William Shatner

As early as the 1790s, then, Ann Radcliffe firmly set the Gothic in one of the ways it would go ever after: a novel in which the central figure is young woman who is simultaneously persecuted victim and courageous heroine. But what are we to make the next major turning of the Gothic tradition that a women brought about a generation later? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in 1818, made over the Gothic novel into what today we call science fiction. Frankenstein brought a new sophistication to literary…

1.) Identify Key Elements Title & Playwright: Macbeth by William Shakespeare Setting & Time Period: 11th Century (1001-1100), England, Scotland, Ireland, (Scene 1) A desert place. Main Characters & Supporting Characters: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, The Three Witches, Banquo, Fleance, King Duncan, Malcolm & Donalbain, Macduff, Lady Macduff, Son of Macduff, Lennox, Ross, The Three Murders. Menteth, Angus, Caithness, Seyton, The Porter in Macbeth's service, The Old Man, The English Doctor, The…

Shakespeare portrays Lady Macbeth as an eloquent and pernicious character, between being a villain and a victim of her villainy, both manipulating and manipulated. Throughout the tragedy of ‘Macbeth’, she never actually kills anyone, in fact she cannot bring herself to commit the deed. Despite being responsible for instigating the idea of murder to Macbeth, she refers to the death of Duncan as ‘it’, indicating a hesitant confirmation of the deed. Would Macbeth himself alone have committed the…

The word personality is originally from the Latin word called “persona”. It means a theatrical mask worn by performers in order to project different roles or identities. Personality can be defined as the combination of qualities or characteristics which form an individual’s unique character that different from others. The differences are referring to the individuals’ pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving. In order to explain personality, it can be ranging from genetics to the roles of…

While sitting back and watching Othello murder Desdemona, most audiences ask themselves, “why would the moor kill his only flower”. The answer to the open question unfolds as the text is analyzed at a deep level. It is arguable that Othello’s motives were his character flaws, such as his pride & vanity, impulsiveness, and insecurities. Othello’s adventures and dangers being told with all confidence and pride wooed Desdemona’s heart. “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I love her…

Any Last Words? There is no escape. The villain corners the hero and projects a snarky smile. The brave hero stands before this evil, determined not to go down without a fight. Before the villain pulls the trigger on our destined hero, he asks in a mocking gesture, “Any last words?” These “last words” leave the reader or viewer in suspense, craving more. What now? Will the hero ever escape the villain? The greatest “last words” are ones that are carefully articulated by the author to allow…

Khaled Hosseini’s historical fiction novel, “The Kite Runner,” takes place in Afghanistan. Amir, a 12-year-old boy, wants to win a local kite tournament. In the end, he won the kite competition, but he witnesses the rape of his servant and friend Hassan. Amir then becomes guilt-stricken and wants Hassan to get out of his life. Then, once Amir grows up, he returns to Afghanistan on the path to redemption to get rid of his guilt and overcome his deception. One theme the story suggests is that…

The Animalization in The Metamorphosis Including Feelings of Isolation and Powerlessness in Comparison to “The Panther” The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka, tells the story about a man’s transformation into a bug. Through his journey in his new life as a bug, he experiences many emotions such as isolation and powerlessness. His family is frightened and disgusted with him and he must learn how to adapt to his new life. “The Panther”, by Rainer Rilke, also displays feelings of isolation and…

Beowulf survives as one of the oldest poems in world literature. Originally written in Old English, the story of the long poem focuses on the epic and tragic hero, Beowulf. More specifically, the poem focuses on the three major battles the warrior fights. Each battle increases in difficulty while also testing different aspects and skills of Beowulf himself. While Beowulf’s three battles maintain the universal theme of the ongoing fight against good and evil, they also reveal attributes of…

“Through the Tunnel” In Doris Lessing’s short story, “Through the Tunnel”, the author teaches the reader about setting goals and achieving them. “Through the Tunnel” tells the story of a young English boy named Jerry who’s mother lets him go and allows him to explore the bay. While on the bay, he meets a group of boys who he ends up swimming with. While swimming with the boys, Jerry discovers that the boys are swimming through a tunnel underwater. Eventually, the boys go off somewhere else…