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The role of women in Shakespearean plays
The role of women in Shakespearean plays
The role of women in Shakespearean plays
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The writers of Much Ado about Nothing, Wuthering Heights, and A Streetcar Named Desire all incorporate conflict in relationships as reoccurring theme in their texts. There are a number of different forms of relationships in the texts such as marital, romantic and family relationships and they are all presented with complexity by the authors as their opinions on the subject matter will be influenced differently due to the era they live in and their personal experiences. For example, in Much Ado about Nothing marriage is a means of creating a happy ending which is typical in Shakespearean plays but it is also a means of social advancement similarly to Wuthering Heights where couples married to either maintain or advance social class or property …show more content…
I wish my father were back again." They highlight the importance of parent-child relationships in the novel. Bronte presents conflict in father-child relationships via animal imagery which is used throughout the novel as a means of indirect characterisation. Bronte presents the reader with two contrasting images of father-child relationships on one hand we have the passionate relationship between Edgar and young Catherine and in contrary we have the abusive relationship of Heathcliff and young Linton, the way the parent interacts with their child influences who the reader will sympathise with. We see that even though Edgar is very controlling of Catherine he is very gentle and is trying to keep her safe like a “bird” keeping a “brimful of chirping young ones” in its safe nest. This can be seen from young Catherine’s character as she is so similar to her mother yet due to Edgar’s influence on her made her a gentler and more compassionate creature than her mother. The setting used throughout the novel helps to set the mood for Bronte’s presentation of conflict in parent-child relationships, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are two symbolically very different places. Wuthering Heights is symbolic of hatred and violence as it sits on a stormy hilltop that “is exposed in stormy weather.” This mirrors the fiery emotions and bitter vengeance that occupies the wild characters Heathcliff, Catherine and …show more content…
This is seen through Bronte’s metaphoric references to Heathcliff as a “savage beast” and a “mad dog” this conveys him as a dangerous predator, which is true because young Linton is just one of his prey. The animal references to Heathcliff are similar to Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire as he is depicted as a predator stalking his prey by the way “He stalks into the bedroom”. It shows Heathcliff as having a human frailty or some moral deficiency as he treats young Linton so poorly because his only need for Linton is “That the two cousins may fall in love, and get married.” So he can acquire Edgar’s wealth. The honesty and intelligence in his speech also illustrates him as a Byronic hero but what is more apparent is that this neglect and maltreatment of Linton is the cause of him “constantly getting coughs, and colds, and aches and pains of some sort.” This shows him as being very selfish and cruel thus it is very hard for the readers to sympathise with Heathcliff. Much in the same way, in A Streetcar Named Desire parental relationships are also depicted negatively because we hear very little about parents in the script however we only hear that they died and that affected Blanche’s mental downfall. “Which of them left us a fortune? Which of them left a cent of insurance even?” The repetitiveness in this outburst of emotion gives the sense that
The complicated nature surrounding Heathcliff’s motives again adds an additional degree of ambiguity to his character. This motivation is primarily driven by Catherine’s marriage to Edgar and past rejection of Heathcliff, since he was a servant whom Hindley disapproved of. Prior to storming out of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff overhears Catherine say, “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now…” (Brontë 87). The obstacles that ultimately prevent Heathcliff from marrying Catherine provide insight into Heathcliff’s desire to bring harm to Edgar and Hindley. The two men play prominent roles in the debacle, Edgar as the new husband and Hindley as the head figure who refused Heathcliff access to Catherine. Following this incident, Catherine says, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same…” (Brontë 87). Catherine’s sentiment indicates she truly would rather be with Heathcliff, but the actions of others have influenced her monumental decision to marry Edgar. Furthermore, Heathcliff is motivated to not only ruin Edgar’s livelihood, but also gain ownership of his estate, Thrushcross Grange. This becomes clear when Heathcliff attempts to use Isabella
Centuries ago in Elizabethan England there were many traditions about marriage and the treatment of women. One strong tradition of these times was the practice of marriage between races. Interracial marriages were considered extremely taboo. (High Beam). In this era marriages were arranged by the parents with strong help from the local church. The individuals had little choice as to who they would marry. (Elizabethan England Life). Yet another example of these traditions was the respectable treatment of women. While the husband was in charge of his wife, as was the father, the husband were expected to treat the women right (Elizbethi). In spurning all of these traditions, Shakespeare demonstrates a view of marriage far different from that of Elizabethan England, in doing this he is trying to plant new ideas in the people who read or view the play.
In Dante’s Inferno, Cervantes’ Don Quixote and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the protagonists’ relationships with their companions becomes an essential subplot within each text. Their relationships are crucial in order to complete their journey and in some cases complete each other. In addition, there are many characteristics in each text that are unrealistic representations of life. For instance, the environment of hell the Inferno, Don Quixote’s fictional world, and the instant marriages in Pride and Prejudice are all things that are not typically seen in real life. These unrealistic characteristics affect how each relationship develops, however, these factors do not take away from the significance of each relationship. In each text, the lucrative ambitions of the characters are initially the motive of many relationships rather than the desire for true companionship. A major part of the relationships development is how the characters’ companionships transition from ones that are based on individual ambitions to ones that are built on the desire for intimate relationships.
Heathcliff is a character who was abused in his childhood by Catherine’s brother, Hindley, because of his heritage as a “gypsy”, and Hindley was jealous of the love that Heathcliff got from Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley’s father. This is also selfishness upon Hindley’s part since he only wanted his father’s love for his sister and himself. So to reprimand Heathcl...
After two world wars, the balance of power between the genders in America had completely shifted. Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire is a harsh, yet powerful play that exposes the reality of the gender struggle. Williams illustrates society’s changing attitudes towards masculinity and femininity through his eloquent use of dramatic devices such as characterization, dialogue, setting, symbolism, and foreshadowing.
It is well known that Shakespeare’s comedies contain many marriages, some arranged, some spontaneous. During Queen Elizabeth's time, it was considered foolish to marry for love. However, in Shakespeare’s plays, people often marry for love. With a closer look into two of his most famous plays As You Like It and Twelfth Night or What You Will, I found that while marriages are defined and approached differently in these two plays, Shakespeare’s attitudes toward love in both plays share similarities. The marriages in As You Like It’s conform to social expectation, while the marriages are more rebellious in Twelfth Night. Love, in both plays, was defined as
In a society filled with tensions, uncertainties, and conflicting views of order, authority, religion, status, sex and the self, Dekker and Shakespeare use interclass marriage to juxtapose different views on controversial topic. Discussions of marriage on a narrative level create conflict in order for the plot to advance; however, they also reveal social and economic anxieties that were present during the Renaissance. Shoemaker’s Holiday begins with a dialogue between the Earl of Lincoln and Oatley about their children’s love affair. Oatley declares “Poor citizens must not with courtiers wed”, which is true of marriages before the Renaissance (SH I.1.12). He doesn’t want his money to be squandered away by a spendthrift aristocrat even though
Tennessee Williams has said, “We have to distrust each other. It is our only defense against betrayal.” Betrayal is prevalent in life and literature and creates uncertainty. According to Williams, without questioning people, one will eventually be betrayed. Characters deceive each other and, occasionally, themselves as they try to mend their lives. In A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, betrayal is evident in every relationship — Blanche and Mitch, Blanche and Stella, and Blanche and Stanley — and contributes to the theme of uncertainty in the novel. Blanche Dubois is the ultimate example of betrayal because she ends up being betrayed and betraying others throughout the play, which serves as a basic model of the effects betrayal can have on a person.
The plays A Streetcar Named Desire and A View from the Bridge are both plays that focus on mainly the theme of domination of the female characters by the males. Where A Streetcar Named Desire is a Southern Gothic, A View from a Bridge is a tragedy that is actually similar to Williams’ play as they both end tragically for the main character. Each playwright uses their own method and techniques in order to get the message or point of view across to the audience members.
The plays Macbeth by Shakespeare and Cat on the Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams both depict relationships between husbands and wives. In Macbeth the readers experience a relationship between a cowardly king and an ambitious queen, while in Cat on the Hot Tin readers see a more relatable relationship between a heartless plantation tycoon, Big Daddy and his timid wife Big Mama. As like in all relationships, there are definite differences between the interactions of Macbeth to Lady Macbeth, and Big Daddy to Big Mama. However even though these plays take place in different settings in periods of time, similarities can also be seen between the relationships of each husband to his wife.
...rd and the union between Tertius and Rosamond. The marriages between these couples are failures because they are blind to the faults of their spouses. It is only after marriage that these characters realize the mistakes that they made. The ideal visions are crushed by the depressing reality. They cannot continue to idealize when they learn and see the truth. The marriage between Fred and Mary and the marriage between Dorothea and Will are successful because they are free from the ideals that hide the truth and cause unhappiness. These couples did not hold high expectations for each other or for their marriages. They saw and accepted reality as it was and humbled themselves. The idealism in the novel only led to the downfall and unhappiness of the characters in their marriages. The successful marriages on the other hand were free from high expectations and ideals.
When reading Wuthering Heights one is naturally drawn to the love story, as sad and perverse as it may appear on its face, the torrid affairs and events which came about through primarily through the very selfish, self-centered, and sadistic individuals Catherine and Heathcliff, as the two of them destroyed lives of the people that were involved with them. What started out innocently with Mr. Earnshaw loving an orphan boy, whom he named Heathcliff, and taking him into his family as a son, soon turned into jealousy and conflict between his natural born children and Heathcliff. Hindley, natural born son of Earnshaw and the brother of Catherine, hated Heathcliff from the day he arrived the manor at Wuthering Heights. At every opportunity Hindley scoffed at the love his father felt for the “dark skinned” boy and shamed his father at ...
Marriage is a powerful union between two people who vow under oath to love each other for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. This sacred bond is a complicated union; one that can culminate in absolute joy or in utter disarray. One factor that can differentiate between a journey of harmony or calamity is one’s motives. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel of manners, where Elizabeth Bennet and her aristocratic suitor Mr. Darcy’s love unfolds as her prejudice and his pride abate. Anton Chekhov’s “Anna on the Neck” explores class distinction, as an impecunious young woman marries a wealthy man. Both Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Anton Chekhov’s “Anna on the Neck” utilize
One major theme of The Importance of Being Earnest is the nature of marriage. Throughout the entire play, marriage and morality serve as the catalyst for the play, inspiring the plot and raising speculation about the moral character of each person. Throughout the entire play, the characters are constantly worried about who they are going to marry and why they would marry them. This theme is the most prevalent theme throughout the entire play and shows what impact marriage had on a Victorian society. This essay will prove that marriage is the theme of this play.
Heathcliff never finds peace through his revenge. In fact, the only time he truly finds happiness is when he gives up his plan for retaliation. Austin O’Malley states “Revenge is like biting a dog that bit you” (O’malley 1). O’Malley’s quote reflects Heathcliff’s immature need to propagate agony in those who have offended him. Heathcliff’s plan for revenge on Edgar and Catherine is to marry Isabella, who is ignorant of love and of men because she has never experienced either. He wants to hurt Edgar because of his marriage to Catherine, and he wants to get revenge on Catherine by making her jealous. Catherine’s death proves that this flawed plan of repayment helps nothing. Heathcliff, haunted by the ghost of Catherine because he is her “murderer,” still is motivated by the need for revenge and tries to get young Cathy away from Edgar by having her marry his son, Linton. Heathcliff never finds peace until he gives up his plan for revenge just before he dies. When Heathcliff gives up his plan for revenge, he meets Catherine in death and truly becomes happy once more.