Ur-Hamlet

or not to be,” soliloquy in III.i.56-90 of Hamlet has been debated by readers since its debut performance. It is because of its fame and history that the “To be, or not to be,” soliloquy has been interpreted to have numerous meanings. Many view the soliloquy to be a testament on the suffering mankind endures throughout life. “Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, To die,” (lines 56-60), in these lines Hamlet begins to describe the pain mankind…

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…

The value that is most vital to a relationship is loyalty. With loyalty comes reward and with disloyalty comes consequences. Loyalty builds trust while disloyalty destroys relationships. Homer expresses the significance of these values throughout the Iliad and the Odyssey. The characters’ acts of loyalty and/or disloyalty proves how valuable loyalty truly is. In a relationship, loyalty strengthens the bonds between two parties. Achilles always listens to his mother’s wisdom and advice (72).…

In Emerson's maxim "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind," Emerson says that one's own wit and mindset is the most sacred and important part of a person. In the play "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee show that one's own mind is the most powerful tools one has access to. Power is the ability to change one's perception of the world around them, and this includes changing someone else's perception. In "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," Henry…

The name “Venus” typically brings to mind the Roman goddess of love and adoration. Ironically, in regards to the poem “The Venus Hottentot”, by Elizabeth Alexander, and the play “Venus” by Suzan-Lori Parks, the use of the name is more like a cruel joke. The experiences of Sarah Baartman do not evoke thoughts of adoration, but of exploitation and abuse. Both authors portray Baartman as a victim, yet the poem illustrates it through much more emotion and heaviness. The play, on the other hand, has…

The deaths in the story “The Great Gatsby” can be blamed on many people. Myrtle, George, and Gatsby died due to a complex chain of events, but with much investigation it is possible to see the true cause of each death. The death of Myrtle was directly caused by Daisy hitting her with Gatsby’s car, but that was just an accident. The true cause of her demise was her own greed and lust for material things. She had everything she needed in life with George. He loved her and took care of her. If…

Odysseus came home after twenty years, only to find that his house is over run by suitors. Thankfully, the goddess Athena helps Odysseus reclaim his home by coming up with a plan to kill the suitors, which mostly involves Odysseus becoming enraged enough to defeat the foul suitors. The motives behind Odysseus's will to kill the suitors is understandable. To start off, the suitors help themselves to possessions from Odysseus's home whenever the need seemed to arise. Plus, they tried their hardest…

I am writing this letter to you as a noble general of Scotland, and an honest man. As you are well aware, the death of our beloved king has affected us all in various different ways. Duncan has been tragically murdered, but his death has not been justified. His two sons, who remain suspect, have fled the country, and the guards, the only beings directly at the scene, have been killed without questioning. The guards were our greatest chance at investigating what truly happened; however, they are…

Have you ever lost a fight? What was your downfall? In the book Beowulf, he starts out a strong and successful warrior. As time goes by he starts to age and becomes weak. This is his downfall. Beowulf has three major fights with very different monsters in his lifetime. Each time he changes his style to compete with his opponents. Who was his first major fight with? It was with a monster named Grendel. Grendel was a descendant of Cain, who was cursed for killing his brothers. Grendel hates…

Being that Michelangelo was a sculptor, what did he think about painting? Michelangelo ardently stated that he himself was not a painter, which was part of the reason why he did not want to paint the Sistine Chapel. He felt that it would not match up to his own high standards for himself. He believed that painting was for women and mediocrities like Rafael. How was Michelangelo Buonarroti coerced into painting the Sistine Chapel? Michelangelo had actually fled the Vatican after Pope Julius…