Riverside Shakespeare Company

The theme, characterization, and social aspect of Macbeth are different from those in Antigone. Macbeth, a respected man, pursues power by all means, killing people and manipulating those that believe he respects them. Meanwhile, Macbeth communicates with three witches to ensure that his plans of action are uninterrupted trying to become king by any means necessary. However, during his mission to become king, all turn tragic and he never achieves the chance to learn from his actions. On the…

children what do they think of? Do they think of the smiles and the laughter, or do they think of the screaming and crying. The opinions on types of children vary from people with their own experiences. In the Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, certain aspects of children are lingered throughout the story. The use of children is not the most prominent throughout Macbeth, but is the most known if the reader chooses to dig for the clues and examples. Shakespeare’s symbolism with…

The execution of revenge had always had an impact on our actions and behavior. In some cases, it could be a positive influence, but in others, it could be negative. This concept applies to specific characters in Great Expectations. In the novel, Charles Dickens sends a compelling message that seeking revenge is a worthless pursuit and that the outcome is never positive nor beneficial. Not only does it harm the people who are innocent, it harms the people who seek for revenge themselves.…

When a person is powerless and tormented, he will take vengeance on his tormentors to have power over them. The Avenger is characterized as powerless and tormented in the beginning of the story, which demonstrates his motivation for vengeance. The Avenger’s eloquent speech emphasizes the suffering he endured, “they persecuted my family, because they hated me. My wife died of a broken heart, my children of starvation.” The Avenger is characterized as a person who was persecuted, and has undergone…

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written by Shakespeare, is a comedic play about several parties, taking place just outside of the city of Athens. One of the main parties include Oberon the Fairy King, Titania (his wife), and a puck called Robin Goodfellow. Another group of characters incorporates the lovers Hermia and Lysander, and another man and woman named Demetrius and Helena. The third party, composed of several actors named Bottom, Flute, and Snug, plan to perform the play Pyramus and Thisbe…

In an email conversation with Lee, he chose those three banned plays as dramatic texts for its intense, hard-hitting and vulgar quality. He felt Elangovan’s vision was to ruffle a few feathers - societies’ and the authorities’ - “Also, because Elangovan’s plays evoked such strong reactions, it's inconclusive in nature and he aspires to respond to its dramatic texts” (Lee M.W. 2017). Lee’s performance was staged this year, explored on how as a dance practitioner, these energetic texts can be…

The Evil Temptation In Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1623), the reader learns about the main character Macbeth, who is doomed to face a tragic fate due to his greedy ambition of wanting to become king of Scotland. In the play, he appears to be an overall reprehensible man, however, there were many factors that motivated him to engage in such heinous acts – including murder and regicide to name a few – in order to fulfill his ambition. Although his nefarious deeds may show that he is a terrible human…

“When love is involved no sacrifice is too great” (David Eddings). In Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, John Proctor begins as a self-centered man; however, John changes his point of view and in the end, most values his name. This suggests that it is more honorable to die with people knowing the truth rather living with a lie. Arthur Miller’s play opens with John Proctor portrayed as a selfish man, as well as a faulty husband. One day he comes into town after hearing about accusations of…

Love is like a chemical reaction, a rush of dopamine in the human brain. In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream the psychological lens reveals how, many characters acted out in psychological distress due to a mix of love and dreams which form a potent “magic” or drug that can result in self discovery when love is blind and becomes revealed. Love is like a drug, especially in this tale of lovers. Dreams are a window to the soul and this dream could be a window into the audience's soul…

Hrafnkel’s Saga is an anonymously written Icelandic Family Saga from roughly the late 13th century. The central focus of its plot is a blood feud between a prominent chieftain Hrafnkel and a poorer farmer Thorbjorn’s family, initiated when Hrafnkel kills Thorbjorn’s son, Einar. The passage selected is earlier in the saga and is the first chapter directly related to the blood feud. Lines 1-3 introduce two critical characters of the saga. Einar, the first death of the feud, and Thorbjorn, his…