Folger Shakespeare Library

In "A Knight's Tale" two argumentative knights, named Palamon and Arcite, become the immolation of love, while their Princess maiden has no inclination for a true lover. Will these two knights get the best of their love and jealousy, or will it get the best of them? Duke Theseus, king of Athens, first comes across Palamon and Arcite when they are brought to him, after he fights and kills King Creon, king of Thebes. Theseus decides to take them to prison as an alternative to putting them to…

The satirical tension in A Modest Proposal is between the supposed humanitarian and cannibalistic aspects of the proposal. The proposer uses innocent phrases to make the proposal seem genuine. The children are described as helpless to gain the audience’s sympathy: “helpless infants”, “poor innocent babes”, “children, all in rags” and “children of poor parents” (Swift 2633-34). However, later in the proposal, the proposer takes on a sinister tone by presenting the children in a dehumanized manner…

In William Shakespeare's play, Henry VI, Part 1, he wrote, “Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind” (Henry VI, Part 1, William Shakespeare). While originally describing the suspicions of an imprisoned king, the meaning of this quote has adapted and can be applied to many situations in storytelling today. In The Haunting of Hill House, Eleanor’s mind is heavy with the guilt of her past, and leads her to suspicion and paranoia. Eleanor is a broken woman, brought up in a dysfunctional family and…

In effect, Rochester contradicts himself in this passage. He apologizes for demanding her, tells her he truly loves her, then demands her and objectifies her, making her seem like his property instead of a person with a desire for independence. That this ‘love’ he admits of supposedly having for Jane when they first meet is not ‘true’ love as defined, but is a disordered ‘eros’ based on pleasure in imagination. This identification of Rochester’s ‘love’ to be disordered ‘eros’ can be seen when he…

Macbeth’s Downfall Irrational and hasty decisions can greatly affect the outcome of a person's life, determining whether the outcome will be victorious or catastrophic. It is easy for someone to be manipulated and tricked into believing something that may seem real when in reality it is not. In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, Macbeth is influenced by the three witches, pressure of Lady Macbeth and his own fate ultimately led to his tragic downfall. The Three Witches played a huge part in…

The Man of Honor and Courage “More weight!” (Miller 1269). This statement made by Giles Corey shows how his character is already defined. Arthur Miller introduced many characters in the play The Crucible. The one character who really stood out was Giles Corey. In the play he is portrayed as a silly old man at first, but later he changes into a man who cares for his family’s wellbeing and he would die for his family’s honor. In Act 1, Giles was introduced as a silly old man…

possess some common traits. Some of the core aspects include an excessive amount of charisma, a heightened sense of self-worth, an innate ability to manipulate others, pathological lying, lack of emotion, and lack of empathy. In Othello by William Shakespeare, the story of Iago is told. Driven by his hatred of his lieutenant, Othello, he works tirelessly to overthrow his superiors. This tale soon takes a grim turn and five people are left…

Downfall Macbeth’s quest to have power lead him down a path to failure because he made terrible choices along the path. He gained his status as a King by murdering Duncan. He didn’t play fair. Macbeth by William Shakespeare, illustrated by Gareth Hinds. In “Macbeth,” William Shakespeare shows Macbeth’s downfall by killing Duncan, Banquo, and Macduff’s family. First factor that causes his downfall is by killing Duncan, second factor is by killing Banquo, and his last factor is by killing…

The intriguing and malevolent plot of the play The Monkey’s Paw has many twists and turns. At the beginning it goes from a jovial mood to a solemn and disheartening environment. The many props onstage greatly established that the play was set in the late 1800’s, when Britain colonized India. This includes the fireplace, where the Sergeant Major’s wife tries to burn the paw. The wood stove used was clearly of an older model, which would have been relevant in the late 1800’s. This and many…

John Niles notes in his paper “Tam Lin: Form and Meaning in a Traditional Ballad” that on the night of Halloween, when the Fairy Court rides at Miles Cross and Janet saves Tam Lin, Tam Lin and Janet’s roles in the ballad become reversed (342). In both Dean’s and Jones’ retellings, this certainly is the case as the relationship and power balance between their Janet and Tam Lin characters changes and shifts drastically at this point in the narrative of both novels. In Dean’s Tam Lin, the initial…