| Papers [21-30] of 1862 :: [Page 3 of 187] | | Go to page : <— 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 —> | |
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Oedipus, 2008.
A review of the theme of "sight and blindness" depicted in the Greek play, "Oedipus the King" by Sophocles.
1,600 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 1 source, APA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" the tragedy of a king who, in the very attempt to flee his fate, brings about his destiny. The paper states that throughout the play, themes of sight and blindness occur in a number of variations. The paper describes that sight therefore could be seen to be symbolic of truth, while blindness represents hidden truths or outright lies. The paper states that at the end of the play, Oedipus blinds himself in a striking attempt to regain the innocence of his previous lack of full knowledge.
Outline:
Sight and Blindness: Oedipus
Sight and Blindness: Creon
Sight and Blindness: Jocasta
Conclusion: Free Will and Destiny
From the Paper
"In this, the Oracle and the Chorus represent sight. They warn Oedipus against searching for the truth, as it can only lead to disaster, which ultimately it does. His desire for truth and honesty however will not let him remain blind to the true state of affairs. As Oedipus moves from his symbolic blindness to finally shedding light upon the ugly truth, he cannot handle finally seeing, and blinds himself. This literal blindness and concomitant pain now takes the place of the blissful sightlessness that he has experienced throughout his life. Oedipus journey therefore comes full circle: from blindness to sight to blindness again."
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"Our Town", 2008.
An analysis of the themes presented in Thornton Wilder's play, "Our Town."
914 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 0 sources, $ 32.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes Thornton Wilder's play, "Our Town." The paper describes the plot and characters of the play and focuses on the themes that Wilder presents through the play. It suggests that "Our Town" is emblematic of turn-of-the-century America and that Wilder's play includes subtle references to modernization, industrialization and globalization.
From the Paper
"Our Town is emblematic of turn-of-the-century America. Thornton Wilder's play includes subtle references to modernization. In keeping with the suggestion that small town values include insularity and resistance to change, Wilder does not make any overt references to industrialization or urbanization. Instead the insight into every day life in Grover's Corners lends insight into how America was changing at that crucial period in world history. Although gender values and social roles were generally unchanged, persons of Emily's and George's generation were on the brink of a major turning point at which the world's balance of power would indelibly change. The coming World Wars would alter the geo-political landscape in Europe and propel America onto the world's stage in a role that the nation had never served before. Wilder hints at the dramatic future of America through his time capsule and also through his use of the Stage Manager, who directly addresses the audience in a dramatically ironic manner."
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Throne of Death, 2008.
This paper studies Akira Kurosawa's film 'Throne of Blood', focusing on the theme of symbolism.
1,349 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that Akira Kurosawa's 'Throne of Blood' is more than just an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The film is a visual feast with riddled rich symbolism. The writer maintains that it is that symbolism that makes 'Throne of Blood' so memorable. The writer notes that 'Throne of Blood' has a somewhat misogynistic tone that portrays females as socially subservient and spiritually evil. Crescent moon symbols combined with frequent intrusions from the natural world imbue 'Throne of Blood' with pagan symbolism and supernatural elements. The writer maintains that Kurosawa succeeds in solidifying this eerie atmosphere by transforming one of Shakespeare's most disturbing tragedies into high cinema.
From the Paper
"Filming in black and white also suggests the moral choices between good and evil. Washizu seems incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, symbolized by the mist that clouds his vision at several points in the film. He had once remained loyal to his best friend and to his Lord. Until Asaji poisons his mind and suggests that Miki is plotting against him, Washizu's moral choices are sound. Later his choices are clouded by delusional thoughts and the central character descends into a spiral of murder, madness, and mayhem. Ironically, the witch and Asaji are both shrouded in white, which is usually a color symbolizing purity and goodness. Asaji is the most directly evil character in Throne of Blood. Her white face and clothing do not symbolize purity as much as they signify the thematic connection between her character and the witch. The witch appears bathed in white light, which emphasizes her otherworldliness. Neither good nor evil, the witch simply tells Washizu what she sees. It is Asaji who tells Washizu how he should act. Both the witch and Asaji influence Washizu and sway him from one moral pole to the other."
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Comedy, Drama and Tragedy, 2008.
This paper examines Greek and Elizabethan tragedies, dramas and comedies.
1,715 words (approx. 6.9 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 55.95
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Abstract
The paper describes the basic form of the Elizabethan play that is modeled after the Greek structure. The paper looks at Greek tragedies and comedies and considers Gustav Freytag's classic analysis of Greek and Elizabethan plays. The paper includes a diagram of Freytag's triangle as an appendix.
From the Paper
""Fiction," says Jean Anouilh, gives life its form." Shakespeare derived his Comedy of Errors from Plautus' Menaechmi and many of Shakespeare's dramas are retellings of the ancient fictions of Greek myths, both tragedies and comedies. The basic form of the Elizabethan play (indeed, most plays written in successive periods, up until contemporary theater and film) is modeled after the Greek structure. One may recognize the structure still being used in theater and much narrative literature today. Utilization of this basic structure allows the story to flow naturally, allows the audience to recognize the reality and truth of life in the story, and to anticipate and yearn to find the moral or the message that resides in its heart."
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Revisiting 'Rothschild's Fiddle', 2008.
This paper looks at the idiom of Anton Chekhov by revisiting his work 'Rothschild's Fiddle' and comparing the style to that of contemporary writer Raymond Carver.
2,631 words (approx. 10.5 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 79.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that before author Anton Chekhov pursued a career in writing, he was a practicing physician and writing was a way for him to express his feelings, opinions, and experiences. His medical practice helped him to bring a unique perspective to his work. The writer points out that Chekhov expressed many themes in his work, including poverty, tragedy, and pain, yet his work seems simple and clear. It allows the reader to come to his or her own conclusions about the material presented. In this essay the writer explores Chekhov's story "Rothschild's Fiddle," and compares the style with that of the contemporary short story writer Raymond Carver.
From the Paper
"Another symbol is seen in the association Chekhov creates between Yakov and the violin and the orchestra. The violin represents the influence of music that soothes him and can change his emotion. Yakov uses the violin and fiddling to forget about the losses he's suffered. As a violin player, he is one of a group of music players. The orchestra stands for togetherness, a group of musicians that play a piece of music smoothly and beautifully by cooperating. TThe orchestra could also represent the town Yakov lives in, where everyone is expected to have common courtesy and respect for each other. In that orchestra or environment, Yakov sticks out like a sore thumb. He often becomes uncomfortable with the surroundings where is playing and feels hatred toward the Jews around him. Seeing Yakov so insecure and uncomfortable shows his inability to feel a part of society. He can't fit in. He cannot see things from the other person's perspective and does not care how others feel. He is alienated and lacks basic social skills."
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The Black Arts Movement, 2008.
Explores today's black arts movement, which includes music, stage, film, television, literature and the visual arts.
2,310 words (approx. 9.2 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 71.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the black arts movement is an extension of the Harlem renaissance period. The author points out the contributions of black persons to different genres or mediums of the arts in an overall social context. The author also stresses the impact of the black arts movement on all artists, regardless of color, and to the general culture to the extent that today the lines between white and black performers has been successfully blended.
From the Paper
"It was a well known fact that, by the time many young black men reached their early twenties, they had been arrested or came of age during incarceration. Rap reflected this, not just in the music, but in the music labels that were born to promote the industry: Death Row Records; Jive Records, Def Jam; Quannum Projects. All depicted labels that told the contemporary black story, and it wasn't a pretty a story. Black community, who had supported and marched with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., finally began speaking out against the violence message in rap aimed towards black women."
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Conflict in "Antigone", 2008.
An analysis of the main thematic conflict in the drama "Antigone" by Sophocles.
1,379 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 46.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the main thematic conflict in the tragic drama "Antigone". Specifically, the paper relates that the main thematic conflict in "Antigone" is Antigone's rebellion against authority and law. The paper then looks at how Creon represents the power of the state, while Antigone represents the individual. The paper explains how the conflict is resolved in a tragic way; Creon loses some of his pride while Antigone loses her life.
From the Paper
"Early in the play, it becomes clear that Antigone is not afraid of the power of Creon or the state. She believes the laws are unfair, and she is not afraid to stand up against them and challenge Creon and his power. She believes the gods are the only ones who can truly make the laws, and this sets up the conflict between Antigone and Creon that lasts through the entire play. She says, "Creon is not strong enough to stand in my way" (Sophocles 1304), and she truly believes this, which is why this tragic conflict continues. She loves her brother enough to sacrifice herself to make sure he is properly buried and she will not let the laws of a powerful king stand in her way."
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Revenge in Drama, 2008.
Compares the theme of revenge in Henrik Ibsen's "The Wild Duck", William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Aeschylus' "The Oresteia".
1,325 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper states that revenge makes for some of the best stories ever written and suggests that "The Wild Duck" by Henrik Ibsen is one of the best revenge tales ever told. The paper maintains that the theme of revenge in "The Wild Duck" is far stronger than that in "Hamlet", which is more similar to "The Oresteia". The paper relates the plots of each of these stories and argues that, in "Hamlet" and "The Oresteia", the characters are motivated by the death of someone they love. Thus, their revenge is more justified than Gregers' motivation in "The Wild Duck" because they are avenging the death of a loved one.
From the Paper
"Gregers' first plan of action is confronting his father about his past. He argues with him about his mother and tells his father that it was the "suffering and humiliation she had to undergo, till at last it broke her down and drove her to such a miserable end." It is clear from their conversation that nothing is going to be resolved. What we do learn from this conversation is Gregers inability to forgive or forget his father. That is not to say that Werle asked for forgiveness or deserved it even but the fact that Werle is not remorseful at all does not make things between the two men any better."
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Play: Susan Glaspell's "Trifles", 2008.
Examines the background, the plot and the critical views of Susan Glaspell's play "Trifles".
1,325 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper relates that Susan Glaspell, a reporter, based her one-act play "Trifles" on events that actually happened in Iowa near the turn of the 20th century, which she covered. The author points out that the plot of the play is as if Glaspell didn't like the outcome of the real-life situation and then got to craft her own ending. The paper relates that the themes in "Trifles"are gender relationships, the tug-of-war battles between the sexes, women's perceptive intuition vs. men's bullishness, male chauvinism and the good-old-boy network of criminal justice
From the Paper
"After leaving newspaper work, her writing was strictly fictional; until that is her husband, George Cram Cook (a classics scholar with whom she had been involved during his second marriage in a long affair) urged her to write a play. "Glaspell may have been trying to buoy up Cook's artistic reputation by making him out to be the party responsible" for her literary success, something he, Cook, had never achieved. Meanwhile, even though Glaspell herself carried on an affair with a married man, thus hurting another woman, she painted men in "Trifles" as the bad guys."
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Sophocles' Theban Plays, 2008.
This paper discusses the merits of reading Sophocles' Theban play cycle, "Oedipus the King", "Oedipus at Colonus" and "Antigone" in chronological order.
1,323 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper argues that reading the three plays "Oedipus the King", "Oedipus at Colonus" and "Antigone" in chronological order gives us more insight into Sophocles' narrative skill. The paper explains that one is able to fully savor the strange fusion of character and destiny that Sophocles manages to pull off as a playwright and storyteller. The paper argues further that although the play cycle has occasional lapses in chronology and internal inconsistencies, the plays also show us how certain characters, in particular, Creon, are able to radically transform themselves over time.
From the Paper
"Sophocles composed the Theban plays during a thirty-six year span. The three plays were actually not composed in chronological order; Antigone was penned first, followed by Oedipus the King, and finally, Oedipus at Colonus, shortly before Sophocles's death. As such, the three plays are rife with inconsistencies that come out when one reads them closely in chronological (i.e. sequential) order. Most notably, at the end of Oedipus the King, Creon has emerged as the undisputed King. He decides to expel Oedipus from Thebes after consulting with Apollo. Creon is then asked to look after Antigone and Ismene, the two daughters of Oedipus, which he agrees to do. In the subsequent plays, however, the two daughters are found wandering about on their own, either having fled with Oedipus or actively campaigning against Creon, who is supposed to be looking after them."
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