level of importance. As a play that centers around people’s individual temperaments and attitudes, and the ability to morph them (or the lack thereof), their names become almost manifestations of their character. In addition to using characters’ names as crucial aspects of their personas, he also uses the multiple meanings of words and names to add a level of intellectual complexity to the play. The focus on names in the play falls second to the focus on patriarchal domination during that time.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a major theme is expressed in the quote “fair is foul, and foul is fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air.” representing the fight between belief and reality that can corrupt an individual towards crave for power (13). Banquo’s characterization portrays bravery, loyalty, caution, and the resemblance of the archetype for reason showing his capability to remain aware of resisting anything that might lead him into temptation. His persona depicts a dramatic contrast, or foil to the protagonist character Macbeth; this is seen through the use of rhetorical strategies in the playwright which are imagery, rhetorical questions, and allegory. In the opening of the play Banquo is said to be one of the captains along with Macbeth serving for King Duncan in combat.
Oscar Wilde’s purpose in writing this passage of the play “The Importance of Being Earnest” is to reveal the idiocy of the emphasis on appearance and rank in Victorian society, which in the case of this passage has led to a fabrication of identity in order to further the character’s interests and allow them to do what they want. Wilde is stating the importance of being true to yourself and to other people, because a lie meant to impress others or to get ahead in society is unsustainable. As illustrated by Oscar Wilde, there is a difference between being funny and being witty. Someone who is witty is “intelligently clever”, whereas someone who is funny is amusing or comical. Wilde uses his wit in order to expose the hypocrisy and artificial nature of his social environment.
How does Shakespeare Portray conflict in Romeo and Juliet? Conflict is the colliding between two or more things that do not agree with each other. There can be conflict between different things such as, physical conflict which is the most obvious. A less obvious example is the conflict William Shakespeare portrays in his play Romeo and Juliet. He uses conflict in so much detail that one would only have to look at the play; the length of the lines would stand out.