Poetics

As the novelist Haruki Murakami wrote, “Now, though, I realize that all I can place in the imperfect vessel of writing are imperfect memories and imperfect thoughts” (12). A work of literature is imperfect in the sense that it is more or less related to and restricted by the social context in which it is written and is a memory-carrier of its own culture. Sophocles’ Attic tragedy Antigone carries memories of sociopolitical concerns over the future development and fertility of the city Athens.…

Equally enjoyable to watch, tragedy and comedies are polar opposites on stage. Tragedies are consumed by suffering, and death, while comedies include excitement and joyful scenes. Brutal scenes of violent combat, as well as internal combat, compete against the scenes of singing and dancing in a comedy. A tragedy focuses on the main character and their despair/pain, while a comedy is created the story of two lovers. By comparing Shakespeare’s plays, King Lear and Much Ado, the structural…

There were times, however, when Shakespeare failed at yielding such relationships. In regards to Julius Caesar, many agree that the soliloquies were not the most compelling (Shapiro, 292). Therefore, in this play, they were arguably less valuable. This is reasonable because many soliloquies in Julius Caesar (though not all) were heavily logos. For example, Brutus possesses a soliloquy in which he contemplates a sensitive topic, the murder of Caesar. However, rather than undertaking this…

An Aristotelian tragic hero can be described as a literary character who makes a decision or performs an action that inevitably leads to his/her own destruction. In some cases, this can be hard to detect as a reader. But, when describing Macbeth from the tragedy, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, a tragic hero is one of the first things that comes to mind. Macbeth is easily a perfect example of an Aristotelian tragic hero because of his noble status his ultimate tragic flaw, his ambitious nature…

1) What are Othello's internal conflicts? What are his external conflicts? INTERNAL Most prevalent on Othello's mind is fact that Desdemona might be cheating on him. He is unsure because there's hard evidence of her cheating on him with Cassio. When Iago tells him to watch Desdemona's interaction with Cassio carefully, he observes that Desdemona mentions Cassio frequently. This enrages him and pushes him to think that she is guilty of infidelity. The evidence that pushes Othello's mind over the…

The Full Title: The American Dream and Success in Death of a Salesman Leah McCarvill Post University Abstract The 1966 film “Death of a Salesman” based on the play written by Arthur Miller that tells how the main character Willy Loman who is struggling with the realization that his idea of the American Dream and success along with how this is effecting his relationships with his family. Miller used conflict and dramatic irony in a manner that illustrates how the American dream of success can…

A hero is an individual who is admired for his or hers brave acts or for their fine individual qualities. The Odyssey and The Epic of Gilgamesh’s main protagonists are heroes. However, one of the main characters falls short from being a true hero, making him unworthy of the title. The Epic of Gilgamesh begins with a long exaltation about Gilgamesh—the epic’s main protagonist—¬hero attributes. The author uses direct exposition describe Gilgamesh, as a hero and a godlike character. He does this…

King Lear is widely regarded as Shakespeare’s most intense and powerful tragedy. The bleakness of a Jacobean tragedy takes an embodiment in King Lear. The parallels and juxtapositions between the play’s main plot, and subplot combined with its tragic end, has made Shakespeare’s version of King Lear famous for centuries. Since its conception King Lear has befuddled audiences and readers alike with its seemingly messy plot that raises more questions than it answers. In this essay, I will, with a…

Death of a Salesman: Symbols Miller uses symbols in Death of a Salesman to show meanings behind specific people, places, and objects. The symbols that are used are Alaska, University of Virginia sneakers, Dave Singleman, the flute, Bill Oliver’s Pen, seeds, and stockings. The theme of the play was the death of the American dream. Each of the symbols support the theme, because all of those have a cause of death, or crushed dreams. Ben (Willy’s brother) went to Alaska , and he became rich because…

Actor Chazz Palminteri once said, “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent” (Chazz Palminteri. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved May 7, 2017, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/chazzpalmi445813.html). This quote is true for Arthur Dimmesdale, who plays a significant role in the romantic, historical-fiction novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter tells the story of the talented, young minister Reverend Dimmesdale, who…