Essay on Disobedience in William Shakespeares King Lear

Disobedience in William Shakespeares King Lear How sharper than a serpents tooth it is to have a thankless child. Filial disobedience is a key theme in the play King Lear and in both the times it was set and written, children were not expected to disobey their fathers. Jacobean England was an extremely hierarchical society meaning that respect should not only be shown to the powerful and rich but also to parents and the elderly. Seventeenth century England would have been more devout in terms of religion than today and undoubtedly a Jacobean audience would have been familiar with the fifth commandment, Honour thy father and mother. Lear, like any king, Pagan or otherwise, would have been†¦show more content†¦This is the source of Lears outrage and he cannot believe that his most beloved daughter would not only go against his wishes, but also against the basic expectations he has of his children. This helps Shakespeare to show what an unstable character Lear is because he does not realise that Cordelia has actually done w hat he has asked and told him how much she loves him. Lears emotions at this point swing between the extremes of love and anger because of this: Here I disclaim all my paternal care, Propinquity and property of blood And as a stranger to my heart and me. I.i.109-111 In his rage, Lear is willing to give up his love for his daughter even though he loves her immensely. It illustrates the fury and rash judgements that have become ingrained in his nature whilst king. He wants to prove to the court and possibly himself that, even though he is abdicating, he still wants to be seen as omnipotent. His self-importance and need for praise leads him to thinking that Cordelia has shamed him and therefore banishes her. In spite of Goneril and Regans obvious lies, Lear foolishly divides the kingdom between. Where Lear falls for their shallow lies, the audience sees through them and their sympathy lies with Cordelia. The audience also learn that the family dynamics depend on whether LearShow MoreRelatedAllegorical Elements In Macbeth Essay761 Words   |  4 Pagesit’s narrative and thus open a discussion King Lear , another of Shakespeare’s principle tragedies also opens a discourse into the political environment of Jacobean England or more sp ecifically the act of union. The drama explores a Kingdom that is divided and thus succumbs to chaos, it is only restored to natural order when the it unites again. This provides an opportunity to reinforce the act of union while condemning the division and civil disobedience/war. Much of the twentieth-century scholarshipRead MoreFemale Sexuality in Shakespeare4830 Words   |  20 PagesQuestion Compare and contrast the representation of female sexuality in Cymbeline, the Sonnets, and one of the plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure or King Lear.       Both Cymbeline and A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (AMND)  are both set in a patriarchal environment where both genders grapple for control. Valerie Traub defines the distinction between gender sex and gender behavior as â€Å"Sex refers to the . . . biological distinctions between

Analysis of The Canons Yeomans Tale Essay - 762 Words

Summary and Analysis of The Canons Yeomans Tale (The Canterbury Tales) Prologue to the Canons Yeomans Tale: When the story of Saint Cecilia was finished and the company continued on their journey, they came across two men. One of them was clad all in black and had been traveling quickly on their horses; the narrator believes that he must be a canon (an alchemist). The Canons Yeoman said that they wished to join the company on their journey, for they had heard of their tales. The Host asked if the Canon could tell a tale, and the Yeoman answers that the Canon knows tales of mirth and jollity, and is a man whom anybody would be honored to know. The Host guesses that his master was a clerk, but the Yeoman says that he is something†¦show more content†¦Chaucer introduces two new characters, the Canon and his Yeoman. The Canon is an imposing figure, a mysterious and intimidating character who differs greatly from the Canterbury pilgrims, who are either jovial and boisterous or quiet and respectable. The Canon is nearly silent, yet his reticence does not stem from chivalric honor or rel igious principles. He is a man of menacing action afraid to be definitely identified as part of his dubious profession. This automatically marks him as different from the other travelers, who primarily exist as part of their particular job and accept it, even when that line of work  ­ as in the cases of the summoner and the pardoner  ­ is not respectable. The Canons Yeoman serves as the voice of his master, but that voice proves inadequate. The Canons Yeoman reveals too much about his master and then turns on him, condemning the Canon for his fraudulent practices. The Canon Yeomans Tale: The Canons Yeoman admits that he has served the Canon for seven years and knows a great deal about his craft. He warns that anybody who becomes involved with a canon will suffer similar miseries: losing ones wealth and esteem. He tells about the wicked craft of alchemy from which they try to gain wealth. He claims that there is a canon of religion of how an alchemist can defraud a person. He then begins his tale of a priest in London who was visited by a false canon who begged for a loan. Two days

Horror Essay Free Essays

Schlenz 1 Jarid Schlenz Professor Fahey English 1A 13 October 2011 Horror Movies Scare Us So Why Do We Watch Them? Scary, creepy, and downright disturbing images have existed in film, art, and literature as long as we have had the ability to invent them, perceive them and construct them. Not only have they simply existed, but they permeate these mediums: â€Å"horror has become a staple across contemporary art forms, popular and otherwise, spawning vampires, trolls, gremlins, zombies, werewolves, demonically possessed children, space monsters of all sizes, ghosts, and other unnameable concoctions† (Carroll, 51). Horror is easily accessible to appease a growing appetite for scary in society. We will write a custom essay sample on Horror Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now But why? Why would we want to put ourselves through the terror and agony of sitting on the edge of our seats, heart racing, sweaty palms, eyes squinted? It is one of the most frightening experiences to be at the mercy of someone or something else, yet we do it constantly and voluntarily. One of the reasons why we may feel the need to watch this genre of movie is to simply gain the excitement of living on the edge. Another may include the curiosity of the unknown, the unexpected, and the unseen, all of which are elements that that make a good horror movie good. While at the same time there is a need to watch others feel helpless, act under pressure and deal with the. Even the appeal of seeing a new creature or monster brings people to watch horror movies. But the unifying pull lies in the ability of experiencing something new without losing control. Schlenz 2 One reason often used to explain the desire and need to watch horror movies stems from physical reactions. There is the appeal of the adrenaline rush, which gives horror movies the same draw as a roller coaster at a theme park. The difference, however, is that horror movies lack the real danger of things that normally give humans an adrenaline rush. Even a roller coaster, which simulates deathly falls and flying at incredible speeds, contains the real danger of death if it malfunctions. But the act of watching a movie contains no danger. Still, â€Å"when people watch horrific images, their heartbeat increases as much as 15 beats per minute†¦ their palms sweat, their skin temperature drops several degrees, their muscles tense, and their blood pressure spikes† (Sine, 2). The affects of the scenes people watch are there, without any of the actual danger. This allows people to experience the thrill, high energy, and, perhaps, new sensations of being out of control, without ever relinquishing control of their surroundings and lives. More than just physical reactions, though, horror equally appeals to and disturbs the mind. One of the primary appeals, mentally, about horror is the unknown. The unknown, unexpected, and unseen disturb our sense of safety and comfort and our ideas of how the world should work. They take away the rules we use to deal with reality and make the familiar become unfamiliar. In the unknown anything could happen and anything could emerge from the darkness. The unknown takes away control, but it also excites curiosity. Our imaginations are so quick to run away with what is being presented to us that we are left clinging to our seats in desperation. Everything known comes from the unknown so it has an endless power to keep our attention. With our attention captive, and our minds guessing, the unknown allows movies to employ shock. Our stomach plummets when the killer rises again after being smashed in the head, shot, and pushed down the stairs. Unnatural creatures and occurrences make us feel uncomfortable and Schlenz 3 confused. This is sometimes referred to as the â€Å"shock horror,† or the â€Å"employment of graphic, visceral shock to access the historical substrate of traumatic experience† (Lowenstein, 37). Shock horror intensifies the adrenaline and physical reactions to horror by engaging the mind as well. Many movies also combine shock horror with a sense of surrealism. The surrealist movement in art and film takes the familiar and adds a sense of distortion or unknown. Surrealism â€Å"might be better understood as a violent, embodied assault on the social structures propping up modernity,† (Lowenstein, 37). Again, people are drawn in by curiosity, captivated by the unknown aspect of surrealist images, and horrified by the results. When you watch a horror movie, most of the time you start to feel compassion for the victim and start to wonder how you would handle the situation and what you would do differently. It is hard to watch a horror movie and not get emotional as you start to ponder these questions and then feel sorry for the victim for having to go through the traumatic ordeal. A feeling of helplessness is usually portrayed to the audience and nothing could possibly feel worse than the inability to affect your own fate. In horror movies there is a complete lack of power on the victim’s part, they are going to die, the question is when. We can relate to the anguish of helplessness as we all have felt helpless at times. The victims in horror movies are typically helpless because they are under so much pressure. With the slow build of tension becomes the increasing need to do something. When we see a character buckle under the pressure we feel some king of affection for them and when we see the characters rise under pressure you feel yourself urging them on. Pressure combined with urgency can push a character to accomplish great feats. When we begin to sympathize with the victims or characters the movie can become quite intense. With danger comes a heightened awareness that enhances all emotions, positive Schlenz 4 and negative, drawing attention to every detail. The threat of death often drives people to celebrate life, so we see romance running hand and hand with horror at times. Intensity of emotion and sensation drowns out common sense and this overloading of the senses can appeal to those used to living calmer lives. Horror movies have the ability to scare you half to death and after watching a horror movie one know that there is no way that they am going to sleep for at least another few hours. A horror movie works by engaging a basic defense mechanism; if there’s something out there to get you, you don’t let your guard down, and you certainly don’t shut off your brain for a few hours. You know that it was just a movie, but some part of your brain, perhaps the part that has the fight or flight reflex, keeps telling you that you are not going to sleep yet, it isn’t safe and that there is something strange in the corner of your room. You know that it is just your coat but you can’t seem to convince yourself, it wasn’t there last night, you don’t even remember putting it there. Eventually you get up and turn the lights on, confirm that it was just your coat and put it away in the closet. However, you are still not safe because now your brain has fixated on something else. Don’t be embarrassed to feel this way. No matter how scared someone gets when they watch horror movies they are still compelled to watch another one. One enjoys pushing their limits and finding out just what they can stomach is an intense adrenaline rush. Being scared is fun but only as long as they know that in a few hours it will all be over and they will come out alive and unharmed. Schlenz 5 Works Cited Lowenstein, Adam. Films without a Face: Shock Horror in the Cinema of Georges Franju. University of Texas Press, 1998. Carroll, Noel. â€Å"The Nature of Horror† The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. Blackwell Publishing, 1987 Briefel, Aviva. â€Å"Monster Pains† Film Quarterly. University of California Press. Spring 2005 Sine, Richard. â€Å"Why We love Scary Movies. † October 8, 2011. How to cite Horror Essay, Essay examples

Language contrasts Essay Example For Students

Language contrasts Essay Their language, accent and ability to use language contrasts greatly.  Mickey appears to have a posh accent, or just a lot more posh than  Mickeys. When they first meet the language differences are  highlighted.  Mickey: ..because Im pissed off.  Eddie (awed) Pissed off! You say smashing things, dont you?  Mickey says things like pissed off and he later says the F word. He  doesnt know what they mean but has probably heard them being said  around the house or estate by older people who he wants to be like. Eddie obviously hasnt heard words like this before as he was brought  up in a well-spoken family and environment and compared to Mickey has  had very little taste of the outside world. He also says words like  smashing which you would never hear Mickey say. Hed probably say  something like great or any much simpler word and when hes older he  would probably swear somewhere in the sentence. Their accent  obviously isnt heard but it is extremely likely that Mickey has a  broad Scouse accent whereas Eddie probably has a normal slightly posh  accent. Mickey is a lot less educated than Eddie is. This has much to do with  the wealth of their parents and the time that they have for their  child. Mickey is the last of 8 children in total, so he will have had  a lot less time with his mum in a single parent family. With seven  hungry mouths to feed and one more nearly due. Eddie looks up words  that he doesnt know in a dictionary. Just after Mickey tells him the  F word he says Fantastic. When I get home I shall look that up in  the dictionary. Mickey responds with In the what? This highlights  the difference in intelligence between them. Eddie knows what a  dictionary is and also how to use it and Mickey doesnt know either. Eddie is also very polite to most people, especially Mickeys mum, and  doesnt tend to do as many bad things as Mickey. For example Mickey  talked about how he dealt with policemen and Eddie appears to have  never spoken to one, or at least respects them and the law a lot  more.  Later on in their lives, Eddie achieves a lot more financially that  Mickey does. This is almost purely due to do with his family because  he takes over the job from his dad. Mickey later finds out that the  job that he has at the moment is only his because Eddie got it for  him, otherwise he would probably be unemployed. However, Mickey is  married and has lot more friends that Eddie. For example when they  are talking in the factory:  Ã‚  Eddie: ..Whats wrong?  Mickey: Look its its the other lads . Theyre looking.  Here, Mickey doesnt want to be seen with Eddie because hes the boss  and his friends dont like him talking to him.  Generally, Willie Russell puts over his views about the nature/nurture  debate very clearly. Mickey has a poor upbringing and becomes poor  whereas Eddie has a good upbringing and becomes very successful.  Then when the boys grew up and were seven, it was shown by the  clothes they were wearing and the way in which they spoke. Then once they were old and at secondary school it was shown by the  fact that Edward was going to a private school and Mickey to a local  state school. Once they were much older it was shown by the fact that  that Edward went to university and became a local councillor and  Mickey went to work in a factory and eventually went to prison. This  was in my opinion the main theme of the play and so is why it was so  well developed and there were so many references to it.  The interventionists narrator role was to tell the story of the play  and to add thought into the audiences mind and to really make them  think about what is happening. He is trying to play the two mothers  off against each other and try to make the audience decide between  them. His job is also to add things to the play, for example add  props, costumes or to speak about the characters. .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 , .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .postImageUrl , .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 , .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922:hover , .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922:visited , .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922:active { border:0!important; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922:active , .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922 .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8803fac141ebf138e1985b0f48af0922:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: 1984 And Brave New World EssayHe appears to be  watching the whole story, thats why he is always seen on stage  somewhere looking onto the performance and making decision about the  characters and their actions. He is a very effective dramatic tool to  make the performance really hard hitting and to make the audience look  further into the performance than what they would otherwise.  Dramatic effects that were used in the play were things like Action  Before Narration. This was used at the start of the play, it had to  the two bodies on stage covered over. This was very effective because  it showed that the play would end in tragedy, however it did not gi ve  too much away about the story. Other techniques used were soliloquys,  which were used in the form of the songs, and symbolism. Symbolism was  used in several ways, physical and spiritual. An example of spiritual  symbolism is the fact that Mrs Johnstone always referrers to Marilyn  Monroe as her idol. An example of physical symbolism is the locket that  Mrs Johnstone gives to Edward as he moves away with a picture of him  as a baby but she tells Edward that it is her and Mickey and he does  not know that it is actually him. This backs up the theme of innocence  and is also an example of dramatic irony.  The songs in the play acted as a way in which the character could  express their true feelings. They could, in the song say what they  thought, felt and wanted without other characters knowing. They added  another layer to the performance without making it a musical. The  songs enhanced the production because they made it much more  interesting as opposed to normal soliloquy which does not involve  singing and music.  Based on the performance at Cathkin High School in 2002  The lighting in the play was very effective. For example the lighting  at the beginning of the play (action before narration) was effective,  the red patches on the wire curtain with the while light shining  through the curtain. This I felt was very effective and showed that  something tragic was happening. Other lighting effect were when  spotlights were used for when the interventionist narrator was  speaking. The stage lights dimmed and a bright white spot light was  used on the narrator.