Essays and Research Papers on Mixed & Comp. Literature

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.

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 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 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 3 page paper which examines various stories and pieces of literature as they all seem to illustrate the search for identity, an identity that is perhaps unique and misunderstood at times. The stories/poems examined are Hamlet by Shakespeare, August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T.S. Eliot, “The ...

Using such diverse authors as William Shakespeare, Sigmund Frued, and E. Annie Prolulx, this 6 page paper examines the basic human issue of love. Definitions are considered and quotes from each of these authors validates their thoughts. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 6 page comparative essay that examines Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer. The writer argues that the ways in which these authors explore the alienation of their protagonists reveals basic truths about the human condition and the need of human beings to feel bonds of association with other ...

A 6 page paper that describes drama in terms of the literary genre and its application. Drama is based on the conflict that develops between characters and the presenation of the literature surrounding this action in a format that can be performed on stage. Drama is unique among literary genres because of its ...

In 5 pages the author describes and discusses how several reading contribute to the understanding of the theme of the family. The theme of family is one of great importance. In the family section of "Literature and Ourselves", there are major sources of contribution to one's understanding of the actual theme of family. ...

A 5 page paper analyzing the concept of tragedy as defined by Aristotle (and illustrated in Sophocles' Oedipus the King) and Arthur Miller's definition of the form (as described in his essay 'The Tragedy of the Common Man' and illustrated in Death of a Salesman). Bibliography lists one source.

A 6 page paper defining classic Aristotelian form of tragedy and how it is expressed in Macbeth, Death of a Salesman, The Metamorphosis, and The Stranger. 2 source bib

5 pages in length. As protagonists, both Oedipus and Othello ultimately ended up as tragic figures as a direct result of their inability to alter the course of their lives. Defining this particular concept calls for one's close interpretation of what the protagonist's role truly represents; with that, it becomes quite simple to ...

A 6 page paper comparing and contrasting hthe characterization of Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin's The Awakening with that of Nora Helmer in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House. The paper concludes that the heroines' differing fates are defined by the nature of each woman's self-image at the time of the story's climax. Bibliography lists 6 ...

A 5 page paper looking at the use of this literary technique in Kate Chopin's story. The paper follows the text closely through the first half of the story, showing how the second half of the story is predicted by the first. Bibliography lists seven sources.

Freedom means many things to many people. In The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin, freedom is the sum and total of the thematic enterprise. The protagonist's deepest wish is for freedom and Chopin is able to embed both the desire and the attainment of freedom within her writing style through the ...

A 5 page paper analyzing the astonishingly frank depiction of female sexuality in Kate Chopin's landmark short story. The paper looks intensively at the social backdrop against which Chopin wrote her story, and shows why this story remained unpublished until long after the author's death. No additional sources.

A 5 page paper on this late nineteenth-century novel by Kate Chopin. The paper looks at the literary techniques Chopin used to develop her work, and concludes that the novel's construction and development is as innovative for the times as its shocking theme. Bibliography lists six sources.

4 pages in length. The writer discusses how integral a role escapism and freedom play in Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening.' Bibliography lists 4 sources.

The writing of the early part of this century and late nineteenth century was often defined as 'modern' by way of the propensity of the authors of that era to address the underlying psychological motivations for behavior. Unfortunately, this often resulted in a self analysis that was unbearable to the character and the inner ...

A 5 page look at the way the female protagonists of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God respond to society's traditional roles for women, and to what extent these characters are able to overcome these social constrictions to achieve a self-actualized life. No additional sources cited.

A 20 page paper showing how Joseph Conrad, as an early Modernist, used many techniques inherited from earlier literary periods -- some of which he would have cheerfully acknowledged, others of which he would have found less congenial. Specifically, the paper looks at ways in which the ideologies and techniques of Jonathan Swift and William ...

A 6 page look at the way Susan Glaspell, John Updike, William Faulkner, and Guy de Maupassant build realistic and believable characters in their short fiction. Particular stories discussed are Glaspell's 'A Jury of Her Peers,' Updike's 'A & P', Faulkner's 'Barn Burning,' and de Maupassant's 'The Necklace.' Bibliography lists 8 sources.

An 8 page paper that concludes: In these five stories, women are portrayed in various ways. Only Anderson's 'The Egg' continues to stress the inadequacy and calamity of women. James, Updike and Welty each present a twist on society's sexist view of women in the situations presented. Each writer provides redeeming ...

A 6 page paper discussing these three novels by Charles Brockton Brown, Herman Melville, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The paper concludes that in each of these novels, the characters had a choice about whether or not they intended to be a victim -- and for better or worse, the choice transformed their lives forever. Bibliography ...