Thursday, May 5, 2011

William Shakespeare: Alive Forever

William Shakespeare is "considered the most influential and prolific writer of English language [and] remains the world's most produced play write four hundred years after he penned his final text (the acting company)." He has focused his life's work on placing hidden meanings and life lessons into his plays, hoping that the audience/ readers will find them. Though Shakespeare died "April 23, 1616," he is not forgotten. He lives on through his plays (Gale biography in context). Teachers and students teach, preform, and read his works. Therefore, as long as Shakespeare's works are being preformed, he will live forever.Through plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare has warned humanity of their own possible flaws.Shakespeare produced enjoyable stories that everyone can learn something from and i think that was what has made his a great play write. Shakespeare was honest and straightforward in his plays yet created a sense of pleasure in them. With plays so enjoyable and inspiring, and words so wise, its hard to deny that Shakespeare has created a huge effect on society. i believe that everyone can learn a lesson from any of his plays and apply it to their own life. Shakespeare may no longer be physically living, but he will always live on through his works.



Sources:


http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&disableHighlighting=true&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=GALE%7C00000000MPVT&documentId=GALE%7CK1631005993&mode=view

Picture Source:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/4957917/Painting-thought-to-be-the-first-portrait-of-William-Shakespeare-done-in-his-lifetime.html

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Romeo and Juliet: True Love

Love is the worlds greatest source of passion. Everyone is capable of love and everyone can have true love. Though love is a good emotion, it is also one of the biggest human flaws. When one is in love, they will do anything to be with this person. They have no concern for the number of rules of morals that are broken as long as they can be with the one they truely love. Some take their actions from defying parents and friends to committing suicide. Shakespeare describes the power of love and the affect it has, through one of the greatest love stories of all of mankind. Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet takes the reader/audience through the relationship between Romeo and Juliet. We are shown love and hate, passion and committment, and finally, we are shown true love and true sacrifice.
Is it possible that love at fist sight really exists? That there are such forces such as fate, that compell a person to find true love and never let go no matter what the cercumstance may become? The answers to these questions are found in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The Capulets and the Montegues are natural enemies. The hate between these two families run deep, but fate would have it that Romeo (a Montegue) and Juliet (a Capulet) are the rare exception to the hate. The moment that Romeo sees Juliet at the Masquerade he knows she is the one and asks "Did my heart love till now? Forswearit, sight, for i ne'er saw true beauty till this night (Shakespeare, 53)." Romeo and Juliet rebell against all who stand in the way of their love, betrataying their loyalties to family.
Romeo and Juliet show what true love is when they are dealing with all these adversities and yet they still hold on and fight to protect their love. Of course, the two housholds were completely against the idea of Romeo and Juliet being together but Romeo and Juliet didnt care. The two lovers felt that they couldnt live without one another and that they would do whatever it takes to be together even if it killed them. Juliet fakes a death to escape her family, but Romeo is unaware. When he finds his love "dead", he decides to take his own life, swollowing poison he had bought for the apothecary. Juliet awakens from her sleep to find her dear Romeo laying lifeless beside her. Her love for Romeo is so deep that qithout hesitation, she takes his dagger and ends her life.
Shakespeare has shown the reader/sundience that true love is a powerful thing and it is to be taken seriously. He shws exactly what true love is, through the journey of Romeo and Juliet. Fate also plays as a major theme in Romeo and Juliet. It is fate that Romeo and Juliet, who were born as enemies, would meet and fall in love. It is decided by fate that the only way for Romeo and Juliet to truely be together is through death. Not even death can seperate true love and the two "star-crosssed lovers take their life" in an attempt of happiness together (Shakespeare, 35). True love can be described as a human flaw because it is the most powerful emotion. Love trumps all and if it is real, then there is no stopping it. Love makes people do crazy things and it would appear that when a person is in love, they are no longer living for themself; they are living for the other person, only wishing for their happiness. When someone is in love, they show weakness. People will do anything and everything for true love, even if it is what eventually leads to their downfall in the end.


Sources:

Shakespeare, William. Act I, Scene 5. 2000. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Cedric Watts. Ware: Wordsworth Classics, 2000. 53. Print.

Shakespeare, William. "The Prologue." Foreword. Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Cedric Watts. Ware: Wordsworth Classics, 2000. 35. Print.


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