Abstract
This essay focuses on the feminist criticism of the Shakespeare's drama "King Lear." The author examines modern and traditional presentations of this play. The main characters, and plot line are detailed, and then analyzed in order to look its portrayal of women. The play has undergone several transformations, and has adapted some of the themes regarding women to modern times.

From the Paper
"Shakespeare's original King Lear enforces anarchy, sexual insubordination and a misogynist emphasis through its portrayal of women and their impact on society, hence their destructive existence. This drama requires the audience to accept the underlying agreement that fathers are owed particular duties by daughters and chaos will manifest if this condition is not met. This assumption obviously imply that in King Lear, chaos was spawned by the neglect of these duties hence suggesting females are once again the cause of conflict."

Tags:criticism, feminist, production, lear, king, daughters, mind, family, relationships

Abstract
Albert Camus, a political activist and intellectual often expressed his philosophical attitudes through fiction and short essays. Camus is primarily known for philosophical position; a form of existentialism, that he portrays in his essays "The Absurd" and "The Myth of Sisyphus". The absurd is a set of beliefs to be adopted towards life in a universe that is devoid of a true or higher meaning when the only outcome will be death. This paper shows how, in the two previously mentioned essays, Camus explores the way in which absurdity appears in life and the consequences of making this discovery. Camus identifies the Absurd not as a source for despair but describes a way to defy meaninglessness and live life through experience.

From the Paper
"The theater of the Absurd is a display of modern life in a universe that is devoid of a true or higher meaning. This existential philosophy illustrated through plays relates a brutal world freed from any notion of divinity. In a world where the only outcome is certain death, there is no moral code, no god and no ultimate purpose. A person is left with a feeling of unease and dislocation, such is the beginning of Absurdity. Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot are two plays, which explore concepts such as these. Modernist theater features the notion of the absurd; a concept reflective of global attitude at the time in the wake of World War Two and the decline of religious faith."

Tags:beckett, camus, modernist, faith

Abstract
This essay explores the prodominant themes in "Romeo and Juliet" based on the statement by Prince Escalus, 'For never was there a story of more woe, Than this of Juliet and her Romeo'. Keeping that quote in mind, the essay questions whether love can be counted as the only theme in Romeo and Juliet. The essay discusses in detail three major themes of hate, fate and time, using three scenes in detail, using quotes to support the argument.

From the Paper
"In the tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, the main theme of the play is love but it is not the only one. The play explores other themes that revolve around love such as the fate of the two lovers, the speed and time of their love and the hatred between their families. When Prince Escalus stated " for never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo" (Act V, Scene III, line 308-309), the purpose of his statement was to illustrate the presence of a wide variety of themes which all contributed to the tragic story of Juliet and her Romeo."

Tags:fate, hate, quote, scenes, time

Abstract
This paper examines how Tom Stoppard is able to use Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to create a contemporary perspective in his text "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" by exploring the values which Shakespeare presented in the 17th century in a way that reflects their reception in the modern context in which he composed. It looks at how the plays are vehicles for both writers to explore the values of language, death and fate in their respective eras.

From the Paper
"Death in Hamlet is a significant occurrence. It is undeniably permanent and there are always consequences. The entire play in fact is sparked on by said consequences. Hamlet is driven to revenge by his father's "foul and most unnatural murder", as is Laertes. Shakespeare transmits the idea of the permanence, the inevitability of death. Hamlet refers to 'poor Yorick'. He reminisces about the court jester: "Here hung those lips / that I have kissed I know not how oft." He recalls joking and laughing with Yorick, but now all that remains is his vacant skull, tossed away to make room for Ophelia. "

Tags:death, fate, yorick, ophelia

Abstract
This paper explores the theme of violence in Pinter's play. There are instances of both physical violence and psychological violence the play, and in the centre of the play, we are shown a mixture of the two. This essay discusses each of these types of violence, and also the effect of the tone of menace and violence that underlies the whole play.

From the Paper
"Physical violence is the most obvious type of violence in the play. The play begins with Davies, a man of age about sixty and from, what we can gather, homeless, having just been in a brawl in the caf? at which he worked. So right from the outset, Pinter establishes a feel of violence and menace, emphasises by Davies? insults of "Black, Greeks and Poles"."

Tags:menace, physical

Abstract
The writer interprets the stylistic elements in Dubus' writing that reveal his position about the social and individual consequences of murder. According to the paper, this is done through the title, plot, and the characters of the play which strengthen the connection between the story and its reader.

From the Paper
"The play's title also points to the suffering of Frank's loved ones. The victim's death was so disturbing for his parents that the father's heart was dying to kill Strout. Matt tells his friend "(Ruth) can't even go out for cigarettes and aspirin" without seeing Strout, "it's killing her" (Dubus 64). The constant daydreaming of Frank's murder killed Matt and Ruth from inside until they took out their revenge on Strout and calmed their emotions. Simultaneously, the playwright also reflects through the thoughts of Matt Fowler, how the loved ones of Richard Strout would be killed inside by his murder. Thus, the writer builds on a deeper meaning for the play's title by depicting how the emotions of families are killed on the deaths of their beloveds."

Tags:play, style, murder, character, plot

Abstract
Explores the characteristics of Desdemona, Bianca and Emilia and their status, roles and power within the largely male dominated society. The paper suggests that the male dominated society leads to, ultimately, all three women falling victims.

From the Paper
"Othello by William Shakespeare is a play set in Venice at the height of it's powers. There are three significant female characters in the play, Desdemona, Bianca, and Emilia, who are representative of the female gender. Their characters within the play are presented as being victims of their gender, and victims of the male dominated society of the time. They are seen as victims in their treatment, their status and roles and their power within society, and in the ultimate death of two of the three female characters in the play."

Tags:cassio, dominant, females, gender, males, men, patriarchy, play, power, race, victims, women

Abstract
This paper looks at the various elements of the film "The Player" by Robert Altman and their thematic effects on shaping viewer response. The paper analyzes the plot, characterization, acting, camera angles, mise en scene and cinematography of the film in great depth.

From the Paper
"The 1992 film The Player written by Michael Tolkin and directed by Robert Altman, satirizes the filmmaking industry of Hollywood, whilst criticizing the industries corruption. The film constantly alludes to earlier Hollywood films and comments on the practices of Hollywood film studios. The film utilizes the scope of film medium to simultaneously create meaning and entertain the viewer."

Tags:art, cinematography, criticism, filmic, movie, theatre

Abstract
This paper examines the play "The Piano Lesson" by August Wilson set in 1936 which looks into the worldly affairs of a black family that struggles to maintain the family heritage. It analyzes how the piano ,which is central to the story, serves as a potential metaphor for the history of the past pertaining to the enslavement of those ancestors that were chained in slavery. It looks at how the play is based on the legacy of the piano and what the protagonists Boy Willie and Berniece decide to do with it.

From the Paper
"From the title of this learned victory by August Wilson, it is evident that there comes a profound understanding of the sense of family values, morals and cohesiveness of the black Americans along with the title of the play. Every scholarly effort is geared towards conveying a message appended with an insightful moral and The Piano Lesson is no exception. The soul-searching lesson that we have learned all along is that past injustices and tormenting experiences leave a strong adverse impact on the lives of the people who suffer the blow of racial discrimination and other prejudices. "

Tags:slavery, blacks, south

Abstract
This paper examines how in "A Streetcar Named Desire", the American Dream is contrastingly represented in two key characters: Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski, the latter holding Southern ideals and hoping for a life of privilege, comfort and protection; the former believing in a life characterised by toil, an impulsive and reckless sense of spontaneity, and eventual reward and success. It looks at how by adopting an intriguing setting in New Orleans, a series of crucial and symbolic minor characters, and a plot which slowly but meaningfully unravels itself, Tennessee Williams creates content for a screenplay which provides a fascinating interpretation of the American Dream.

From the Paper
"Firstly, the characters of Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski provide a differing interpretation of the American Dream. Blanche was born and raised in the deep American South, into a world where her every need, wish and desire would be catered for. She would dwell in a lavish mansion with her family, receive a quality education, be waited upon by coloured servants, and, furthermore, would eventually marry an equally privileged young man who could provide for her the protection which she was accustomed to. This is not so much protection in a physical sense, but rather, the guardianship of her honour. This would involve preventing her from being exposed to cursing, abuse cruelty, and anything else that would seem improper in an upper class Southern society. "

Tags:blanche, dubois, stanley, kowalski