Maybe we should not take every word that comes out of a crazy person’s mouth for its worth. But no doubt that through all of the enigmatic rumblings of their minds, something is brewing. And what they see is in direct relation to what they reflect. Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest circumambulates around the ins and outs of a mental institute. Throughout the ward’s various machinations, the narrator of the book Bromden is quite acute in his intelligence.
This is uncanny to the reader, because it presents the taboo idea of embracing the evil within oneself. Another reason this duality is uncanny is because of the uncontrollable aspect of the situation. After a while of repeatedly changing between Jekyll and Hyde, Jekyll starts to feel Hyde taking
I dreaded the first glance at objects around me. It was not that I feared to look upon things horrible, but that I grew aghast lest there should be NOTHING to see. At length, with a wild desperation at heart, I quickly unclosed my eyes. My worst thoughts, then, were confirmed.”(59-64) This is an example of sensualism because the narrator is just waking up and in a groggy state of mind. An example of sensationalism would be when they take the narrator into a torture chamber because its over the top and in a gothic excessive nature.
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. Williams introduces glimpses of an Aristotelian tragic hero in Blanche’s entrance. Blanche initially appears to fulfil the criteria of nobility; her arrival in the shabby and deprived setting of New Orleans coupled with her reaction of surprise and disbelief, ‘this- can this- be her home?’ clearly highlights her incompatibility to the surroundings immediately. Williams includes stage directions that allow the reader to build up a strong idea of Blanche’s appearance: ‘Her appearance is incongruous to this setting,’ and her distinct mannerisms. She seems to be superior compared to her surroundings, virginal and demure due to her ‘Southern belle’ upbringing and these traits are obvious in her choice of attire: ‘She is daintily dressed in a white suit with a fluffy bodice, necklace and ear-rings of pearl, white gloves and hat...’ These are expensive garments that denote grandeur and wealth and ultimately purity.
In Twelfth Night, this is demonstrated by the numerous complications caused by Viola's physical disguise, as well as Orsino’s self deception. Although the characters themselves illustrate the concept of deception, the setting contributes to the theme. Illyria was a mystical location where weird and absurd thing could take place, therefore causing people to behave like fools. The fact that Shakespeare uses this particular location gives him the advantage of breaking the boundaries and stirring up an eccentric storyline where the outcome would be unpredictable. The main form of deception that most readers would look to, would be Viola’s physical disguise as a male ’Cesario’, which is extremely pivotal to the main plot that contributes to the comedy side to the play.
Driving ambition is the outright desire to achieve a certain goal, regardless of any possible consequences. Macbeth’s ambition is commonly seen as so dominant a trait that is defines the character. Throughout the play Macbeth displays the fatal flaw within his character that is at fault for the tragic chain of events within the play, which ultimately lead to his death. Macbeth displays signs of his driving ambition right from the start of the play when he first meets the witches and explores it further when he contemplates and commits the murder of Duncan and kills Duncan. Ambition has an immediate effect on Macbeth right from the start of the play.
From the very beginning of the play, suspense was already introduced. The opening scene of Macbeth was with the three witches. This scene is very short but that is what fills it with excitement and tension. The whole scene is written in rhyme which suggests that the witches are chanting. This creates a mysterious and mystical atmosphere, which creates suspicion as to why they are using their powers.
Superstitions in Julius Caesar Man, by nature, is credulous, and from the day he began his life on the planet earth, he has had beliefs in superstition. Being aware of this partiality, novelists and dramatists use superstitious events to make their works sensational. It is a favourite element in some of the plays written by the great English playwright William Shakespeare, who entertained the theatre-lovers during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Julius Caesar is one such play where the reader comes across this element in a variety of ways. Portrayal of occurrences related to dreams, ghosts, unusual natural eruptions etc. has made this play more thrilling and exciting.
Another example is when Poe uses phrases such as, "It was open-wide, wide open and I grew furious as I gazed upon it". He uses the first person point of view to create a tension between what is recounted and what is not recounted, so that the reader is caught in suspense, having to work out what he can. The use of repetition in first person point of view helps to enhance an uncertain sense; it creates the suspense of not knowing what will happen next, it limits the whole use of the language and the details like a ‘block’ which won’t let you go through, who’d stop you before you realize and discover what will happen
Question: “Macbeth” has all the ingredients of a compelling drama. Write a response to this statement commenting on one or more of the ingredients, which, in your opinion make Macbeth compelling. The play Macbeth is indeed a compelling one, featuring many of the key ingredients which so often make Shakespeare’s plays the greats that they are known as today. It features many different themes, the theme of evil, the supernatural, of war and the ever corrupting nature of power. These components are further brought together by the overhanging sense of mystery in the play.