Shakespeare's 'Macbeth' / Psychological Effect of the Witches
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An 8 page paper analyzing the role of the witches in Shakespeare's drama. The paper argues that the witches in no way forced Macbeth to take the path he chose, but rather that they merely served as a psychological justification for him to do what had been in his secret heart all along. Bibliography lists 9 sources.
Filename: Macwitch.wps

The Influence of Classical Philosophy on Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'
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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.
Filename: KBhamlt5.wps.

Is Hamlet A Definitive Tragedy?
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A 4 page paper on Shakespeare's very complex play. Looking specifically at the play's resolution and the characterization of Hamlet, the paper analyzes this play in terms of the rules of classical tragedy put forth in Aristotle's Poetics. It argues that while Hamlet is unquestionably a tragedy from our point of view, it does not in several important respects conform to Aristotle's formula. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.
Filename: Ham11.wps

“Natural Slaves” in Shakespeare’s “Tempest” and Aristotle’s “Politics”
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A five page paper looking at these two works in terms of their treatment of the concept of the “natural slave.” The paper concludes that if by “natural slave,” Aristotle meant that one’s fitness to rule or serve is based on one’s aristocratic or menial birth, Shakespeare would have disagreed with that. But he would have agreed that certain people just don’t make good leaders and would be better off in a supporting role. No additional sources.
Filename: KBtemp3.wps

Tom Stoppard's 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'
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A 6 page essay exploring how the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead reflects specific aspects of life: 1. humans as social animals and 2. how the individual finds his or her place in society. The confusions and feelings of what am I doing here and why am I doing it are emphasized.
Filename: Rosencra.wps

Feminism in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Lysistrata”
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An eight page paper looking at the issue of feminism in these two plays by William Shakespeare and Aristophanes, respectively. The paper argues that both writers mocked women -- in “Lysistrata” because they were too unfeminine, and in “Midsummer Night’s Dream” because they were too irrational -- and shows how both plays call for a return to an ordered society at the end. No additional sources.
Filename: KBlysis.wps

Social Issues in “Othello” and “The Bluest Eye”
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A five page paper looking at these two works by William Shakespeare and Toni Morrison respectively, dealing with their treatment of social issues such as racism, both in the Elizabethan era and today. The paper shows that what the two protagonists have in common is the degree to which they have internalized their society’s racist impressions of them, and allowed it to corrode their own self-image.
Filename: KBothel3.wps

Othello & Renaissance Humanism
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A 3 page essay, -- using quotes from the original play-- which describes Shakespeare's 'Othello' as a work typical of the Renaissance's emphasis on humanism. The writer discusses the development of Othello's character and the underlying themes of outsider prejudice which run throughout the story. No Bibliography.
Filename: Othelren.wps

Othello / In The Tradition Of The Renaissance
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A 3 page essay on the play 'Othello' and how it related both to Shakespeare himself and to the Renaissance period. Examples of themes introduced in the story are used to illustrate how Othello was both a hero and outsider... different, yet acceptable, -- and thus, an exemplary figure from Renaissance literature. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: Othshake.wps

Shakespeare's ‘Renaissance Gentleman'
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A 4 page paper which provides the student with an imaginative reenactment of William Shakespeare's commentary on how he expressed humanism in his quintessential Renaissance man, Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Renshake.wps

Heroism and Tragedy in Sophocles and Shakespeare
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An eight page paper comparing Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare’s King Lear in terms of their development of the tragic hero. The paper concludes that the way Shakespeare has developed his hero also owes much to the influence of Sophocles and Greek tragedy. Bibliography lists seven sources.
Filename: KBlear.wps

Masters of the Art - The Makings of Literary Masterpieces
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A 5 page paper that examines the elements needed to produce a literary masterpiece. Included as examples are Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', Homer's 'Odyssey', and the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: LCMaster.doc

Writers Who Influenced Shakespeare
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A 4 page paper that considers the major works that influenced the writings of Shakespeare. The writer demonstrates that while there is little documented evidence of influences, there are considerable textual similarities between Shakespeare's plays and the writings of Marlowe, Chaucer, Virgil and Seneca, as well as many influences noted from the Bible. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: Shake1.wps

Shakespeare's King Lear and the Apocalypse
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This 7 page paper considers the views of society regarding the apocalypse and how we can see these perceptions which originate from the bible brought to life in the literary works of the time. The example chosen is King Lear, a pagan king who has many flaws. The bibliography sites 5 sources.
Filename: TElearap.wps

Comedy in 'Antony and Cleopatra' vs. 'All For Love'
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A 5 page paper analyzing the use of the techniques and structures of comedy in these two works. The paper notes that because Shakespeare wrote in the Elizabethan era and Dryden during the Restoration, their differing sensibilities cause them to write a play that was natural and charming on the one hand and formal and sophisticated on the other. No additional sources listed.
Filename: Antcleo.doc

Antigone and Hamlet Compared
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This 3 page paper explores similarities and differences in these two classic works. The themes of fatherhood and royalty are duly noted. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: SA448AaH.rtf

"Julius Caesar" Today
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This 3 page paper considers how critics might look at Caesar and today's societal issues. Bibliography lists 3 sources
Filename: HVJCTody.rtf

"The Greatest Othello?" -- Laurence Olivier's 1965 Film
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This 4 page report discusses Sir Laurence Olivier's 1965 film version of Shakespeare's "Othello." The film is something of a hybrid in that it is actually a filming of the stage production by the National Theatre of Great Britain. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: BWothLO.rtf

"The Tempest": Film and Text
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A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts the film and the text version of "The Tempest." The film version discussed is Paul Mazursky's. No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAtempst.wps

"Three Unities" in Literature
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A 10 page paper which provides a detailed examination of the three unities, then discusses how they may be manifested in Sophocles' play, "Oedipus Rex" and William Shakespeare's "King Lear." Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: TGunites.wps

"Titus Andronicus" as a Mechanism of Natural Selection
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This 5 page paper considers what Darwin would say about the extreme acts of revenge among the Romans, Goths and Aaron in "Titus Andronicus"; and whether or not we can call these acts "survival of the fittest" or "natural selection." It also explains the three revenge plots in the play. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: HVTitusA.rtf

"To Be or Not to Be"
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This 5 page paper is a close examination of Hamlet's most famous speech. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: HV2BeNot.rtf

'Antony & Cleopatra' vs. 'King Lear' / The Villain as Himself
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A 5 page paper looking at both these plays by William Shakespeare in terms of the playwright's use of villains. The paper shows that in both these plays, the protagonist is at least partly responsible -- through the shortcomings of his own character -- for his own defeat. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Cleolear.wps

'As You Like It' / Character Analysis of Rosalind
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This 5 page paper discusses the characterization of Rosalind in Shakespeare's comedy. The writer argues that Rosalind is essentially "the star" of the play. She is, in many ways, centuries ahead of her time; she's bright, innovative, mischievous, and possesses great inner strength, etc; No additional sources used.
Filename: Likeit.wps

'As You Like It' / More Than A Pastoral
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A 6 page paper discussing Shakespeare's play in the context of the Elizabethan pastoral tradition. The writer concludes that 'As You Like It' is very much a pastoral play, yet it adds a significant amount of psychological depth not present in most pastorals. Bibliography lists 8 sources; in addition, the paper includes a FREE 1 page sentence outline, and an annotated bibliography listing 9 cited sources.
Filename: Pastoral.wps

'Comedy Of Errors'
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A 17 page paper discussing the characters in Shakespeare's 'Comedy of Errors.' The main focus is on the importance of the entering and the exiting of the many characters. In examining the play from this perspective it becomes obvious that some of the characters are there merely to provide a solid base for which the chaotic characters may rush around. Without this solid foundation the chaos would be undefinable, but with these characters the play makes more sense and is funnier, which is the whole intent of Shakespeare's play. The chaotic entering and exiting is the meat of the story however, and without it there would not be a story. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Errors.wps

'Hamlet' and 'Dr. Faustus'
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This 3 page paper compares and contrasts the ways in which Shakespeare and Marlowe comment on a moral theme in their plays. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: HVHamFau.rtf

'Hamlet' and 'Othello' / Themes of Friendship & Betrayal
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This 5 page research paper discusses how the themes of friendship and betrayal are expressed in the William Shakespeare plays, Hamlet and Othello. Specifically discussed are how each theme is defined, developed and resolved (or not) over the course of each play among the different characters, and the images which further reinforces the themes. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: Frienbet.wps

'Hamlet' vs. 'All The King's Men' / Maternal Relationships
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This 5 page research paper discusses the maternal relationships in William Shakespeare's Hamlet and Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. Specifically discussed are the Oedipal implications between Prince Hamlet and Queen Gertrude; between Jack Burden and his mother and its consequences on their lives and relationships with others. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: Shakwarr.wps

'Henry IV'(Part I) -- Shakespeare
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This 10 page report discusses the characters of Shakespeare's 'Henry IV, Part One' and illustrates how they provide contrast to one another in their creation of the larger world of the play. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: Henry14.wps

'Love's Labours Lost' / Character Of Berowne
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A 6 page research paper analyzing the character of Berowne, one of three Lords who agree with King Ferdinand to create a little "academe." They vow to accomplish this moral and intellectual development. Berowne is the only one reluctant to sign the agreement and the writer examines his rationale. Bibliography cites two sources.
Filename: Lovelabo.wps

'MacBeth' / General Analysis
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A 4 page paper that provides an overview of the major themes in one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. This paper contends that the play is effective because it demonstrates support for the themes of prophecy, heresy, guilt and temptation as significant elements in tragedy. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Macb.wps

'Measure For Measure' / Controlling Women
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This 7 page paper analyzes Shakespeare's play. The prevailing thesis is the avoidance and control of "mother" through the control of women. The writer demonstrates how all male characters, especially the Duke, control women and thus the mother figure or image throughout the text. Specific citations are offered in support of the thesis. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: Meafmeas.wps

'Measure For Measure' vs. 'Much Ado About Nothing'
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An 8 page paper comparing and contrasting these two plays by William Shakespeare. The writer examines the characters, plot, and atmosphere of each. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: Measure.wps

'Measure For Measure,' Act 2, Scene 4
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In 3 pages, the author analyzes in detail the soliloquy of Isabella when she is speaking to Angelo in Act 2, Scene 4 of "Measure for Measure" by William Shakespeare. The importance of the lines in relation to the theme of the play, and the imagery are discussed. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Mform.wps

'Romeo and Juliet' / Effects of Harmony and Disharmony
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A 6 page essay on the artistic means by which Shakespeare brings about harmony—or resolution of the message—in the play. The writer compares and contrasts Act II:1 and Act V:3 with the other scenes to show how harmony is brought about through symbolism, characterization and theme. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: Cnromjul.wps

'Romeo and Juliet' / Was it Love or Lust?
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A 5 page essay which examines whether this great love story reflected true love or the intense sexual attraction which is so often mistaken for love in Western culture. The writer demonstrates that Shakespeare intended for the audience to perceive that this consuming passion was the result of the extreme youth of the protagonists and that this was part of the tragedy. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Lovelust.wps

'The Merchant of Venice' / Deceptive Appearances
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A 5 page paper which examines the underlying theme of deceiving appearances that is present throughout William Shakespeare's classic comedy, The Merchant of Venice (1597).
Filename: TGmov.wps

'The Prodigal Hal' / Re-Writing Henry IV for the 1960's
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An 8 page paper examining the possibilities inherent in setting Henry IV, Part I in the 1960s instead of in the Elizabethan era. The paper examines settings, costuming, lighting, and music, and whether or not it would be advisable to update the dialogue at all. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Henry.wps

'The Tempest' vs. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
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A 7 page paper comparing and contrasting elements of the two plays. Comparisons on difficulties staging due to exotic locales of the plays, imagery, good v. evil. Contrasts on allegorical references in The Tempest. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Tempdrea.wps