Essays on Tragedy

Brutus: The Tragic Hero “A tragic hero is a character who is not eminently good and just, yet whose misfortune is brought about not by vice and depravity, but by some error or frailty. ” Brutus fits the definition of a tragic hero because of …

Fitzgerald uses many different literary techniques and vivid when describing the lights and colours of the party to exaggerate the sense of how bright the lights and colours of his parties are. He seems to say that the brightness of the lights at Gatsby’s party …

In Macbeth Act IV scene 1 lines 111-134, William Shakespeare heightens the themes of guilt and conscience and order and disorder, Shakespeare also furthers Macbeth’s character in his ambition all through the utilization of punctuation, imagery, and irony through royal imagery. In this passage, Macbeth …

From the point of view of farmers, minorities and labor, were the 1920’s the “Golden Twenties” as often portrayed? BY: ROBERT TANNER U. S. History 101. 5 Jim Blackwood 11/25/2009 Bibliography Allen, Frederick L. Only Yesterday: An informal history of the 1920s. New York: Harper …

The direction of the first scene of Antigone will set the mood for the entire play.  Antigone has called her sister Ismene to meet her outside the palace gates in Thebes.  She tells her sister the king will not allow their brother Polyneices to be …

C/LT 320I: Notes on Greek Comedy and Lysistrata Waters/Fall 2011 this play acts as prophecy- war will destroy Pretext for Aristophanes’ Lysistrata (411 BCE) Homeric Epics- the bible for the greeks, the Iliad (more concerned with the war-translates as a catastrophe) and the odyssey, everybody …

No Name World Literature 1 Character Analysis “Oedipus the King”… Hunter, Plowman, and Sailor-Helmsman Throughout the play “Oedipus Rex”, the main character Oedipus has a number of different character traits throughout the play. His out-look on the stories situation evolves as he begins to learn …

“Freud’s interpretation of Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus is ridiculous. ” Discuss This essay will discuss the interpretation of Oedipus Tyrannus by Freud and whether his interpretation holds any weight in using it to aid his own theory, the Oedipus complex, or whether it was a ridiculous …

Alyssa Prior 2/7/13 English 3rd period Mr. Haydon ?“There are things that we don’t want to happen but have to accept, things we don’t want to know but have to learn, and people we can’t live without but have to let go” (Unknown Author). As …

We instantly scan people for some characteristic we like and then we latch on to it. Social expectations we are all trained in from a young age, Edwards problem is that he isn’t used to this. He has to be taught all these things. Each …

Alfonso Villarreal Mrs. Bohn World Literature Honors April 9, 2012 Analyzing the Tragedy of Dr. Faustus The struggle between good and evil is arguably the most significant theme in the play. This struggle is most evident within the main character Faustus. He is torn and …

The Failed Dream “The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch It yourself. ” These are the words of the American forefather, Benjamin Franklin. His thoughts reflect the theme that runs through each word, idea and aspect …

Romeo and juliet is a very tragic story because two people that are in love were supposed to hate each other, but instead love each other, they are so in love that they do stuff without even thinking. Which all leads to death at the …

The “apparition” of Bartleby has confounded many wise men, scholars, critics and the like. The strange, almost inhuman way Bartleby resisted his employer and all forms of contact seemed supernatural—“Poe-ish”, as some would say (Reed 1). Though in recent times, the story of Bartleby has …

What is the difference between a comedy, tragedy, and history? Define catharsis, hubris, and nemesis. What is the relationship between these words? What are the characteristics of a tragedy? Define dramatic irony and soliloquy. Discuss the importance of dialogue in the play.  What mood, or …

Is the label tragic-comedy truly suitable for the drama Waiting for Godot? A tragic-comedy by definition, is a work which intertwines elements both tragic and comic in nature. This characterization can be questioned as to its legitimacy in its application to Waiting for Godot. However, …

Here in Romeo and Juliet the story starts off with two people from different families who don’t like each other. Romeo falls in love with Rosaline a girl he’s only see a couple times but still manages to like her. Rosaline doesn’t like Romeo the …

John Irving’s notoriety as a novelist rests at least partially upon his admirable ability to fuse the comic and tragic in fiction, often within the same “sketch” or scene. His persistent vision of the absurd and sublime as conjoined twins alludes to a more profound …

Society is influenced strongly by both power and tyranny. We see in the media headlines exposing stories about extremist leaders like Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Husein, who fuelled by the ambitions of power, lead countries into tyranny. So is it a coincidence that Shakespeare portrayed …

Do you agree that Yeats creates a scene of tragic intensity in Purgatory, or is the play too short and the characters too thinly evinced for this to be the case? The play Purgatory was written in 1938 by Yeats as a single-scene play revolving …

Marlene Romo Professor Williams English 1B 4 December, 2011 Othello’s Tragic Fall According to Aristotle, a tragedy must include the downfall of the tragic hero brought upon by his hamartia, in other words his weakness or flaw. It must also be comprised of the hero’s …

For many centuries the tragedy holds to continue to be perceived as the most ardently gratifying arrangement of drama because it encompasses the capability of transporting the spectator into the drama as well as allowing them to empathize with the characters, particularly the tragic hero. …

How does Shakespeare create mood and atmosphere in the opening scenes of Macbeth? Act 1 Scene 1 is set in ‘an open place’, immediately indicating to the reader that something secretive is happening, the very setting of the first scene indicates tension to come. The …

William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, is a play that reveals Romeo and Juliet are partially responsible for their own demise. The tragic death of Romeo and Juliet ultimately leads to the reconciliation of their feuding families. The responsibility is displayed by many themes and …

QUESTION 1: How do you think painting help Frida Kahlo with her problem? ANSWER: From my view of humanisation, painting helps Frida Kahlo so much. It is because only from painting will make her continues her hope about her life after turning point of her …

Tom Garrison was a mayor of a small town in Westchester County and highly respected by the community but most did not know that he was distant, cold and egocentric with his family. He had a negative relationship with his own father and idealized his …

A Tragedy Revealed: A Heroines Last Days Today you are going to read an amazing story wrote by a man named Ernst Schnable, this story is about a young girl named Anne Frank. Anne Frank lives in Amsterdam. Anne and her family must go into …

In the short story, “Daisy Miller”, by Edith Wharton, a common obsession is found with the status and respectability of the characters presented in the story. Edith develops this obsession as a theme that is supported by European and American ideals, character’s viewpoints, and character’s …

Depending on cultural differences and upbringing a text will have different impacts on the audience. Like any great piece of literature, William Shakespearean plays deal with timeless concerns that have the ability to be adapted and presented to remain relevant for modern audiences. Shakespearean Othello …

The Ideal Parent: Brightening a Childs Future Parenting is a big part of every ones lives; it makes up who you are as a person and in many cases projects who you will be in the future. Some adults have trouble manipulating their children and …