Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a timeless tragedy, depicting historical figures but concerning the modern world as well. John Proctor, the protagonist, though fitting several of the characteristics of the Aristotelian tragic hero, is actually a much more complex tragic hero. The primary differences between John Proctor and the classic tragic hero are obvious, such as the lack of noble birth, his not being in a position of leadership, and the inevitability of his fate. These differences are necessary, as Arthur Miller attempts to convince his audience that his protagonist is an everyman and is worth sympathizing for. In Arthur Miller’s more complex world, a more complex tragic hero is needed.
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.
Sacrifices for Honor Joseph Campbell stated, “A hero is someone who has given his life to something bigger than oneself.” In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus is established as a tragic hero due to his idealistic and sensible qualities. His need to preserve an honor allows him to possess a mindset that favors the best of others. This mindset triggers his fall under cynical circumstances that are beyond what is expected to happen. By outlining Brutus’s tragedy, it is indicated that his seemingly ignoble decisions are genuinely intended to create changes for the Romans. As a tragic hero, Brutus maintains noble intentions throughout the play.
While assuming JIB to be true, Shelton wages war on the government and by extension those who support it. He views this as a last resort, since he watched all the other non-violent options fail him. Thus this war can be justified. Shelton is justified in his actions because he is redressing a wrong suffered, and his intentions are to rid the corruptness from the judicial system. The people that Shelton killed are considered combatants because they support they governmental system and work with it.
Shakespeare presents villains in a way that entices the audience through his way or words and techniques used. He makes us wonder who the actual villain is in this story and plays with emotions such as guilt, sympathy and paranoia. I will be analysing Shakespeare's use of language, how he shows the change of character in Macbeth through his choice of words, and what the true meaning of a villain actually is by comparing Shakespeare's work and use of literature with three other well known poems. Throughout the story line of Macbeth, Shakespeare has shown a stark contrast between Macbeths' original personality to the one that he had finally developed. Starting from a victorious, respectable, glorified hero who was a ruthless killing machine, Macbeth then turns into a paranoid, merciless and unstable character which Shakespeare is able to shape, due to the various factors that would change Macbeth.
Shakespeare presents villains in a way that entices the audience through his way or words and techniques used. He makes us wonder who the actual villain is in this story and plays with emotions such as guilt, sympathy and paranoia. I will be analysing Shakespeare's use of language, how he shows the change of character in Macbeth through his choice of words, and what the true meaning of a villain actually is by comparing Shakespeare's work and use of literature with three other well known poems. Throughout the story line of Macbeth, Shakespeare has shown a stark contrast between Macbeths' original personality to the one that he had finally developed. Starting from a victorious, respectable, glorified hero who was a ruthless killing machine, Macbeth then turns into a paranoid, merciless and unstable character which Shakespeare is able to shape, due to the various factors that would change Macbeth.
Michel Foucault believed that power was omnipresent at every level of the social body; to him, power itself is not a thing but a relationship between characters, family members or even the state. ‘Power is not possessed; it is exercised. And where there is power, there is always resistance ’, for Michel Foucault the exercise of power coerces resistance and contrariwise. An exploration of power and resistance within The Handmaids Tale, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Sylvia Plath’s selected poetry, exposes how Foucault’s quotation is vindicated by the oppressed – the characters and Plath - who seek to transgress limitations imposed upon them by their oppressors. Margret Atwood, Ken Kesey and Sylvia Plath each explore the convolute relationship between power and resistance.
With the death of Macbeth, William Shakespeare shows an insight of a perfect example of a classic tragic hero. Despite bending a few rules, Shakespeare illustrates that if a character is not held by fate, causes their own downfalls and realizing it was their own fault, they are what many call a tragic hero. Being a tragic hero isn’t limited to just stories or plays, but can be applied in the real world as well. Richard Nixon was thought to be a great man, but after following the same road Macbeth had taken, they both found themselves destroyed by guilt, and are now considered, “Tragic
“How has your understanding of the consequences of change been shaped by the techniques used by various composers.” Change is the omnipresent, inevitable process of transition from one condition to another. Through close analysis of Robert Frost’s poem A Roadside Stand one can form a specified judgment of change as a process that produces catastrophic consequences through the observation of literary devices including metaphor and animal imagery. The historical context of the poem highlights such consequences of change from a socio-economic and subjective standpoint. David Fincher’s film adaptation of Chuck Palaniuk’s novel Fight Club exposes the multi faceted nature of change as an inevitable and difficult evolution with both negative and positive consequences. This specific nature of change is explored and presented through the use of camera technique to symbolise the individual processes of change.
Both events contained false accusations, wrongly gained power, and a breakout of mass hysteria. Arthur Miller hoped that his novel would reveal the mistakes society was currently making in the 1950’s and allow society to fix them. Rather or not we improved because of him specifically depends on who you ask, but a better question may be, will it happen