Beatrice expresses her acceptance of Benedick’s love but does not realize the love inside Beatrice exists artificially. Beatrice’s faith in her emotions leaves her vulnerable to any criticism of her love to Benedick. For instance, when Hero commands Margaret to fetch Beatrice, Hero and Ursula purposely allow Beatrice to listen to them to invoke a stronger attraction in Beatrice towards Benedick. Shakespeare allows the first sign of the theme deception to manifests itself within Hero and Ursula’s conversation. Shakespeare aims to project a very harsh form of deception here in order to emphasize the power of deception of love.
“Reason versus passion” is one of the main pillars of the literary movement known as Neoclassicism and Racine’s Phaedra is one of the most famous and representative works that came out during this period (17th century and beginning of 18th) for it explains how love and passion can be dangerous for the life of human beings. The play shows evidence that Phaedra looses her reason when hit by Eros’ curse, and falls in love with Hippolytus, her stepson. When thinking ‘passionately’ she can’t see ‘the truth’, namely, that being in love with Theseus’ son is wrong. This unreciprocated love leads to Phaedra’s irrational behavior, such as to convince Oenone, her nurse, to accuse Hippolytus of abusing her, to prevent Theseus from finding out about her love for his son. This ultimately leads to Hippolytus’ death, because he doesn’t want to put shame on his father for having abused his wife.
Compare ways in which Shakespeare presents a character changing in Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. Shakespearean romantic comedies such as ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ feature one prominent aspect, complex love relationships amongst different pairs of characters, whereby the audience expects two or more characters to inevitably fall in love. Contrastingly, Shakespearean tragedies, like ‘Macbeth’, indulge in a noble and respected character changing into a tragic Hero, eventually resulting in his death. Similarly, one of the mutual features is the change in characters caused by external influences, whereby Leonato, Don Pedro and Claudio influence Benedick to love Beatrice, whilst the witches and Lady Macbeth influence Macbeth to kill the king; as other characters pursue this change, these changes are inevitable. However, Shakespeare presents Benedick’s change in a more positive and light-hearted manner, whilst Macbeth’s change revolves around negativity and wrong-doing as the approach to each individual genre is different, where comedies are humorous and happy, whilst tragedies are gloomy and grief-stricken.
In the prologue Shakespeare makes reference to Romeo and Juliet as "A pair of star-cross’d lovers" in line 6. In other words, the two lovers are thwarted by destiny from the very beginning. The imagery of “star-cross’d”; the stars not being in favour of the lovers for Elizabethan audiences would be recognized as love destined for something else which they know leads to tragedy as the rest of the prologue insinuates. Although not meant to be together; as “star-cross’d lovers” with “death-mark’d love”, this ill fated and forbidden love is emphasized by Shakespeare in the prologue so that the audience sympathize with Romeo and
Friar Lawrence: Unnoticed Importance In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, many secondary characters play an essential role in the play. Friar Lawrence is one of the most important secondary characters in the play. He marries Romeo and Juliet, helps Romeo and Juliet grow in their love for one another, and eventually helps end the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. He helps the characters in the play grow in a way they would not have on their own. Friar Lawrence affects the action of Romeo and Juliet by marrying Romeo and Juliet, helping Romeo escape Verona safely, and helping them reunite by giving Juliet a sleeping potion to fake her death.
Gabrielle Casey June 1, 2012 English 10 Honors Period 2 Persuasive Essay Language is a powerful and manipulated flow of words that captures the true and false emotions of people and objects. Through language we are able to use it to get whatever they want. In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, he uses persuasive language to capture the audience. Among all the characters in Julius Caesar, Calphurnia and Brutus persuasive in their own ways but Antony’s persuasive technique is what helped him be one of the rulers in the end. Even though women are seen as weak, Calphurnia has an effect on Julius Caesar.
The play is set in a violent, male dominated era where men were expected to be strong, brave and able to take control while women were kind, nurturing and feminine. However these roles are subverted in particular to Lady Macbeth, as she is manipulative, strong and persuasive while Macbeth is portrayed as weak and easily manipulated by his wife. Porphyria’s Lover and Laboratory are both poems, which deal with the crimes of passion. One of Browning’s earliest dramatic monologues in Porphyria’s Lover centers on the delusions of an obsessive and emotionally
Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet, although he forebodes that such a hasty marriage has the potential to create a tragic outcome. He says, “These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume” (II.vi.9-11). The Friar not only makes this comment, but he also questions the superficial love that Romeo once had for Rosaline. “Is Rosaline that thou didst love so dear, so soon forsaken. Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes” (II.iii.66-68).
Macbeth sends news of the witches prophecies and his coming fortune, which sparks an unscrupulous attack on his morality by Lady Macbeth, and the audience begins to feel compassion for the scorned hero. Macbeth’s letter to Lady Macbeth describes the honor received for his valiant battle and tells of the witches’ prophecies. The message ends with affectionate words and asks that she celebrate with him. Instead of rejoicing (Crowther) she immediately begins an assault on his masculinity and values, implying that he is not strong enough to pursue the King’s crown: …Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great,
Shakespeare subverts gender roles like this throughout the play, such as when Lady Macbeth decides her husband is unable to commit the atrocities to sit on the throne and taunts him, insinuating things about his manhood and claiming he has "th' milk of human kindness" (Act 1, 5.15) implying that he isn't strong enough to kill King Duncan. There is also a moment during a soliloquy where she wishes she could unsex herself so she could do the job without an inkling of guilt. (Act 1.5.38-41). This goading, as Lady Macbeth is aware, became a powerful tool in emasculinating her husband and forcing his hand to prove that he is in fact up to the task. This is the first time we see where the power lies, and this dynamic proves that it resides with Lady Macbeth; she's the one that's controlling things, despite the times.