For example, Aeolus is easily bribed to wreck havoc against Aeneas’ fleet by Juno’s promising him an exquisite nymph for a wife. Juno has obviously favoured him in the past. He concedes that he owes her for everything she has done for him. However, like a pair of bickering children, the territorial sea god Neptune chastises his sister Juno and calms his sea. Although Venus’ protection of her son in Book one is praiseworthy, she is as manipulative of humans as Juno is.
Antigone was very heroic and brave at first, Creon now punishes her, and she does not fight back, but she simply badmouths her father. “O Oedipus, father and brother your marriage strikes from the grave to murder mine (7.40-41) says a coward Antigone. Creon, on the other hand who is supposed to be the strong king of the land, does not manage to control his anger, and fights his own son in an argument. This can be considered a sense of pride, since Creon did not want to change his opinion. Part of being a tragic hero is having a destruction.
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’.
Finally, she admits to her nurse and confidante that she loves “the son of that Amazon mother” (Kline 264). Years before she demanded that Hippolytus be exiled because of this same love for him. Rather than dishonor herself, she has Theseus banish him. After much discussion with both her nurse Oenone and her lady-in-waiting Panope, Phaedra decides to confess her love to Hippolytus and suggest an alliance for the throne. Hippolytus is appalled by this confession and forgets his sword in his hurry to leave her presence.
Lady Macbeth tries to convince Macbeth that killing Duncan would be of great interest to him as it will give him great prosperity. Lady Macbeth is supposed to represent Shakespeare's employer, King James' opinion on all woman, that they persuade men to sin. At the time Macbeth was written, people did not have a very high view on woman as they were seen as inferior to men and only there for the purpose of reproducing and caring of the offspring whilst the men do the important things such as earn money. Modern audiences would not see Lady Macbeth's attitude towards her husband as a shock as men and woman are more or less equal in today's society, however in Elizabethan England her attitude towards her husband would have been seen as shocking. In Animal Farm, Squealer is used by Napoleon to clear
He then states about Caesar, “Alas, it cried, ‘Give me some drink, Titinius/ As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me/ a man of such a feeble temper should/ So get the start of the majestic world,/ And bear the palm alone”(126-129). Cassius reveals that he’s been thinking about overthrowing Caesar. When Cassius thinks about the past when Caesar is all weak he has done nothing but once he hears Caesar’s power over Rome, he immediately takes action. Cassius will do whatever it takes to join his conspiracy, that he’s willing to demean his character more and more.
Contrasting attitudes are clearly illustrated in Julius Caesar in the relationships between Caesar and his wife Calpurnia and that of Brutus and Portia. Calpunia is the stereotypical image of a woman of her time, exemplified in Act 2, Scene 2, when she uses an imperative statement "you shall not stir out of your house today". This portrays her as a concerned, caring wife who is trying to save the life of her husband. But Caesar contrasts her attitude when he declares"Caesar shall forth" this illustrates that Caesar doesn't value his wife's advice, he is very much dismissive of her. The way Caesar presents himself in his marriage conflicts with how other characters view and represent him.
But after her father yells at her and tells her if she doesn’t marry she’ll be kicked out of the house; she goes to Friar Laurence for advice. When Juliet takes the potion Friar Laurence gives her she has to think about it. This is something Romeo probably wouldn’t do. But love over comes her decision and she takes it. Nobody tells Romeo that it’s just a potion and Juliet’s not really died, he buys poison and goes to Juliet’s tomb.
Macbeth being hesitant and indecisive allows Lady Macbeth to overcome and influence him to do any wicked deed. Lady Macbeth feels her husband lacks the drive and courage to go through with the assassination of King Duncan. She explains, “Glamis thou art, an Cawdor; and shalt be what thou art promis’d. –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; Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it” (I.v.15-20) With this, she realizes that Macbeth is to laid back or nonchalant when he is not on the battle field.
The readers introduction to Hamlet and King Claudius occurs in Act I Scene ii where the King explains that he has married his sister in law with mixed feelings but he believes Hamlet’s mourning should seize, to which his nephew replies with disdain and offense. This sets the mood for the relationship between the two characters as well as set Hamlet up for his first soliloquy, seen in Act I Scene ii line 133 O, that is too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve into dew! Or that the everlasting had not fix’d His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! Oh God! God!