Essay on Power of Men in William Shakespeares The...

Power of Men in William Shakespeares The Winters Tale It has been said that in The Winters Tale Shakespeare dramatises the contemporary struggle between masculine and feminine power. In light of this comment, examine the presentation of the relationships between men and women. Despite their many differences, contemporary society is now only beginning to realise their equal and respective roles in society. Since the beginning of time a contemporary struggle for equality has been present between masculine and feminine powers. The biblical stories of creation have often been used as an excuse to mistreat women. The mythical story of The Garden of Eden has been used to display women being easily seduced into wrong doing The†¦show more content†¦Unlike the other male writers of his time, Shakespeare had proven very hard to catergorise and this is reflected by the humanity of his female character. Critic Irene Dash states Shakespeares women characters testify to his genius... they learn from the meaning of self-sovernity for a woman in a patriarchal society. The female characters of The Winters Tale prove Dashs comment, as Shakespeare shows of the goodness women through: the fierce honesty of Hermione, the youthful constancy of her daughter Perdita and the consummate righteousness of Paulina, Hermiones lady-in-waiting, who stands up to King Leontes when no one else will. Shakespeare provides the audience with three females namely Hermione, Perdita and Paulina who are constanly right yet have no power whereas men such as Leontes who have all of the power and yet are constantly wrong. Through the presentation of his characters Shakespeare is illustrating the inequality and oppression of women in the 17th century, thus highlighting the contemporary struggle between masculine and feminine powers. In the Jacobean era, women were considered to be second-class citizens, and when they married they lost their independence, property and without legal power, had to do as the male pleased. A rhyme from Voyce of the LesdeShow MoreRelated Relationships Between Men and Women in The Winters Tale by William Shakespeare3196 Words   |  13 PagesRelationships Between Men and Women in The Winters Tale by William Shakespeare The Winters Tale was written in 1611, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The play is one of Shakespeares romance titles, though it could be more justly referred to as a tragi-comedy due to the instances of accusation, death, repentance and reunion. To successfully study how Shakespeare presents relationships between men and women in The Winters Tale there are four main relationshipsRead MoreFree Will vs. Fate in The Winters Tale Essay1645 Words   |  7 PagesThe Winters Tale The Winters Tale is one of jealousy, betrayal and redemption. While this story involves many characters and opens questions of the flaws in human nature and the power of forgiveness, there are two main characters of particular anomaly. The actions of Leontes and Perdita in this play are unique unto themselves. As King, Leontes every decision weighs heavily upon the court and his country. As we have seen in several other plays by Shakespeare, when the King is in distressRead More Analysis of King Leontes Transformation Essay1696 Words   |  7 PagesJealousy and judgement, or rather misjudgement, seem to be major themes in Shakespeare’s plays, in which most judgements are assumed by no logical basis or intellectual wit. King Leontes, unlike Othello, comes to his conclusion by his own means, without any outside verification of truth or logical explanation for his jealousy. However, there are many similarities, based on their situation, between him and Othello. Both men t ransform, emotionally, into beast like figures whose actions ultimatelyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Winter s Tale1352 Words   |  6 PagesFrom the beginning to the end of ‘The Winter’s Tale’, William Shakespeare explores the equivocal power of the of the imagination, its capacity to create and to destroy. Shakespeare explores gender roles and adapts his plot to create a more controversial pivot and present his revised perspective on human experience. Modern Jacobean audiences are presented with a play deep-rooted in tragicomic realms, with nuanced underlying messages, and Shakespeare masterfully uses gender in order to accentuate andRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s English Literature Essay1667 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare has been best known for his poems, plays and masterful piece of writings in the English language. He has been referred to as the England s national poet and the Bard of Avon. He produced over thirty eight plays, hundred fifty four sonnets, five poems, and more verses. Shakespeare s plays consist of mainly tragedies, comedies and histories which are regarded as one of the best in those genres. The plays, the poems, and the sonnets have had a significance influence in EnglishRead MoreEssay on Antony and Cleopatra1655 Words   |  7 Pageswould like to discuss how Shakespeare uses these characteristics in his Roman tragedy Antony and Cleopatra, as a means to express sixteenth century Englands cultural upheavals, one of which was the transformation of masculinity defined in terms of power to masculinity rooted in humanism. Traditionally, the monarch of a country is the head of the nobility(Giddens 2) and skilled in weaponry so as to fight side by side with his soldiers. Queen Elizabeth shattered this tradition with her femininityRead MoreJulius Caesar Character Analysis2014 Words   |  9 Pages1599 by William Shakespeare. Even though the play is about Julius Caesar, the main character isn’t Julius Caesar, but really is Brutus. Brutus deals with internal conflict during the play because at first he doesn’t want to cause any harm to his emperor but Cassius convinces him that the other senators and he should do something about Caesar. Cassius is another senator for the Roman Empire who does not like Caesar, and was the one who first brought up the idea of harming Caesar. In William Shakespeare’sRead More Shakespeares World Essay3144 Words   |  13 Pages Shakespeares World nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Almost every nation on earth reads, studies and performs the works of William Shakespeare. No writer of any country, nor any age, has ever enjoyed such universal popularity. Neither has any writer been so praised. As William Hazlitt observed, quot;The most striking peculiarity of Shakespeares mind was its generic quality, its power of communication with all other minds.quot; It is perhaps this quality that has earned Shakespeare the supremeRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares As You Like It As a Study of Perception and Misperception2315 Words   |  10 PagesWilliam Shakespeares As You Like It As a Study of Perception and Misperception The concepts of perception and misperception are common themes in many of Shakespeares plays and can be found in his comedies, tragedies and histories alike. Shakespeare explores these often-parallel elements through several different forms in his work, such as disguise, mistaken identity and blindness, and events caused by these can lead to amusing, confusing or sometimes tragic consequencesRead More The Supernatural in Macbeth Essay3374 Words   |  14 Pagesthan a few elements of the supernatural can be discovered within the action and dialogue of Shakespeares plays.   However, the extent and nature of those elements differs to a large degree.   There are traces of it to be found in Henry V, Pardon, gentles all,/The flat unraised spirit that hath dard...to bring forth/So great and object (Lucy   1).  Ã‚   There are also elements of it apparent in Winters Tale, What I did not well I meant well (Lucy   1).   The supernatural is used most fearsomely in

Macbeth Is Entirely Responsible for His Own Demise Essay

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a tragedy about a war hero named Macbeth, who follows his ambition with evil and who is repaid with evil. He is responsible for his own demise although only to a certain extent. There were many other factors that contributed to the tragic that could have been avoided - for example how the witches’ predictions are responsible for influencing Macbeth’s thoughts although ultimately no one told Macbeth to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth was also a very influential character which manipulated Macbeth into doing bad deeds however he is responsible for putting power into the hands of Lady Macbeth and letting her influence him. Finally, Macbeth acknowledges his guilt of wrongdoing and is thereby responsible for his†¦show more content†¦If Macbeth truly did not want to commit evil, he could have refused his lady’s arrangements. Instead, Macbeth accepts the plans and goes further by asking Lady Macbeth to â€Å"mock the time wit h fairest show†. Macbeth understood that killing Duncan was an immoral act but still persevered and therefore the one ultimately to blame for his death. Macbeth was conscious that his thoughts are used for â€Å"only [for] vaulting ambition† and yet he does nothing to correct the situation of his thoughts. Macbeth was not mentally deranged before the killing of Duncan and is able to differentiate good from evil, nevertheless he chose to commit regicide. Macbeth reveals that he knows what he is about to do is immoral, and that that â€Å"judgement here†¦. [will be] taught [to] return to plague the inventor†. This ambition eventually lead Macbeth to greed and paranoia; making him willing to do anything necessary in order to secure his position of power. It also becomes easier and easier for Macbeth to commit heinous crimes. Without thinking twice, he orders the murders of Macduffs family, including his children. Macbeths selfishness and reckless ambition lead him to his own demise. Macbeth is crucially at fault for his own death, although blindly following the witches and giving Lady Macbeth so much power over him to manipulate and influence him are an essential irrefutable factors that aided in his death. Although ultimately it was Macbeth’s own blind and greedy ambition which bothShow MoreRelatedMacbeth ´s Fate in Willam Shakespeare ´s Macbeth869 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare’s Macbeth is a play in which highlights how ones nature and judgment can be responsible for the devise and shape of their own fate. Macbeth is a character of whom although his choices are superficially guided by others, his very fate is resolute of his character and attributes. His impatient ambition, stubborn need to protect his pride and consequential decision making, are all integral attributes to the story in which furthermore prove that Macbeth is entirely responsible for his own fate. Read MoreFate vs Free Will in Sophocles ´ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare ´s Macbeth1487 Words   |  6 Pagesanswered. In Sophocles Oedipus Rex and Shakespeares Macbeth, fate is determined by their own choices and free will, the character Macbeth knows of what lies ahead of him, making him alter the present to create his idealistic future, however instead he lives a life of ruins. As for Oedipus his entire actions are based on one prophecy he desperately attempts to avoid which later causes his unintentional demise. Oedipus by Sophocles and Macbeth by Shakespeare are both tragic plays that present a commonRead MoreIs Macbeth a Victim of Fate or His Own Ambitious Choices? Essay1259 Words   |  6 PagesIs Macbeth a victim of fate or his own ambitious choices? Fate, unlike fatalism, does not stipulate that human deliberation and actions are inconsequential in causing an event, as its occurrence is inevitable. Rather it simply states that all events, and the choices leading up to them, are predetermined; hence the role of freewill is no less significant in deciding fated events than it is when considering situations from a non-fated perspective. This concept can be observed in William ShakespearesRead MoreThe Supernatural Element Of Witchcraft1184 Words   |  5 Pagesactions’ consequences. The nature of temptation in Macbeth raises numerous questions regarding the human condition as Shakespeare introduces the supernatural element of witchcraft by using the Wyrd Sisters to entice Macbeth and propel the plot of the play. Many have debated the degree of responsibility that the witches should shoulder regarding Macbeth’s fall as a protagonist. English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge once said that the witches in Macbeth â€Å"onl y have the power of tempting those who have beenRead MoreOedipus, A Tragic Hero1832 Words   |  8 Pagesesteemed as heroes because of the all the great things that they did. However tragic heroes are different, the efforts of the hero have the opposite effect. The more than they do, the harder they fight, every action only leads them closer to their own demise; and they never see it coming, often blind to signs and symbols. Oedipus is that type of character. By the standards of many modern ideologies and philosophies Oedipus is absolutely a tragic story and tragic character. He lost everything in the

Suggested Format for a Reflective Journal Free Essays

Suggested format for a reflective journal Dr Elaine Regan, Postdoctoral Research Associate, King’s College London This is one of many possibilities, but it will give you some idea of the types of questions that you can usefully ask yourself. Feel free to modify this format to suit your needs. Write a page (or two) for each session, completed by you in order of the sessions. We will write a custom essay sample on Suggested Format for a Reflective Journal or any similar topic only for you Order Now Complete this information after each time you do some work on the course. This includes the formal sessions, the related reading and any other preparation, such as work in groups. Answer only the questions that apply – but think carefully about whether each question applies or not. A Reflective journal/diary is not like an essay! In your notebook you reflect on the academic content of the INQUIRE course/workshop in relation to your professional practice. It can be written in an essay-type prose, with an introduction and conclusion, or it can be a mixture of continuous prose, notes, bullet points etc. The contents should (www. llas. ac. uk/resources/gpg/2395): ? relate the content of a workshop and related reading to your own teaching and personal development support any statements you make with evidence and examples from your reading and from your practice ? refer to insights gained into your practice ? consider the intention to try out new ideas and methods ? identify the need for further exploration of issues ? identify longer-term development What would an unsatisfactory entry be like? ? A description only of content from a workshop and reading ? Lit tle reference to the workshop and related reading ? Generalisations unsupported by evidence or examples of how an insight or opinion came about A satisfactory diary entry would: Review (what happened in the course or something you tried form the course in your teaching) ? Reflect (make sense of what happened) ? Digest (absorb the implications of the learning event and link it with experience, action plans or questions for you to explore further) Keep the following page in the front of your notebook to stimulate your thoughts and writing (taken from www. audiencedialogue. net/journal. html). Your name Session date Session number Session topic What did I read for this session (apart from the notes)? What was the most interesting thing I read for this session (mark it above with an asterisk) – why was that? What were three main things I learned from this session? What did I previously think was true, but now know to be wrong? What did we not cover that I expected we should? What was new or surprising to me? What have I changed my mind about, as a result of this session? One thing I learned in this session that I may be able to use in future is†¦ I am still unsure about†¦ Issues that interested me a lot, and that I would like to study in more detail Ideas for action, based on this session†¦ What I most liked about this session was†¦ What I most disliked about this session was†¦ Miscellaneous interesting facts I learned in this session†¦ How to cite Suggested Format for a Reflective Journal, Essay examples