We are introduced to a majorly significant and complex character, named Curley’s wife. Steinbeck shows us that Curley’s wife is flirtatious, mischievous (despite the patriarchal society of the 1930’s) but most of all she is an isolated character. Her hasty marriage to Curley proves to be failed attempt to escape her own spiral of disappointment of not fulfilling her ambition of becoming an actor. This ironically is a main theme in both texts. This essay will analyse and compare the presentation of Lady Macbeth and Curley's wife through the structure, themes, what is said about them, their actions and what they themselves say.
The paradox, ‘’fair is foul and foul is fair’’ appears as a rhyming couplet at the end of Act 1, it also acts as a double entendre, as it can be perceived as that the witches are describing themselves, their appearances our foul, though their prophecies are appealing and hence, fair for Macbeth. However, the quote can also be depicted as the ongoing motif of the whole text, that nothing is what it seems, this is shown through Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s actions. Lady Macbeth is portrayed by her peers as a ‘’gentle lady’’, however, when she is with Macbeth, her true personality arises, clearly detailing that she is the mastermind behind Macbeth’s relentless killings. As to Macbeth, he is portrayed as a highly regarded, honourable, noble soldier, but due to many variables he ends his life as a coward, corrupt by power and misleading conspiracies. The paradox of ‘’fair is foul and foul is fair’’ is evident within the theme of good and evil in relation to the witches.
Stella is the wife of Stanley and also the main character in my opinion. She’s a huge dope, who’s fallen in love with the wrong guy. Even after Stanley hits her she still comes back to him “There is the sound of a blow [and] Stella cries out”. She’s blinded by how things used to be between them when they first started dating. Stella is willing to look past everything Stanley does because she loves him and that makes her the fool of the play.
In the 1690’s, the character of Abigail Williams would be dreadful and obnoxious. Her actions of adultery would deem her imprisonment not only for herself, but for John Proctor. It is her latter actions of perverting the court of Justice which would sentence her for imprisonment in the 21st century. Her criminal offence and her personality of being malicious and wicked, however powerful and mature, allow the audience to appreciate the story and realise that she is pivotal in the play. She is a character who appears in critical parts of the play, and adds crucial information by her language, gestures and actions.
Beatrice is cynical and witty; she doesn’t conform when it comes to the role of women in Elizabethan time. In terms of how males view females, there is a theme of cuckoldry (men who married unfaithful wives). This is shown in the first scene when Leonato confirms that Hero is his daughter, ‘Her mother hath many times told me so’, a joke at her expense, implying she is unfaithful to him. In a conversation between Claudio and Benedick, they talk about Hero. Claudio asks if he ‘noted’ her, Benedick tells him he did not, but he ‘looked on her’.
Oedipus naturally refuses to believe Tiresias’s accusation. He accuses Creon and Tiresias of conspiring against his life, and charges Tiresias with insanity. Tiresias defends his skills as a prophet, noting that Oedipus’s parents found him trustworthy. At this mention of his parents, Oedipus, who grew up in the distant city of Corinth, asks how Tiresias knew his parents. Tiresias puts forth one last riddle, saying that the murderer of Laius will turn out to be both father and brother to his own children, and the son of his own wife.
The play suggests that she was once in love with Benedick but that he led her on and their relationship ended. Now when they meet, the two constantly compete to outdo one another with clever insults. Although she appears strong, and sharp, Beatrice is really vulnerable. Once she overhears Hero describing that Benedick is in love with her , she opens herself to the sensitivities and weaknesses of love. Beatrice is a prime example of one of Shakespeare’s strong female characters.
Petruchio forces Katherina (Kate) to change from an abrasive, bad tempered, ill mouthed shrew into a perfect, docile, honey-tongued wife. Written between 1590 and 1594, it has claimed the title of one of Shakespeare's earliest Comedies and also one of his most controversial works. Particularly for modern audiences, Petruchio and his methods are what have earned this play its name as a highly misogynistic text. Via abuse, public humiliation and starvation he finally attains his goal of taming Katherina. Petruchio, a wealthy and unmarried gentlemen from Verona, wishes a wife.
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).
Lady Macbeth is the only female lead character in The Tragedy of Macbeth. At first looks her personality seems cruel and uncaring. But after the second act we can see that is not the case. She is a dynamic character that changes throughout the play and shows many different sides to her personality. The theme of appearance helps to reveal Lady Macbeth’s character through her transformation from a cold-hearted, ambitious wife to a demented, insomniatic queen.