Essays on Plays

1939

Steadfast Stoicism in Antony and Cleopatra

5 pages / 2460 words

Antony and Cleopatra is a play of conflicting values and paradoxical ideologies. Its central dynamic is the Roman/ Egyptian dichotomy, with each pole representing a web of associated values and attributes. Egypt is variously associated with "the passions," fertility, flux and change, whilst Rome represents...

Antony and Cleopatra

1940

Exploring The Use of Imagery by Shakespeare in Antony and Cleopatra

3 pages / 1542 words

In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare uses grand evocative imagery for a variety of reasons such as juxtaposing Rome against Egypt, and to add different dimensions to the main characters. Moreover, there are a few overriding themes throughout the play such as the exhibition of imperial...

Antony and Cleopatra

1941

Literary Explication of Virginia Woolf’s William Shakespeare

4 pages / 2126 words

Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” offers a major piece of literary analysis with an eye towards the ever evolving role of the female author. During Woolf’s discussion of past and present writers, she repeatedly refers to the work of William Shakespeare, specifically his...

Antony and Cleopatra

1942

Antigone: a Heroine Meets Her Tragedy

3 pages / 1484 words

Introduction Made-to-order essay as fast as you need it Each essay is customized to cater to your unique preferences + experts online Get my essay It is not often in Greek myth or tragedy that a woman is portrayed as a tragic hero. However, Sophocles...

Antigone Antigone Tragic Hero Sophocles

1943

A Theme of Clashing Duty and Desire in Antony and Cleopatra

2 pages / 1221 words

In his play Antony and Cleopatra, William Shakespeare develops a constant theme of clashing duty and desire that can be seen throughout the entirety of the work; this theme is most potently exemplified through the actions of the main characters, and the overall characterization of...

Antony and Cleopatra

1944

Duality in Minor Characters: Antony and Cleopatra Act 1

3 pages / 1480 words

‘Antony and Cleopatra’ by William Shakespeare is a tragic play which centres around the renowned love affair of the eponymous characters and its political and personal repercussions. In Act One, Shakespeare uses both the distinction of time and place to portray the duality of Antony....

Antony and Cleopatra

1945

Shakespeare’s Depiction of True Loyalty in Antony and Cleopatra

5 pages / 2271 words

The value of loyalty is that it allows its recipient to feel secure in a world where almost nothing is absolute. Under this circumstance, loyalty has become a highly valued quality in today’s society. Unfortunately true loyalty is a difficult quality to achieve, since it...

Antony and Cleopatra

1946

Comparing and Contrasting Themes in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Antigone

2 pages / 1091 words

Sophocles used his plays to encourage Athenians to take responsibility for their own actions. In the fifth century B.C., Greece was experiencing an era of military exploration, political turmoil and social revolution, including women’s empowerment. Sophocles included all of these elements in plays, especially in...

Antigone Oedipus Rex Sophocles

1947

Ismene: a Tragic Hero in Antigone

5 pages / 2254 words

Though it was written over two millennia ago, Sophocles’ Antigone features one of the preeminent symbols of female defiance in its title character. The play centers on the exploits of Antigone as she openly goes against the king’s decree in the name of honor and...

Antigone Antigone Tragic Hero Sophocles

1948

Pride Comes before a Fall: Creon's Tragedy in Antigone

3 pages / 1356 words

While it is likely that Oedipus Rex is the only character who completely embodies Aristotle’s idea of a tragic hero, there are many characters who possess enough of his defined characteristics to qualify as the tragic hero of their respective drama. Creon, the King of...

Antigone Antigone Tragic Hero Sophocles

1949

Defining The Character of The Inspector in an Inspector Calls

3 pages / 1598 words

In the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, the character of the Inspector is used as a dramatic device in a number of different ways which all help the play to become more interesting and gripping. In this essay, I shall aim to analyse and explore these...

An Inspector Calls Character

1950

An Analysis of How The Society is Interconnected in an Inspector Calls

2 pages / 1200 words

In An Inspector Calls, J.B. Priestley expresses the importance of the interconnected nature of society through his exploration of how his characters react to their responsibility; this theme is also addressed through ideas of society present both at the time of writing and when the...

An Inspector Calls

1951

Comparison of The Characters of Mr Birling and The Inspector in an Inspector Calls

2 pages / 1232 words

Introduction In An Inspector Calls, Mr.Birling and the Inspector are complete opposites of each other and are used to support different ideas of the themes in the play. Their importance in terms of awareness of society, consideration for the community, and philosophies about political ideas...

An Inspector Calls Character

1952

Analysis of How Gerald is Presented in an Inspector Calls

1 page / 777 words

How is Gerald presented in An Inspector Calls? To start the essay, the character of Gerald Croft is extremely significant, as he is the only perpetrator not to be a part of the Birling household. He is also the character who knew Eva Smith most intimately...

An Inspector Calls Character

1953

How Sheila is Presented in an Inspector Calls

1 page / 801 words

Sheila’s character changes massively throughout J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, often in a manner that registers increasing maturity. At first, Sheila is presented through stage directions as a ‘pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited’; she is pictured as...

An Inspector Calls Character

1954

The Role Played by The Characters Sheila and Eric in an Inspector Call

2 pages / 871 words

In the play “An Inspector Calls” by J B Priestley, the characters of Sheila and Eric are used to represent the younger generation in Edwardian England, a time when traditional Victorian values were beginning to become obsolete. Priestley uses these characters to criticize and contrast...

An Inspector Calls Character

1955

Older Vs Younger Generation in an Inspector Calls

2 pages / 997 words

Introduction There are drastic differences that are seen in people who are born in different generations. One may argue that the younger generations are more impressionable and naive while the older generations are very hardheaded and assertive. By creating characters like Sheila and Eric with...

An Inspector Calls

1956

An Inspector Calls: The Theme of Surprising Sympathy as Shown by Eric and His Audience

2 pages / 832 words

Throughout the opening scenes of Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, Eric is portrayed as little more than a drunken child (‘only a boy’, as his Mother would have put it). If the work is considered to be a morality play, then Eric is perhaps guilty of...

An Inspector Calls

1957

A Juxtapositioning of The Opening in a Streetcar Named Desire and a View from a Bridge

2 pages / 922 words

The opening of a play is naturally one of its most important parts, serving as an introduction to its setting, characters and themes; the best openings also encapsulate both the intentions and style of the playwright. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams describes the...

A Streetcar Named Desire A View From The Bridge