Essays on The Play

Our Town is a play that has three acts and it was first produced in 1938. The play was written by an American playwright Thornton Wilder. The play surveys the lives of people who live in a small American town. It is divided into three parts that explains human experience. The play exposes an American family’s close and routine lives by beginning with the routines and necessities of daily life. The two families in the play are; Gibbs family, that is, Dr. Gibbs, Mrs. Gibbs, George their son, Rebecca who is a sister to George. The second family is Webb family, ...

Thucydides wrote about the desire for power by the human beings as one of the human natures that has existed among the Greeks. This human nature existed even in the ancient Greek especially among the Athens. His arguments have however supported in Plato’s argument has they appear in the Plato’s Apology (Farrar, 1988). Some of the other aspects of human nature that have formed the backbone of Thucydides’ quest to give an explanation as well as interpretation about human desire for power include judgment, passion, chance and desire for security (Connor, 1984). The Athenians appeal to these ...

Betrayal of the people by political elite, which is the central theme in William Shakespeare’s play, The tragedy of Julius Caesar will always remain a major concern in the modern world. For this reason, this play will forever continue to be relevant to the curriculum. William Shakespeare portrays the political elite as self centered individuals who betray the very people who elected them into leadership positions. Presidents and leaders make empty promises that they fail to fulfill. The death of Caesar further demonstrates this, as the Roman citizens’ object to the killing of their charismatic leader, who ...

In recent decades feminist critics have attempted to appropriate A Doll’s House as a feminist text, but they have been met with a barrage of criticism from some critics who prefer to stress other aspects of the play. In one sense to call it a feminist play is, of course, an anachronism, since the feminist movement did not begin until the late 1960s and early 70s, but, nonetheless, Nora’s abandonment of Torvald and her children at the end of the play can still be seen as a rebellion against the prevailing patriarchal values of European society.

In this research paper on ...

The notion that each of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes must have single easy-to-define tragic flaw can be traced to the writing of A C Bradley (Gibson 2002 p 87) and there has been general critical agreement that Hamlet’s ‘flaw’ is hesitation and that he delays taking revenge on Claudius because he vacillates and is uncertain. It is true as well that in the play itself hamlet criticizes himself or this very trait. Hamlet in Act 4, scene 4 watches Fortinbras’s army cross the stage on their way to fight over Norwegian possession of a disputed piece of land in ...

Setting is a vital part of any story; it helps establish context for the character’s actions, showcases the period in which the story is set, and allows a mood to be set. What’s more, a setting can reveal the passions or the conflicts the characters possess, becoming symbols themselves for the characters. The protagonists of many important literary works are inexorably tied to their surroundings, and the following three works are no exception. In this paper, the settings of Shakespeare’s Othello¸ Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, and Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby will all be examined in terms of their ...

Research into the Characters, Story, and Music of Guys and Dolls

The musical Guys and Dolls first premiered on Broadway in 1950; it ran for more than 1,200 performances (Liukkonen). The characters and much of the story of the musical were originally created by Damon Runyon in his work “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown.” Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling adapted the characters and story from Runyon’s writings into musical form (Liukkonen).

This play’s characteristic nature that makes it very different from other plays is that it generates its characters’ traits and story from music and this is why it is called a musical. Though criticized for going ...

In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” there are many characters who demonstrate deception, putting on a show for others in order to hide their true feelings or intentions. Sometimes, they deceive these other characters out of necessity; often, however, they are also fooling themselves. In this paper, we will examine which characters in Hamlet put on a show, and why they do it. Through this, we can gain a greater understanding of the subtleties of the play and what Shakespeare has to say about the futility of deception.

The first character to deceive is, obviously, the titular character of Hamlet. Over the course of ...

In tragedies, characters tend to become isolated. In Romeo and Juliet, this is especially true for Juliet who is abandoned by her parents, her Nurse and the Friar, Analyze how these characters force Juliet into isolation. Be sure to use specific examples to support your answer. Finally, in your conclusion, discuss how even Romeo abandons Juliet in the end. It is not uncommon for tragic characters to become isolated through circumstances, through their own actions or through the actions or attitudes of other characters. Romeo and Juliet, it could be argued, are isolated from the moment they fall ...

In Oedipus Rex, the main character spends the entirety of the play escaping a prophecy that he heard as a child; that he would kill his father and marry his mother. However, circumstances and mistaken assumptions lead him right back to his parents, and the prophecy is fulfilled before he even realizes it. By the beginning of the play, he has already killed his father and married his mother – the play is about the circumstances of his discovery of that fact. The Greeks placed a great emphasis on fate and the power of destiny in people’s lives; if you were fated ...

Othello is a Moor, a dark-skinned man from Africa and is general in army of Venice. Though Othello is an outsider to Venice and does not belong to its culture and race, still he has commanded immense respect and position for himself in Venetian civic society. His refines skills as soldier and leader has earned him this reputation. As apparent from Cassio’s statement that [the senate sent three several quests to look for Othello (l.ii.46). 127–129). Othello also captivates his peers with his oratory skills. Upon inquiring Othello that how he wooed Desdemona, duke remarks to Othello’s speech ...

In this research paper on Ibsen’s A Doll’s House I will examine the play’s plot, central characters and themes and then provide an analysis of its production history and reception. It is a play that continues, through new productions, to engage audiences all over the world and the social dynamic between theater productions and social values is one that is full of interest and not without controversy. The very first production aroused controversy: Jaeger (p. 259) claims that “The close of A Doll’s House gave rise to dissentient criticism”. But even one of the first reviews ...

At the beginning of the play it rapidly becomes clear that Nora’s husband Torvald Helmer is very dominant and that he treats Nora like a child. It is interesting that this takes place at Christmas, a time devoted to the pleasing of children and a time of dreams and fantasy, for Nora is essentially trapped within a dream world where everything is safe and things are just how they should be. This is essentially because she relies upon her husband to protect her from the vagaries of the outside world with its harsh realities and risks. To a certain extent it could be ...

The presentation of love throughout Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is as a concept that brings a lot of upset and hurt to the characters. As a romantic comedy, this plot is immediately juxtaposed with the genre as you would expect there to be a greater amount of joy and happiness in a comedy. Many of the characters consider love to be something which is imposed upon them; something that they do not wish to have to endure because of its inevitable heartbreak.

It is Orsino’s opening line, “If music be the food of love, play on” (Twelfth Night 1. 1. 1) that sets ...

In the play, Lysistrata the struggle for peace negations by women explicitly reflects their position as well as influence in the society. Their ability to influence the making of major decisions is clearly seen in the manner they all unite for a common course and stick to it to the very end until their objective is achieved. The interminable Peloponnesian war is seemingly the nightmare of the women in the play, as they feel neglected and cut out by their men all because of the war. It also acts as a revelation as women start to realize that they and ...

In Towards a Poor Theatre, we find a series of essays from Grotowski and various other authors, delineating the concept and practices of “poor theatre,” a type of contemporary experimental theatre that Grotowski developed as part of the Theatre Laboratory in Poland. In the foreword, we learn that the laboratory itself is much more than theatre; it instead seeks to delve into the mind of the actor and learn new ways of creating a unique and evocative production. One of the main emphases is placed on the actor and being able to break them of “acting,” or at least allowing them to see ...

Introduction

Writers and playwrights try their best in bringing out different themes in their works of literature. Arthur Miller is one of America’s most known playwrights whose literal works have major influence on the lives of most residents of the country. Arthur Miller’s death of a salesman tries to depict how most people are hungry for success. This play gives a highlight on the American dream and how many people will strive to live the dream. Amongst the people trying to live the American dream, some of them will perish while trying to achieve the dream. This is elaborated in ...

‘Angels in America’ a play that has become a success story in the mainstream drama in America acts. The play’s setting is both political and religious in nature as it was down played in the backdrop of politics in 1980s that was characterized by religious believes that defined the American culture. Gay – a disparate group were made to lead the plays (Kushner, 1992). This group of people is however a serious threat of contracting Aids forcing them to straight- face the specter through teaching themselves on better ways to support themselves. The play is divided into two part with ‘Millennium Approaches’ being ...

A marriage is a life time commitment between two people to share their lives and experiences as companions. In the least sense, this is what most people hope would happen when they commit to spent the rest of their lives together. It is a commitment and efforts between two people to be true to each other and support and love each other without any conditions whether in good times or bad times. Though, there are many characteristics associated to marriage, I feel, three are most important and define what a good marriage is, and are, trust, respect, and communication. These characteristics lay ...

Introduction

William M. Inge was a renowned American novelist and playwright. The reputation of his Literature works has been acknowledged in the whole of America. Most of the protagonists of his works are encumbered with frustrating sexual relations. In the 1950s he produced a series of memorable productions which included, The Picnic, The Bus Stop and Come Back Little Sheba. The trio is characterized with strained relationships which are a real projection of the contemporary society. This write up therefore seeks to address the relationships between the couples in this plays and I will look into how in the 1950's how other plays ...

This paper is the result of my research on the British dramatist, Harold Pinter. There is so much material available on Pinter that it was sometimes hard to decide exactly what to use, so I have limited my source texts to two authoritative reference books. As well as giving biographical information, I have tied to trace his contribution to the theatre, but even that was slightly problematic, since he did so much – he directed, acted and wrote for the theatre. Even if we concentrate on his writing, we are dealing potentially with a huge amount since he wrote plays, poems, ...

Jill Englebright, an assistant professor of early childhood education at Virginia Commonwealth University, has devoted her article to one of the timeliest issues in the contemporary system of education. It has been said a lot that Play has already forced out old academic system of education, proving that actually Play is much more effective in both learning and developing skills and knowledge. To prove this point Jill has meticulously investigated Play as an integral part of education.

T first Jill is stating several descriptions and explanations of Play, given by many scholars. Generally, Play can be identified as a type of ...

In Macbeth, ambition combines with evil forces to commit evil deeds which result in fear, apprehension, guilt and an escalating cycle of violent murders. Above all, Macbeth is a study of the psychology of two central characters (Macbeth and his wife) react as individuals and as a couple to the psychological trauma of their evil deeds. In the course of the action, Macbeth frequently misconstrues the guilt that he feels as simply being a question of fear. As a warrior, this self-delusion works because he thinks that he knows no fear and it leads directly to his response to his guilt and his ...

In the introduction to Hunter's Shakespeare and the Comedy of Forgiveness, the author announces his intention to combat oversimplifications that have arisen over the past few decades with regards to the scholarship of Shakespeare, wherein the attitude of Shakespeare itself at the time of his writing would actually reflect the politics and intent of the work itself (e.g. King Lear having a sad ending indicating Shakespeare being despondent at the time of its composition). "This study...will be an attempt to investigate one feature - the denouement in forgiveness - which is common to five of the later comedies" (Hunter 2). ...