Essays on The Play
Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare, likely sometime between 1599 and 1601. It tells the story of the titular character, Prince Hamlet, who seeks revenge against his uncle Claudius for murdering his father, King Hamlet. The play is considered one of the greatest works in literature and its themes continue to be relevant today”questions about morality, mortality, loyalty, justice and corruption all come into play as we follow along with the characters on their journey. The tragedy begins with a ghost appearing in Elsinore Castle during night watchmen’s rounds. This spectral figure claims to be that of King Hamlet himself, returned from beyond the grave to tell his son what really happened to him: he was murdered by none other than Claudius while sleeping in his garden. Distraught at this news and desperate for vengeance against Claudius’ treachery, Prince Hamlet decides to feign madness so that he can investigate further without arousing suspicion. He quickly finds out that it isn’t just Queen Gertrude who knows nothing of her husband’s death”most people in court have been deceived by Claudius’ lies too. But before anyone can act on these new revelations or even fully comprehend them (as is often true when confronting complex matters) tragedy strikes again”Ophelia commits suicide due to grief over losing both her father (Polonius) and her lover (Hamlet). As a result of this second death within such close proximity ,the whole kingdom descends into chaos as various factions vie for power amidst accusations and counter-accusations which leads us right up until the final scene where we see two famous quotes”To be or not to be,” “Neither a borrower nor lender be” “which still echo down through time long after Prince Hamlet has taken his last breath . In conclusion ,William Shakespeare’s masterpiece Hamlet stands tall among other plays from its era due its timelessness an important reminder of how relevant human issues are throughout history . Its exploration of human nature , questions concerning morality , duty , loyalty etc remain pertinent even today making it arguably one of best plays ever written.
To achieve my desired audience response to the scene in which Terrifies confronts Croon, I would stage it in a minimalist thrust configuration with a plain black background. This would give the audience a strange impression of the setting, setting the overall atmosphere of the play. The goal is to draw attention to the character […]
Timberlake Wertenbaker was heavily influenced by Bertolt Brecht and ergo used a lot of his ideas in her work. For Example, when Brecht was writing a script, he meant it so that the audience could be immersed in the message and thoughts behind it rather than the emotions of it all. The case is exactly […]
** ** ‘Bouncers’ starts off with the ‘Bouncer’s Rap’, this introduces us to the play, it shows Eric singing the verses and the most part of the rap, while everyone joins in during the chorus and then has their small input throughout the rest of the song. I found the rap quite significant because it […]
We went to the Fortune Theatre in London on Tuesday 2nd March to watch “Women in Black”. The plot revolves around a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps seeking advice from an actor. He narrates his story about visiting Eelmarsh house to deal with some affairs, where he encounters the enigmatic Jenet Humphrey’s, the woman in black. […]
During this time England was experiencing great upheaval in both the political and social sphere. Society, during the 80’s, became a place of equal pay for women. The appointment of Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister heralded a new era. The new Prime Minister was a woman, a time of Women’s superiority came about and Feminism […]
J. B. Priestley wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1945. Although it is set in 1912, the play falls under the genre of a detective mystery. It revolves around the investigation of the apparent suicide of Eva Smith. The plot of the play gradually takes on the characteristics of a detective mystery as each member of […]
A metaphor is a comparison between an object and either another object or an idea. It can be a brief phrase, like “the river of time,” “the evening of a lifetime,” or “food for thought,” or it can include multiple ideas that are carefully arranged to create the impression of something else. Metaphors are a […]
Terence Rattigan’s play “The Browning Version” is a modern interpretation of Greek tragedy, ‘Agamemnon’, written by Aeschylus. Agamemnon is married to Clytemenstra and she is having an affair with another man . Agamemnon is murdered by his wife, aided by her lover. This is plot in the ‘Agamemnon’ is similar to “The Browining Version” because […]
The notion of the ideal man presented in the play Medea, by Euripides, is an exceptionally important one in the context of 5th Century Athens, a culture based very much upon the importance of the man both in his household and the general society. In Greece during the time of the play, the ideal man […]
During the last six workshops we have been studying the play ‘Shakers’ By John Godber and Jane Thorton. The play is primarily centered on four working class females who work in a cocktail bar/restaurant “Shakers” But multi-role-play and cross cutting are used frequently within the play to allow the audience to meet a wide range […]
Set in 1948, immediately following the second World War, P’tang, Yang, Kipperbang is a tale of Alan’s painful coming-of-age journey. He slowly sheds his naivety and begins to understand the real character of the individuals around him. Miss Land and many other grown-ups in the play show hypocrisy; this includes her interaction with youngsters experiencing […]
‘East is East’ is a play written by Ayub Khan din. It is an autobiographical play based on Ayub Khan-Din’s experiences growing up as a mixed-raced family in 1970’s Salford. He conveys to us that there were difficulties and conflicts growing up as an Anglo – Pakistani. The play’s main characters consist of the father […]
In this essay I am going to write about how Walter undergoes a transformation in the play “A Raisin In The Sun” of the final act of the play. First of all I will be writing about Walter’s stage directions and how they show Walter’s behaviour an his feelings. I will also be writing about […]
Top Girls by Caryl Churchill dramatises contemporary life in 1980s Britain depicting a time of change and shifting priorities and expectations as far as women were concerned within society. The period was characterised by Britain’s first female Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Yet unlike the country’s political agenda, Theatre was not driven by a female force. […]
Discuss the dramatic devices Williams uses in the play to suggest that Blanche is doomed. A Streetcar Named Desire is a tragedy that is unlike a traditional tragedy in that the characters in it are not struck by some calamity or fall because of unwise choices on their part. Instead, we enter the play in […]
