Isabella is the strongest female character in "Measure for Measure." She debates with Angelo on an equal level and is not undermined by his authority. Her strength as a character derives from several sources; her chastity being one of the most significant. Isabella's chastity provides...
Introductory acts are normally a very crucial part of plays in drama. They serve as a foundation, introducing main characters and the plot, and they also capture the audience’s attention making them anticipate what is to come in later acts. An effective introduction is one...
Although August Wilson’s Fences does not display the degree of senseless violence as projected in King Hedley II, both exemplify the harsh circumstances of African American communities in the 1950’s and 1980’s, respectively. Wilson makes contrasts between his characters from these plays, such as King’s...
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Rather than immediately exacting revenge upon a person who has done wrong, as sadistic as it may be, it is much more satisfying to meticulously formulate a plan that can inflict the harshest injury. In the world renowned...
America has long prided itself on being a land of opportunity. Since the fifteenth century, pilgrims have flocked to American shores, urged onward by the thought of making money, off the rich lands and resources available here. As time has gone on, this image of...
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) lived in a period when Europe went through the most massive economic, political, and social changes. He witnessed the two World Wars, the revolutions in Austria, Germany, Hungary in 1917-1918, the uprising of Communism in Russia, Fascism in Italy, Nazism in Germany,...
Brecht’s development of epic theatre challenged many aspects of the popular conventions of naturalism and expressionism that were prevalent during his rise to prominence in the 1920s. In The Life of Galileo, elements of epic theatre such as the use of song and verse, and,...
Both Harold Pinter and Tennessee Williams depict vivid and intimidating oppositions in their characters Stanley Kowalski and Goldberg and McCann. The oppositions in both A Streetcar Named Desire and The Birthday Party strive to assert their power over their victims, Blanche DuBois and Stanley Webber,...
What describes family is not the people who are blood related or someone who has an obligation. Family is loving someone unconditionally and mutually; family is those who greet the worst self of someone without judgement and still stick around after; family is the people...
Samuel Beckett, in Waiting for Godot, and Ionesco, in The Bald Prima Donna, both embody the values associated with “Theatre of the Absurd”. This is achieved through their use of language, characterisation, and stage direction in order to portray the universe as being arbitrary and...
“Loyalty is a noble quality, so long as it is not blind and does not exclude the higher loyalty to truth and decency.” Putting one’s faith in something that is not real is worse than putting one’s faith in nothing at all. Cloudy thinking and...
The classical stories of Oedipus The King and Sundiata tell the tale of two epic heroes who must seek out and fulfill their own unique destinies. Although the themes of fate and destiny play a major role in the lives of Oedipus and Sundiata, both...
Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” stands as a timeless exploration of the clash between medieval piety and Renaissance humanism, encapsulating the profound transformations occurring during this pivotal period in history. Through the character of Faustus, Marlowe intricately weaves a narrative that delves into the complexities of...
In the world of theatre, there are many plays in which the central figure is one who harnesses extreme personality traits above all others. For example, Sophocles’ Oedipus is a fatherly king with great ambition and strength; and Shakespeare’s Macbeth is evilly ambitious, while Romeo...
A play can have power over its audience, whether it simply captivates them with its plot or makes them question their beliefs with its commentary. Though while the actors are the ones directly exercising this power over the audience, it is the writer or director...
Doctor Faustus is a tragedy play written by Christopher Marlowe published in 1604 . The complete name of the play is “The tragic history of life and death of Doctor Faustus”. It is about a german writer and scholar who is extremely ambitious in his...
Throughout both ‘Paradise Lost’ and ‘Doctor Faustus,’ the authors draw upon the ideas of responsibility, free will, and blame. Marlowe, in ‘Doctor Faustus’, melds the conventional religious ideology of the Middle Ages with the comparatively new Renaissance and Reformation thought, thus creating an effective contrast...
Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus presents a protagonist who sells his soul to the devil for god-like knowledge and power. The tension in Faustus surfaces from the protagonist’s self-damnation, for he is constantly reminded and aware of his numerous avenues to salvation. His fundamental tragedy is...
Christopher Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus” is a timeless work of literature that delves deep into the themes of temptation, ambition, and damnation. The titular character, Dr. Faustus, is a brilliant scholar who makes a pact with the devil, trading his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly...