John Gielgud

Sudden and unexpected discoveries have the greatest impact on one’s perception of their human nature as well as their perception on the surrounding world. This idea is strongly reflected throughout the play. The Tempest. Composed by William Shakespeare (1610-1611). The Tempest tells the story of an originally vengeful protagonist, Prospero and the transformation of his perception of his own human nature which in turn reflects the greater world. This is the result of an unexpected emotional…

However situational the plots in which Shakespeare writes can apply to everyday life, such as in Hamlet it is very situational to be mad at his uncle about killing his dad and replacing him as king and his technically his step father? Uncle dad something like that, seems like it Hamlet would fit in just right in Kansas... But being mad at a step-parent is a very apparent thing that occurs on a daily basis, the child in everyday life is not plotting his revenge on the stepparent... hopefully.…

We have all had that moment when lying seems like the best answer… but is it really? In the play “Romeo and Juliet” and the movie “The Emperor’s Club” the lesson that can be taken is lying is never a good option. In both stories lying is used to make what seems like a better outcome but really ends in nothing but problems. The idea is conveyed in each story by characters lying to get what they want. In “The Emperor’s Club” lying is showed through two characters, Mr. Hundert and Sedgewick Bell.…

Universal questions are found in many places. From day-to-day life, to movies, and even in Shakespearean literature. Shakespeare attempts to answer some of these questions in his plays. In Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare answers many universal questions, such as the nature of friendship through Antonio and Bassanio and the financial sacrifices they make for each other, faith and what people believe through Shylock and his social restrictions because of his religion, and…

There are many iterations of the Hamlet story that have been filmed dating from 1907 up until the year 2009 yet only five of those many movies portray a good feeling and meaning for the“To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy. The five movies in mention are the Branagh, Gibson, Blockbuster, Olivier, and Doran’s versions. In the five movies the camera angle, actions of Hamlet, and the music do well at producing emotion in the viewer. But only one is superior to all. The Branagh version is the most…

Carrick Felix has a job he never thought he would have. He is a professional basketball player. He plays for the Washington Wizards (District of Columbia). He overcame many hard times to get to where he is. For this reason, he shares his story with others. Two years ago Felix hurt his knee very badly. The injury forced him to start over. Now, Felix can once again call himself a professional basketball player. On Sunday, the Washington Wizards picked him for their team. Scott Brooks is the coach…

King Lear and Hamlet are two of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies that contain equally famous lines. “The ripeness is all” in King Lear (5.2.11), and “The readiness is all” in Hamlet (5.2.160), are both taken from the speeches of two apparent madmen, and both share similar meanings. Whatever is meant to be, will be, is one interpretation of these lines. Another is that man can live to the fullest once he realizes that death is a reality, and that the important thing is to be prepared…

Themes are universal lessons and subjects in a piece of writing or book. Both Hamlet and the Twelfth Night have universal themes. The two plays teach valuable lessons throughout the actions going on. Readers are able to recognize themes throughout the plays based on the specific characteristics of each of the plays. The two books have some clear differences. The Twelfth Night was written in 1601 while Hamlet was written in 1599. The different times of being written can allow the reader to…

Romeo + Juliet is a movie about two star-crossed lovers who journey with a relationship between the toils of two families feud, adapted from Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and produced into a film by Baz Luhrmann. The movie details the lives of Romeo and Juliet, who are in love, though caught in the confusion of their families feud. The lovers conceal their relationship, but that doesn’t keep either families from concealing their ‘swords’. Several die in the conquest of…

Shakespeare was born in the year 1564 and was the third child to Mary Shakespeare and John Shakespeare. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and they had three children together. He became an actor and playwright in 1594 for Lord Chamberlain’s Men which later changed to King’s Men under James I. Later, Shakespeare was also partner in…