William Shakespeare Essays

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written around 1595-6 and within it there is much opportunity for reference to Shakespeare’s contemporary world and life.The play’s title, for example, refers to an old English holiday custom on the night of “Midsummer’s Eve” or summer solstice on June 23rd. On this night English men and women would tell […]

The villains in Othello, We Need To Talk About Kevin, and Rebecca draw readers in with their mysterious motives. Rather than spelling out their true intentions, the authors provide hints, allowing readers to interpret the characters’ motivations. Othello, a romantic tragedy written in 1603, was adapted by Shakespeare from an Italian writer named Giambattisa Cinzio […]

There are different ways in which betrayal can affect a person and have important consequences. The degree of the reaction to betrayal varies, but both King Arthur and His Knights by Thomas Malory and The Tempest by William Shakespeare examine character development through the shared theme of betrayal. Both texts explore the consequences of deceit, […]

The play ‘Hamlet’ conforms to the typical ingredients that make up a revenge tragedy of the Elizabethan era. It conforms to certain guidelines and similar features, these are; a hesitating avenger, a villain who is to be killed in revenge, complex twisted plots, sexual obsessions, treachery, a play within a play, lust and greed which […]

Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a dramatic play that conveys a representation of a flawless character who suffers a tragic downfall and radical transformation in demeanor. Shakespeare exposes his articulate characterization of Macbeth, through the opinion of other characters and through the thoughts and actions of Macbeth. In Act I, Macbeth is initially characterized as a heroic […]

Tragedy is constantly evolving, with differing key aspects defining how tragedians have constructed their plays. Stoppard believed tragedy should be defined as: “Wheels [that] have been set in motion and they have their own pace, to which we are . . . condemned. Each move is dictated by the previous one – that is the […]

The play ‘Othello’ has derived from opposites and opposition, and many contradictions contained in the play are embodied in the tragic hero, this basic plot alone could have well been presented as a catastrophe and so it is almost certain that Othello could be seen as inevitable because this plot later on spirals out of […]

‘Iago’s soliloquies are the key to our understanding to both his motives and his methods’. How far do you agree with this? In your answer you should discuss the methods he employs and the motives he offers. Try also to demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which Shakespeare uses the soliloquies to present a […]

Othello is a tragic play based on a foreign yet eloquent man being manipulated into changing his perceptions of others. One of the most noticeable changes in the play is the apparent transformation of Othello’s character; from a “noble Moor” to a “blacker devil”. Shakespeare presents this change through a number of means, such as […]

Iago’s speech in Act 2 Scene 3, after he offers advice to Cassio about how to retain his military position as part of his cunning plan, serves as an insight into many of Iago’s personality traits. Shakespeare portrays through the speech, Iago’s lack of moral scruples, his delusional state of mind and his powers of […]

Within Shakespeare’s Othello, there are only three female characters: Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. Interpreting their roles and relationships can vary greatly, but it is important to first consider the reasons Shakespeare chose to include them. Depending on whether we interpret the play through a modern or historical lens, our perception of these female characters may […]

In the play “Othello,” Iago is portrayed as a malevolent metaphor representing hidden aspects within the story. This essay aims to explore various perspectives of Iago, including those of the characters in the play and the audience. Due to Iago’s deceptive nature, the audience often only sees his humorous and openly malicious sides. However, I […]

In Shakespeare’s Othello the character Iago is one who has appalled and intrigued audiences for years. His cruel actions have shocked, yet enthralled audiences everywhere. We find ourselves being drawn unwillingly to a character; the audience’s revulsion is blended with fascination at the horrific culmination of his terrible scheme.I intend to explore how it is […]

‘Othello’ and ‘The End of the Affair’ handle jealousy in contrasting ways, mainly influenced by their genre and form. ‘Othello,’ a 17th-century tragic play, must adhere to the conventions of tragedy to some degree. ‘The End of the Affair’ is a novel of the 20th century that offers more intricate character development and complexity than […]

Shakespeare uses imaginative and intelligent ways to establish the themes of deception and conflict. His skills of embedding these certain themes in his plays create a vivid and enticing atmosphere for the reader and the audience to enjoy. ‘Tush,’ is the first word in Othello spoken by Rodrigo. This immediately introduces the idea of deception […]

Throughout Othello, Iago is presented in many ways; as a manipulative husband, a soldier who seems to use his tactic skills when planning his evil schemes, a nasty villain, and lastly, as a two-faced friend who uses the word ‘honest’ a lot but never acts in that way. Iago is presented by Shakespeare as a […]

In creating Iago, Shakespeare crafts a character that, according to Harold Bloom,”is by merit raised to a bad eminence that seems unsurpassable. ” Undeniably, Iago is one of Shakespeare’s most compelling villains; his unfaltering malice, as well as his relentless desire for a revenge supported by feeble motives, are all features that have ensured infinite […]

The plays in which I have been studying are Mankind and Shakespeare’s “The Winters Tale. ” The play Mankind was written in the late 15th century and “The Winters Tale” in 1611. Although there are only 100 years between these plays the dialect and purpose are completely different this may be due to the affairs […]

Throughout history, changes in public understanding and technology have impacted attitudes towards war. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Shakespeare’s Othello and Henry V portrayed war differently than poets during World War I. Given the differences in warfare across these periods, it is not surprising that attitudes have evolved over time. The portrayal […]

She also needs to be the most powerful person in their relationship, for example when they first met, she insisted “it should be better he became her guest” (2. 2. 231). She likes to have the final say in things and maintain control over him, such as near the beginning of the play when she […]

By starting the play off with a question, Shakespeare makes the audience feel nervous and uncertain about what is going to happen. By using the question who’s there? Makes the audience think, why can’t he see him? Maybe it is because it’s dark or foggy. Darkness and fog is a convention of horror films, writers […]

During Shakespearean times, a comedy referred to a play or movie featuring humorous and amusing characters with a joyous conclusion. Examples of comedic situations included women disguising themselves as men and mild torture. In one particular Shakespearean play, characters gathered in court where the Jewish character had just surrendered and accepted money. Before this, Gratiano […]