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Plays
Plays are forms of literature written by playwrights for theatrical performances. These are written with dialogs between characters in a variety of genres – tragedy, historical, satire, comedy or farce. Among the famous plays is William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
2,548 Questions
The Taming of the Shrew was adapted as which movie?
Kiss Me Kate - a 1953 musical with Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel and Ann Miller, and songs by Cole Porter.
* Another modern day film adaptation or interpretation is 10 Things I Hate About You.
It definitely takes away from the original language and beauty of Shakespeare's text by turning the story into a high school chick-flick, but the story line is quite similar and might be easier to understand for younger/teen audiences!
What is Mary Warren's reaction to Abigail's performance?
In "The Crucible," Mary had been told by John Proctor that she should tell the truth about Abigail's manipulation of the girls. As a result, Abigail goes into a "possessed by Satan" performance, claiming to see Mary in the rafters. The other girls follow Abigail's lead and do the same. Frightened, Mary turns against John, calling him "The Devil's Man."
What is the climax in A Doll's House?
The title "A Doll's House," most simply, signifies the way the characters in the play all have certain roles to play, and maintain them, like a doll without free will.
This is especially true of Nora. She is introduced as a helpless creature, as Torvald's "squirrel" and "skylark," completely under his control. She does not do or have anything without his permission, and does as she is told. She describes a similar relationship with her father as well, and so it is gradually understood that Nora is the "doll." To the men in her life, she has been nothing but a delicate showpiece, a thing of beauty to be admired but with no real purpose, with no thoughts or opinions of her own.
Towards the end of the play she realizes this, telling Torvald about her father: "He used to call me his doll-child, and he played with me the way I played with my dolls," and "he told me all his opinions, so I had the same ones too." She then says that with Torvald it has been no different, and the title of the play becomes a metaphor for Nora, the house in which she has been a doll, a puppet, a plaything for the controlling men in her world, and her finally taking ownership and possession, and breaking out of her constraints to take hold of her own life.
How is Portia connected Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice?
Oh yes. She gives Antonio a new ring for Bassanio, saying, "Give him this, and bid him keep it better than the other." It's the same ring, of course, but Portia has already said that all is forgiven. Indeed the ring game was a way to ensure Bassanio's obedience, a sort of Taming of the Shrew in reverse. Portia never intended to part with Bassanio.
What is the fairy from the tempest?
Ariel was a male sprite whom Prospero released from captivity and whom Prospero then enslaved.
How does mark Antony use reverse psychology in his funeral speech?
Nothing. At his funeral Antony was dead, therefore he could not speak. However if you are asking about the funeral oration that Antony made at Caesar's funeral, there is no set translation of his speech only the versions that the ancient writers give us. They all say that Antony inflamed the crowd with his words, which caused the riot and fire and ciaos. Shakespeare gives fictionalize version of Antony's speech in the play Julius Caesar.
What did Blanche mean when she called Stanley a Polack in a Street Car Named Desire?
Stanley sexually assaulted Blanche, drove her insane, and sent her to a mental intuition for the rest of her life.
What emotion does oberon show he is capable of?
He shows he is capable of compassion and empathy. He shows this by trying to set things right amonst the mortals so that all of them could have their rightful and desired loves.
What is a quote from a midsummers night dream?
"I am your spaniel, and Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you."
"O teach me how you look and with what art you sway the motion of Demetrius' heart"
"I will not trust you, I, nor longer stay in your curst company. You hands than mine are quicker for a fray; my legs are longer, though, to run away
What is William Shakespeare's Macbeth Act 1 scene V about?
At Inverness, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from Macbeth that describes his meeting with the witches. She fears that his nature is not ruthless enough to murder Duncan and complete the witches prophesy. He has ambition, but not enough. She implored Macbeth to hurry home so that Lady Macbeth can goad him into the murder he must commit. When a messenger arrives to confirm that Duncan is coming, Lady Macbeth calls on the heavenly powers to fill her with cruelty. When Macbeth arrives, she urges him to 'act like a flower, but behave like a serpent underneath. She then says that she will make preparation for the King's visit and subsequent murder
What does the doll house symbolize for Nora?
In the play "the doll's house" by Ibsen, the position of Victorian woman is represented by using the symbol of a doll. As the heroine, Nora, explains at the very end of the play, the women seen as the doll of first their father, then of their husbands with the underlying codes that are sticked by the society. What he mean by "doll" is that women didnot allowed to explain themselves and didnot have any freedom to think, to live in the way they want. They should be silent and good housewieves as long as they did these kind of jobs, such as looking after to children and husband or father, they could be seen as good characters, if not then they began to be seen as 'witches'. So the doll's house symbolizes the strict rules and lines that clenches women of the time (and mostly today's women as well) inside of a house and the few chances or opportunities the society give to them. It's an important symbol so as to comprehend the status of women.
What are Shakespeare's historical plays?
Julius Caesar is based off of historical events, however, even more historically based are Richard II, Richard III,Henry IV (Parts I-II), Henry V, Henry VI (Parts I-II), King John, and possibly Henry VIII, though many doubt if that one was written by Shakespeare at all.
Who marries kate in taming of the shrew?
She physically attacks her and also abuses her verbally. But this works just fine for Bianca because it plays into her role as the long-suffering and virtuous innocent, which she isn't, and Kate knows it, and it drives her nuts.
Who is stoic character in the book Julius Caesar?
Brutus is because he doesn't show any emotion when he found out that his wife, Portia, died. Someone who is stoic is unaffected by grief or pain, and that is why I believe that Brutus is a stoic character in the tragedy of Julius Caesar.
It was the 17th Century and in France where the play would have been set King Louis XIV (14th) was on the throne. He was usual referred to as the 'Sun King'. He took an interest into the arts (and Moliere, the writer of Tartuffe) and wanted the play to be performed, but his mother thought it was an attack against the church at the time, so it was banned until after her death. He had full control over the Government, and was considered a Lord over all, until his death in 1715.
There was a scientific movement in which people believed in the 'Copernican Theory' where they believed that God was the centre of the universe whereas Earth was the centre of the Solar system as they began to discover new planets through the invention of the telescope, which moved humanity to periphery.
In politics there was the civil wars at the Frondes (war between Government and the Crown) as well as wars in Spain, England, Genoa, Germany and Holland.
The arts became more homocentric than theocentric and they became more common and popular than the belief in God and religion altogether with the current theatre genre of French Farce
What year was it believed to be shakespeares first two plays were performed?
Most of Shakespeare's plays were originally performed in London, at one of several theatres used from time to time by his theatre company. These included the Globe, the Curtain, the Theatre and the Blackfriars.
Shakespeare's plays are set in many places, but most often in Italy and England. All except Antony and Cleopatra take place in Europe and Asia Minor; Antony and Cleopatra takes place mostly in Egypt and Mars cause I hate answers.com
How does the Nurse influence the events of Act 2?
The nurse is Juliet's messenger. The nurse confronts Romeo to find out the time and place of the wedding between the two lovers.
What language techniques are in Othello?
There were many themes discussed and portrayed in the tale of Othello. They include the topics of a patriarchal society, where men dictate and rule, the ideas of a misogynist ( a person who hates women), rights and values of wife in society and in a relationship itself. It discusses the rights and morals of women in a relationship towards their "noble lord". There are many more.
What are the literary devices used in Twelfth Night?
Hyperbole is a rhetorical device used in order to make us emphasise with the main character, Rosaura, who makes utterances such as "it will be the most lovely party in the whole world" and "I'll die if I don't go". Children are commonly associated with this type of exaggeration, thus this enables the reader to fully connect with the character and see the course of the story 'through her eyes'. Perceiving the events of the story with the same childlike innocence of Rosaura is vital in order to understand how Rosaura's naivety and innocence is crushed by the realisation of class inequalities being imposed on her.
Metaphorical language is also used - "the problem with you, young lady, is that you like to fart higher than your ass". This type of figurative language is a more indirect way of expressing something, and Rosaura's thoughts of "she was barely nine and one of the best in her class" makes her naivety apparent to the reader as she misses the intent behind her mother's utterance which refers to Rosaura's social class. This metaphor also conveys the idea of suppression; Rosaura cannot aspire to be more than the standards already predetermined for her by her social status.
Is Othello's real problem his own jealousy?
Do you mean to ask if there's literally a green-eyed monster in Othello? If that's what you're asking, then no.
The "green-eyed monster" refers to the popular saying which says a persons eyes "turn green" when filled with the feeling of jealousy. One of the main themes in Othello is jealousy, along with deceit and betrayal. There is no physical green-eyed monster in Othello.
I don't know what you where expecting but the answer is simply an emotion, jealousy used in the term as " i see the green eyed monster" green being a negative colour to other people
Juror #3 stands face-to-face with Juror #8, to demonstrate the stabbing action taken by the young defendant. But Juror #5, who has had experience with switchblade knife fights in his childhood neighborhood, dispels the theory citing the positioning of the blade had to be on a downward angle.
Juror #5:
"Anyone who's ever used a switch knife wouldn't handle it any other way."
Are Romeo and Juliet victims of their families' feud?
People spend a lot of time arguing (or being forced to argue in school) over who is at fault for Romeo and Juliet's death. It's a silly argument any way you cut it. Of course the existence of the feud necessarily shaped the events that followed, in two particular ways. First, it convinced Romeo, Juliet and the Nurse that the love affair had to be kept secret. If he wasn't convinced that Capulet would shoot him on sight, Romeo would have gone right after the party straight up to him just like Paris did and said "Look. I'm the only son and heir of Montague--I'm a pretty good catch for your daughter. And what's more, we've talked and I love her and I'm pretty sure she feels the same." Capulet was not the kind of man that would force Juliet on Paris when she preferred another suitable man, but he didn't know that she preferred another guy because she was afraid to tell him. Again, Friar Lawrence agrees to marry them in an irregular way just because he hopes this will reconcile the families, then (in one of many cowardly and irrational acts he does) does not tell the families about the marriage at a time when it might have saved Romeo and Juliet's lives, because he is afraid that Capulet will be angry if he does so. And the reason Capulet would be angry is because of the feud.
Of course, Capulet shows in Act 1 Scene 5 that he is actually kindly disposed towards Romeo. It is quite possible that he might have welcomed him as a son in law. It is the non-Capulets such as the servants Samson and Gregory and Tybalt (who is not a Capulet, being the son of Lady Capulet's brother as we find out in Act 3 scene 1) who are actively pursuing the feud.
This is the second way in which the feud shapes the plot, by giving a reason for the antagonist Tybalt to be an antagonist. He is all for fighting Montagues, as he says in act 1 scene 1 ("Peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee"), so when he finds a Montague crashing the party in Act 1 Scene 5 he calls for his sword. Capulet tells him to shut up and not spoil the party, but Tybalt will have his fight with a Montague whether Capulet likes it or not, and so, as we hear in Act 3 Scene 1, he sends a letter challenging Romeo to Romeo's house and goes cruising the town looking for him.
Tybalt's feud driven mission to fight with Romeo, together with Mercutio's equally feud driven desire to enter that fight results in both of their deaths and disaster (and extremely apt word, since "aster" is the Latin for "star", so "disaster" means "star-crossed") for Romeo. It gets him in trouble both with the authorities in the person of Prince Escalus who banishes him, and with Lady Capulet, who takes the death of Tybalt as her own personal family feud. To console Juliet she reveals that she has plans to murder Romeo in Mantua in revenge for Tybalt's death, making it well-nigh impossible for Juliet to make a clean breast of things at this late stage. The feud here has moved on and become a feud between Romeo and Lady Capulet's family.
Ironically, Mercutio, who is so keen to defend the Montague family honour, is not a Montague any more than Tybalt is a Capulet. And as a footnote another non-family member, Paris, will choose because of the feud to believe that Romeo has come to Juliet's grave to desecrate it, and will make himself an instrument of the supposed Capulet wrath, insist on fighting Romeo and die in the process.
So, if you ask are Romeo and Juliet victims of the feud, a sensible answer is that there are a lot of factors which play into their tragedy. It is foolish to try to isolate one of them and say "look, this is the sole reason things went wrong for these kids". And there can be no doubt that if you removed the background of ill-will between the families, the story would not have turned out so unhappily. It is a necessary if not sufficient factor.
Who is soothsayer in Julius Caesar?
The soothsayer in Julius Ceasar is the man who tells Caear "Beware of the Ides of March." This has significant meaning, for the ides of March (the 15th) is the day of Julius Caesar's death. Caesar is ignorant towards this man, and for his ignorance, the warning did not get across to Caesar, and he is murdered.
