Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A 4 page paper which examines how these values influenced the ‘truth’ of each work. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A five page paper showing how the philosophy of Aristotle, Plato, and St. Augustine influenced Shakespeare in his characterization of Hamlet. The paper argues that over the course of the play, Hamlet moves from the position of a Platonist to an Augustinian to an Aristotelian. Bibliography lists four sources.

A 5 page paper which compares the relationships between the themes and dramatic structures of three of William Shakespeare's most popular plays, Hamlet, Othello and King Lear. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

An 8 page paper which compares and contrasts the strengths and weaknesses of these young men, and explains to what degree they succeed or fail as they confront the difficulties of the worlds that surround them. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 20 page paper looking at the way sixteenth-century Florentine politician Niccolo Machiavelli influenced Shakespeare's characterization of the inept ruler in his three Henry VI plays (parts I, II, and III.) The paper shows areas in which Shakespeare's idea of 'statesmanship' resembled Machiavelli's, as well as where it differed. Bibliography lists six sources.

A five page paper looking at the unhappy relationships in this classic tragedy by William Shakespeare. After analyzing the relationships of Othello and Desdemona, Desdemona and Roderigo, Cassio and Bianca, and Iago and Emelia, the paper concludes that love founded on distrust is doomed to failure, because communication and trust are the most important elements ...

This 4 page paper comprises a memo to Shakespeare suggesting he write a science fiction screenplay based on the character of Ariel in “The Tempest,” and then it discusses five stories and what makes them science fiction tales. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A five page paper looking at this play by William Shakespeare in terms of two factors which cause modern readers some difficulties: feminism and religion. Specifically, Shakespeare's presentation of female submissiveness versus female autonomy, and traditional Christianity versus humanism, reflect a society which is much different than ours. Bibliography lists five sources.

An 8 page paper that explores how the female characters related to the concept of marriage in these two works. The writer posits that while the author's came from differing viewpoints, their intent was similar in both works—to show that marriage was viewed as the answer to security for women, but that it either ...

A 5 page essay that discusses the thesis that Shakespeare's play Othello is, in many ways, a study in contrasts of language, character and mood. Through Shakespeare's expert manipulations of these elements the action of the play becomes understandable and logical whereas, otherwise, the main action would be inexplicable. In other words, Shakespeare pictures a ...

A 6 page research paper that analyzes Toni Morrison's novel Tar Baby, and proposes that the characters in this work mirror those of Shakespeare in The Tempest. The writer argues that Morrison appropriates these characters, transforming Shakespeare's tale into an allegorical tale that illuminates the foibles of the white art aesthetic, as well as demonstrating ...

A five page paper comparing Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" with Shakespeare's "Hamlet." The paper asserts that although many aspects of the dramatic form of Shakespearean plays were built upon principles codified by the ancient Greeks, Shakespeare's plays show much more insight into what it means to be human. Bibliography lists four sources.

A 5 page overview of Shakespeare’s “Othello”, and an analysis of its place in Aristotle’s contention that the audience should feel pity for the tragic hero. The author of this paper categorizes “Othello” as a classic tragedy and enumerates the many reasons why Othello was both designed by Shakespeare to elicit audience sympathy and, ...

A 7 page paper comparing John Fowles' novel with Shakespeare's play. It concludes that while Shakespeare saw Prospero's reign as one of benevolence and Fowles saw Clegg's as a reign of terror, both involved manipulating people against their will. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares the use of symbolism in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare's Hamlet. The writer argues that both of these playwrights make their points concerning human nature via their use of imagery and symbolism. Sophocles uses the imagery of sight to dramatically illustrate the problems that Oedipus has with ...

In four pages this paper examines whether or not the character of Nora in Ibsen’s play fits the criteria of female characters as ‘beacons’ in male works Sophocles’ Antigone and William Shakespeare’s Othello as described in the third chapter of her collection of essays, A Room of One’s Own. Two sources are cited in ...

A 6 page paper looking at Shakespeare's King Lear, The Tempest, and Spanish playwright Lope de Vega's Fuente Ovejuna in terms of the degree to which they permit characters to question and flout authority. The paper argues that this has a great deal to do with the medieval view of government as a God-given hierarchy, ...

This 5 page paper considers the theme of lost children in Philadelphia Fire by John Edgar Wideman and Shakespeare's The Tempest. The writer examines the portrayal of the lost children and how they are interpreted as well as how the setting and the texts add to the impression of lost children. The bibliography cites 2 ...

A 5 page paper which examines how the characters of Hamlet (Shakespeare’s Hamlet) and Heathcliff (Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights) are outsiders. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses the roles of Henry V and Katherine in Shakespeare's play, Henry V. Realistic ways to portray the roles are discussed. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares the characters of Hamlet and Oedipus. Despite being separated by the passage of centuries, as well as differences in language and culture, Sophocles’ portrayal of Oedipus and Shakespeare’s depiction of Hamlet bear similarities, as well as the innumerable differences that one would expect. The similarities revolve around ...

A 6 page paper which examines the significance of the island location in Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper comparing Beowulf and Shakespeare's King Lear in terms of the protagonists' deaths at the end of their respective works of literature. The paper observes that Beowulf's overconfidence caused him to die precisely as he wanted -- a hero -- while Lear's vanity caused him to die a tragic and humbled ...

A 4 page review of these two contrasting works of literature, one by Shakespeare and one by modern author Louise Endrich. The author contends that despite their contrasts, each is a Christian tragedy.

A 6 page discussion of the historical background and circumstance which prompted Shakespeare to incorporate witches into his play. Contends that the use of witches as secondary characters in the play serves to emphasize not only the theme of the play but also to emphasize the importance of Macbeth himself. Bibliography lists 3 ...