Essays and Research Papers on Theater

In three pages this paper compares and contrasts how the protagonists of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King (also known as Oedipus Rex) and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman satisfy the criteria of a tragic hero as Aristotle defined in his text Poetics. Six sources are listed in the bibliography.

This 6 page paper examines briefly Aristotle’s “guidelines” for tragedy, and argues that although Willy Loman is not a character in the mold of Hamlet or Oedipus, the play can in fact be seen as a classic tragedy. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

In five pages this paper argues that Medea is less guilty than Jason in this defense case on her behalf. Only the primary source is listed in the bibliography.

This 3 page paper discusses the issue of pride as embodied in the character of Reverend John Hale in Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses the similarities in social behavior in “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare and “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper critiques the Broadway show “Pippin.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses Aristotle’s view of tragedy, tragic flaw, fate, luck, the concept of the tragic hero, irony and conflict in the plays “All my Sons” and “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 10 page paper discusses the themes in the play “Story of a Stairway” by Spanish playwright Antonio Buero Vallejo. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares these three works. Three of the greatest tragic plays every written are "Oedipus" by Sophocles; "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare; and "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller. While these plays are vastly different, as their subject matter and their playwrights are separated by centuries, they also bear ...

This 6 page paper discusses the roles that Tom plays in “The Glass Menagerie,” where he is a character, the narrator and also performs some of the duties of a stage manager. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 7 page paper compares two “versions” of Oedipus Rex and argues that they can be called religious plays, though religion is more apparent in Sophocles than in Dove’s modern version. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 4 page paper explains how “Oedipus Rex” fulfills Aristotle’s concepts of tragedy: a hero who endures great suffering; his tragic flaw; the catharsis at the end of the play. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the concept of ancestors in Sam Shepard’s play “Buried Child.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 4 page paper explores the way perspectives provide insights in two works, Julius Caesar by Shakespeare and Sergei Eistenstein’s silent film October: Then Days that Shook the World. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses the way in which the two playwrights deal with the ideas of appearances and reality in the plays Macbeth and A Doll’s House. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In eight pages this paper examines the various events that were taking place at the time Henrik Ibsen wrote A Doll’s House in order to gain a greater contextual understanding of the nineteenth century play and how it was influenced by the cultural issues and historical events that took place during this period. Six ...

This 6 page paper discusses Tennessee Williams’s use of symbolism in his play “The Glass Menagerie.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines what expectations are placed on the character of Berniece in August Wilson’s play The Piano Lesson. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page essay that discusses the character of Laura from Tennessee Williams’ poignant play “The Glass Menagerie.” There are a number of similarities between Laura Wingfield and the small glass animals that she collects. As with her small glass animals, Laura is fragile, both in health and temperament. Also, like her animals, which are ...

This 9 page paper uses deconstructionist criticism to discuss Tennessee Williams’s classic play “The Glass Menagerie.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 3 page paper considers the prompt “Willy Loman’s life is an “American Dream” gone awry and argues that the prompt is correct. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses how to stage one scene in Oedipus Rex, and what that tells us about why we still use the format for theatrical presentations that the Greeks laid out 2,000 years ago. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses the dream symbolism in Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page paper discusses a literary critique of George Bernard Shaw and argues that the critic missed the depth of the bond between Morell and his wife Candida because of his preference for romantic love. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper explains how the play “A Raisin the Sun” reflects the values of the society and time in which it was written. Bibliography lists 2 sources.