English Essays

Beowulf - Analysis of the Epic
Beowulf - Analysis of the Epic The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature, and is well deserved of the distinction. The epic tells the story of a hero, a Scandinavian prince named Beowulf, who rids the Danes of the monster Grendel, a descendent of Cain, and of his exploits fighting Grendel�s mother and a Dragon. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon story teller uses many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few...

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne was born in France in 1828 and always had a love for the sea. He once tried to be a sea captain on a boat but things did not work out. Jules Verne has written many very famous books such as Journey To the Center of the Earth, Five Weeks in a balloon and Around the World in Eighty Days. I have written a review on one of his most famous books 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. This book combines adventure, suspense and mystery throwing ...

Death of a Salesman - Willy
Death of a Salesman - Willy Charley says something in Arthur Miller�s Death of a Salesman that sums up Willy�s whole life. He asks him, "When the hell are you going to grow up?" Willy�s spends his entire life in an illusion. He sees himself as a great man that is popular and successful. Willy exhibits many childlike qualities. Many of these qualities have an impact on Willy�s family. His two sons Biff and Happy pick up this behavior from their father. He is idealisti...

18th Century Poem Analysis
18th Century Poem Analysis The differences between eighteenth-century literature and romantic poems, with respect to history is constituted here. This is seen through the influential works of John Keats and Alexander Pope. These works are acknowledged as, "The Rape of Lock" and "The Eve of St. Agnes." Alexander Pope takes his readers on a hatred filled epic. A robust piece of literature and love induced psychoses in, "The Rape of Lock." On the other hand, "The Eve of ...

To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird is definitely an excellent novel in that it portrays life and the role of racism in the 1930�s. A reader may not interpret several aspects in and of the book through just the plain text. Boo Radley, Atticus, and the title represent three such things. Not really disclosed to the reader until the end of the book, Arthur "Boo" Radley plays an important role in the development of both Scout and Jem. In the beginning of t...

Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies A running theme in Lord of the Flies is that man is savage at heart, always ultimately reverting back to an evil and primitive nature. The cycle of man's rise to power, or righteousness, and his inevitable fall from grace is an important point that book proves again and again, often comparing man with characters from the Bible to give a more vivid picture of his descent. Lord Of The Flies symbolizes this fall in different manners, ranging from the illust...

Brave New World
Brave New World The novel Brave New World is like no other in fantasy and satire. It predicts a future overpowered by technology where the people have no religion. Has Huxley written about a degrading way of life or has he discovered the key to a perfect world that should be called Utopia? This essay will show that upon close analysis the way of life in the novel is justifiable and all the precautions that are taken are needed to preserve their lifestyle. This essay will also ...

A Separate Peace - Gene's Journey
A Separate Peace - Gene's Journey Gene Forrester's difficult journey towards maturity and the adult world is a main focus of the novel, A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. Gene's journey begins the moment he pushes Phineas from the tree and the process continues until he visits the tree fifteen years later. Throughout this time, Gene must become self-aware, face reality and the future, confront his problems, as well as forgive and accept the person that he is. With the jouncing...

King Lear - Analyzing a Tragic Hero
King Lear - Analyzing a Tragic Hero Tragedy is defined in Websters New Collegiate Dictionary as: 1) a medieval narrative poem or tale typically describing the downfall of a great man, 2) a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force (as destiny) and having a sorrowful or disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. The play of King Lear is one of William Shakespears great tragic pieces, it is not only seen as a tragedy ...

Romeo and Juliet - Violence
Romeo and Juliet - Violence Romeo and Juliet, by Shakespeare, is a play which shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence. Prejudice leads to violence shown in the play when the feuding families, the Montagues and Capulets fight. In each case, disruption, fighting, injuries and death occur. Also, the prejudice against the two families never got resolved because they were enemies. The prejudice started in Act one Scene one, when the Capulets and Montague servants c...

Othello - Battle of Good vs. Evil
Othello - Battle of Good vs. Evil "I am not what I am." What is Iago? -- as distinct from what he pretends to be -- and what are his motives? In Shakespeare's, Othello, the reader is presented the classic battle between the deceitful forces of evil and the innocence of good. It are these forces of evil that ultimately lead to the breakdown of Othello, a noble venetian moor, well-known by the people of Venice as a honourable soldier and a worthy leader. Othello's breakd...

Shakespeare's Comedy vs. Tragedy
Shakespeare's Comedy vs. Tragedy Certain parallels can be drawn between William Shakespeare's plays, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and "Romeo and Juliet". These parallels concern themes and prototypical Shakespearian character types. Both plays have a distinct pair of �lovers', Hermia and Lysander, and Romeo and Juliet, respectively. Both plays could have also easily been tragedy or comedy with a few simple changes. A tragic play is a play in which one or more characters is...

Othello - Change of Characters
Othello - Change of Characters Othello's character during the play is first shown as a hero of war and a man of great pride and courage. The other main characters in the play all form their own opinions of him and as the play continues, his character begins to deteriorate and become less noble. Chronologically through the play Othello's character changes from a flawless military leader, to become a murderer. Also as the play progresses, the other characters in the play ...

Dante's Canto XXVIII
Dante's Canto XXVIII Dante begins the opening of Canto XXVIII with a rhetorical question. Virgil and he have just arrived in the Ninth Abyss of the Eighth Circle of hell. In this pouch the Sowers of Discord and Schism are continually wounded by a demon with a sword. Dante poses a question to the reader: Who, even with untrammeled words and many attempts at telling, ever could recount in full the blood and wounds that I now saw? (Lines 1-3) The rhetorical que...

Hamlet - Comment on Humanity
Hamlet - Comment on Humanity The Elizabethan play The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark is one of William Shakespeare's most popular works. One of the possible reasons for this play's popularity is the way Shakespeare uses the character Hamlet to exemplify the complex workings of the human mind. The approach taken by Shakespeare in Hamlet has generated countless different interpretations of meaning, but it is through Hamlet's struggle to confront his internal dilemma, ...

Animal Farm vs. Marxism
Animal Farm vs. Marxism Characters, items, and events found in George Orwells book, Animal Farm, can be compared to similar characters, items, and events found in Marxism and the 1917 Russian Revolution. This comparison will be shown by using the symbolism that is in the book with similarities found in the Russian Revolution. Old Major was a prized-boar that belonged to Farmer Jones. The fact that Old Major is himself a boar was to signify that radical change...

Othello - Character Analysis
Othello - Character Analysis In the play Othello, the character of Othello has certain traits which make him seem naive and unsophisticated compared to many other people. This is why Iago, to get his just rewards uses him as a scapegoat. Iago told Roderigo, " O,sir, content you. I follow him [Othello] to serve my turn upon him "(I, i lines 38-9). Iago is saying, he only follows Othello to a point, and upon reaching it he will not follow him any longer. Iago has opened my ...

Madness in Shakespeare's Hamlet
Madness in Shakespeare's Hamlet Madness may be �mental incapacity caused by an unmentionable injury.� Such wounds often are not easily perceived but may be revealed in time of stress. Hamlet�s question, �have you a daughter?�(Act II. Sc2 182) Polonius about the Prince�s emotional state. What is hidden will surely be told to Cloudius by his adviser. Laertes� search for revenge is sharper proof that madness in degrees of publicity causes harm to the observers. Claudius pr...

The Merchant Of Venice - Antonio
The Merchant Of Venice - Antonio Antonio is a wealthy merchant in the city of Venice. Although central to the play, Antonio is portrayed by Shakespeare as an 'outcast'. It seems that Antonio is chronically depressed and is not involved in the social atmosphere that is thriving in Venice. - "In sooth, I know not why I am so sad: It wearies me; you say it wearies you; But how I caught it. Found it, or came by it, What stuff 'tis made of, whereof it is born, I am to learn:"1...

Analysis of King Lear
Analysis of King Lear King Lear, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic tale of filial conflict, personal transformation, and loss. The story revolves around the King who foolishly alienates his only truly devoted daughter and realizes too late the true nature of his other two daughters. A major subplot involves the illegitimate son of Gloucester, Edmund, who plans to discredit his brother Edgar and betray his father. With these and other major characters in the play, Shakespeare c...

Shakespearean Comedy
Shakespearean Comedy Shakespeare wrote many plays during his lifetime. Some of his plays have similar comedic characteristics and then other plays are the exact opposite of comedy. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, romance, history, comedy and problem plays all with great success. During the performance of these plays there was no scenery so great time was taken when developing the characters and the plot so the plays would be entertaining. A Midsummers Night's Dream and Much Ado ...

Antony and Cleopatra
Antony and Cleopatra In Shakespeare's tragedy/history/Roman play Antony and Cleopatra, we are told the story of two passionate and power-hungry lovers. In the first two Acts of the play we are introduced to some of the problems and dilemmas facing the couple (such as the fact that they are entwined in an adulterous relationship, and that both of them are forced to show their devotion to Caesar). Along with being introduced to Antony and Cleopatra's strange love affair, we are...

King Lear
King Lear In a writing of Shakespeare's play "King Lear", the main character is King Lear who starts off as a respected and powerful king. As the story progresses the king loses his power because of his own stupidity and blindness. The tragedy of this play is shown through the daughters of the king, the fool, and finally when Lear's sanity is tested. At the beginning of the play, King Lear is powerful and harsh. He decides he doesn't want to be king anymore, and so he asks his...

Taming of the Shrew
Taming of the Shrew In the Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio recognizes, respects and desires Kate's intelligence and strength of character. He does not want to conquer or truly tame her. He is a man who is very confident in himself and does not want or need someone to massage his ego. Petruchio seems to me to be a man of sport and challenge and likes to surround himself with witty, challenging people. He wants in a mate what Kate has - fire. From Petruchio's respons...

Elizabethan Revenge in Hamlet
Elizabethan Revenge in Hamlet Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare that very closely follows the dramatic conventions of revenge in Elizabethan theater. All revenge tragedies originally stemmed from the Greeks, who wrote and performed the first plays. After the Greeks came Seneca who was very influential to all Elizabethan tragedy writers. Seneca who was Roman, basically set all of the ideas and the norms for all revenge play writers in the Renaissance era inclu...