Shakespeare Reflection

1250 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Shakespeare's historical plays

He paced the stage with a calm concentration, carrying his anger like a brimming cup. I don’t recall what character this actor was portraying, nor do I remember the play he was in for that matter. My grandparents were conservative theatre folk who didn’t mix well with abstract playwrights like Beckett or Erdely, so perhaps it was one of Shakespeare’s greats, which would explain my struggle in remembering the details. Shakespeare analysed the mathematics of human behaviour, whilst acknowledging all of its ugly variables in such a way that an understanding of his work comes to the naïve or absent minded amateur in either gusts, or not at all.
A true appreciation for the beauty and effortlessness of his poetry is far beyond the capacity of …show more content…

I spent most of this time thinking; about the part of me, that was hiding behind the coy smirk returned to the flattery of strangers, and the polite laugh given to acquaintances making small talk. I felt like I was distanced from those around me, they were friends with the person I was pretending to be, not with the face behind that thin mask. Having spent a long time building these walls, I was naturally curious as to whether anyone was clever enough to climb over them, but I was never bold enough to allow anyone to even attempt such a …show more content…

My cup still seemed mostly empty, but the months prior had filled it just enough to convince me that I was achieving something. Funnily enough, I was performing a monologue comparable to that which had inspired me to act in the first place. Although it wasn’t one of Shakespeare’s pieces, my character was filled with an emotion we don’t yet have a name for, the joyful anticipation of being able to feel contempt. The ending also was quite similar. None of this had occurred to me until the moment I walked on stage during the blackout. My mind, bursting with techniques, vocal exercises and the hours of practise which had led to that exact

Show More
Related

  • Year 8 English Shakespeare Essay

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare, an illustrious and eminent playwright from the Elizabethan Age (16th Century) and part owner of the Globe theatre wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream in which he portrays the theme of love in many different ways. These include the paternal love seen in the troubled times for Egeus and his rebellious daughter Hermia, true Love displayed with the valiant acts of Lysander and Hermia and the destructive love present in the agonizing acts of Titania towards her desperate lover Oberon. Through the highs and lows of love, the first love we clasp is the paternal love from our family.

    Read More

  • Crawling Inside the Mind of Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1720 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much of the dramatic action of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet is within the head of the main character, Hamlet.   His wordplay represents the amazing, contradictory, unsettled, mocking, nature of his mind, as it is torn by disappointment and positive love, as Hamlet seeks both acceptance and punishment, action and stillness, and wishes for consummation and annihilation. He can be abruptly silent or vicious; he is capable of wild laughter and tears, and also polite badinage.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare: The Lost Years

    5119 Words  | 11 Pages

    On February 2, 1585, William Shakespeare's twins Hamnet and Judith were baptized in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-Upon-Avon. In 1592 the poet Robert Greene alluded to Shakespeare in his pamphlet "A Groatsworth of Wit Bought With a Million of Repentance." The period between these two dates is known as the "Lost Years" or "The Dark Years" because of the total lack of hard evidence as to what William Shakespeare was doing during this time. Sometime during this period he left home, wife, and three children in Stratford and began his stage career in London. Scholars have long attempted to determine how and why this decision was made, and countless theories have been proposed. It is my hypothesis that Shakespeare, like countless other Englishmen, was caught up in the national crisis caused by the threat of the Spanish Armada during the summer of 1587 and was either drafted into the militia or volunteered for duty to protect his homeland from the threat of foreign invasion. In short, he became a soldier, was posted to the London area, and was discharged when the threat was ended. Once the boy had seen the big city, it is hard to send him back to the farm.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare Research Paper

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    Evidence of Shakespeare Not Writing His Plays How would the world react if they found out the famous William Shakespeare did not write his plays? If the conspiracy that Shakespeare was not the actual author of his words was revealed to be true, the world would be devastated. The issue is that Shakespeare might not have written his plays. Prior knowledge of this matter is that there are no records of Shakespeare ever going to school. Other knowledge is that he did not travel enough to describe his settings.

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare Research Paper

    1468 Words  | 3 Pages

    William Shakespeare, poet and playwright, utilized humor and irony as he developed specific language for his plays, thereby influencing literature forever. “Shakespeare became popular in the eighteenth century” (Epstein 8). He was the best all around. “Shakespeare was a classic” (8). William Shakespeare is a very known and popular man that has many works, techniques and ways. Shakespeare is the writer of many famous works of literature. His comedies include humor while his plays and poems include irony. Shakespeare sets himself apart by using his own language and word choice. Shakespeare uses certain types of allusions that people always remember, as in the phrase from Romeo and Juliet, “star-crossed lovers”.

    Read More

  • Insanity and Procrastination: An Analysis of Hamlet’s Inaction and Mental Degeneration

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Hamlet transforms from a motivated intellectual to an obsessed griever, Shakespeare evaluates the fluidity of sanity.The juxtaposition of Hamlet’s desire to act and inability to do so unveils Hamlet’s inner turmoil, for as Hamlet disconnects from family, distrusts his environment, and forms an obsession with perfection, the audience realizes his fatal flaw and watches him tumble into the grasps of insanity. This degeneration forces the audience to consider how equilibrium between thought and action influences the conservation of sanity, not only for Hamlet, but also for all of humanity.

    Read More

  • How John Donne Showed His Love

    2171 Words  | 5 Pages

    in his poetry can be some what difficult to comprehend at times. Once it is

    Read More

  • William Shakespeare Essay

    535 Words  | 2 Pages

    William Shakespeare, the myth, the man, the legend. Shakespeare was born April 23rd, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare lived a favorable life during the Elizabeth era. William was the fourth child of eight children. His parents were a wealthy business family and they could afford Shakespeare an exceptional education. . Shakespeare’s father worked as an alderman and which attained the family’s income because it was worthy job. Rather less what’s the story behind this splendid man?

    Read More

  • Short Story About Living With the Guilt of Murder

    414 Words  | 1 Pages

    It was late I thought. Almost midnight yet I was still unable to sleep. I stared thoughtlessly at the moving shadows mumbling to myself, "it was just a story" but in my heart I knew it wasn't, it was more than a story, much, much more. Then, a crow appeared in the middle of my room. The crow stared at me with such intensity that I fell backwards into the safety of my pillow. I stared at the crow in shock as it disappeared into my closet and that's when I heard it, a long piercing whine that was like a nail to a chalkboard. I prayed that it would go away, I prayed with all my heart but it stayed there continuing its long whine. It was then when I caught a glimpse of it. I saw two glowing bloodshot eyes stare at me. I let out a scream born from terror and almost immediately my dad came bursting into my room. He stared at me with confusion but all I could do was point a shaking finger at my closet door. Cautiously, my father marched into the closet door only to find nothing inside. Then, without warning, the closet door slammed shut along with my father still inside.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare

    1688 Words  | 4 Pages

    William Shakespeare often examines the personal transformation of characters in his works. His frequent illustrations of changing players most likely suggests that he is a true believer in the idea of people being able to emotionally grow. Moreso, the author essentially endorses the thought of developing humanity as a living being. Parallel to King Richard in Richard II, he illustrates many characters throughout his works whom undergo similar personal growth. Oftentimes these personal changes occur when a character suffers great loss in life. In this particular play these changes give the readers a chance to develop a bit of fondness in the once ignorant king. Most readers would normally accept positive changes within the mind and soul of characters. In Richard II, Shakespeare depicts the personal stages of King Richard. Ultimately, Richard is illustrated as one who finally embraces humanity, and, in turn, affects the readers’ final response to the ever-changed king in a positive way.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare Analysis

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    To start off, Shakespeare's elaborate use of figurative language is a huge reason why his writing is still taught centuries after his death. He used an extensive amount of this language to deliver a sense of emotion and depth in what his characters are saying. In some cases, Shakespeare will use figurative language to foreshadow future events in the play. For example, Friar Lawrence is talking to Romeo about the secret marriage he was being asked to do when he states, "These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder." In this case, Friar is basically reminding the audience that the forbidden lovers will die no matter how much they attempt to fix it. Shakespeare also uses figurative language to indicate a somewhat clear time period when actions take place. When Benvolio is talking to the Montagues about the last time he saw Romeo, he says, " An hour before the worshipped sun/ peered forth the golden window of the east." Shakespeare could have easily used simplistic language to explain the time of day the actions were taking place, but instead he personified the sun in a very pure and beautiful way.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Reflection Essay

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    Through Hamlet’s opinions on himself, Samuel Taylor Coleridge is proven correct in that “Shakespeare wished to impress upon us the truth that action is the chief end of existence- that no faculties of intellect, however brilliant, can be considered valuable, or indeed otherwise than as misfortunes, if they withdraw us from or render us repugnant to action, and lead us to think and think of doing, until the time has elapsed when we can do anything effectually” (Samuel Taylor Coleridge). Until he takes action, Hamlet is not satisfied with his life and stays in a constant state of depression.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Reflection Essay

    2089 Words  | 5 Pages

    Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” is a subtle reflection on the political and religious atmosphere of the early 1600’s and late 1500’s, that was dominated with conversation of the successor to the throne of England, and their religious denomination. Hamlet was written with the intention of mimicking the political world and all its machinations from treachery, duties to family, religion and country. Hamlet, begins with armies being mobilized to the threat of an invasion from Norway, helmed by Fortinbras, like the rumors that the eventual successor James VI would need to take the throne by force. Soon after, this we have Hamlet and his father’s ghost, they converse on the details of his untimely death at the hands of his brother Claudius. In this

    Read More

  • Shakespeare’s Creativity

    1657 Words  | 4 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the art of music appears in the opening of the speech as the unhappy and lovesick Orsino tells his musicians, “If music be the food of love, play on” (I.i.1) In the speech that follows, Orsino asks the musicians to give him so much musical love i.e. food that will “surfeit” and cease to yearn for love any longer. Shakespeare uses music in opening line of play and at the end by Feste singing his song. It reveals that Shakespeare has presented on stage a romantic comedy which is not detached from our everyday reality. Thus songs are used by Shakespeare with surfeiting desire not only for the purpose of entertaining the audience but also closely linked to the play’s theme.

    Read More

  • The Shakespearean Canon

    1337 Words  | 3 Pages

    Clowns and Jesters abound throughout the Shakespearean canon, and the Bard’s later plays are no exception. In this paper I plan to examine the later Shakespearean fool, particularly King Lear’s Fool and Cymbeline’s Cloten and how they represent various political and social ideas. First, I will examine the historical significance of both Fool and Cloten’s station, their historic relevance, and similarities to other socio-political archetypes. Next, I will look at how Lear’s Fool and Cloten reflect the idea of progress by revolutionary derailment of main characters inspiring monarchical overturn and progress. Third, I will examine the symbolism in their deaths and how it reflects the historic trend of the maligned lower class, post overthrow.

    Read More

More about Shakespeare Reflection

Open Document