William Shakespeare

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

Discuss the structure of the play. How do the quick scene changes affect the plot?

In sheer number of scenes, Antony and Cleopatra outstrips all other Shakespearean plays. Act V, scene ii, the longest scene in the play, is a mere 356 lines, a modest length compared to scenes in Shakespeare’s other tragedies. The shortness of the scenes compresses our sense of both space and time. First, geographically speaking, the

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All's Well That Ends Well

Character in All’s Well That Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Helena – The play’s heroine. The orphan daughter of a great doctor, she is the ward of the Countess of Rousillon, and hopelessly in love with the Countess’ son, Bertram. Her good qualities are attested to by nearly every character in the play, and events prove her a resourceful and determined woman, who is not easily discouraged

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All's Well That Ends Well

Discuss the generational differences in All’s Well That Ends Well

Few of Shakespeare’s works offer such a sharp contrast between two generations. The older characters in the play are haunted by death–the Countess has lost a husband and is aging herself; Helena’s father has passed away; Lafew is infirm; Diana’s mother is, appropriately enough, a Widow; and the King is near death as the play

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All's Well That Ends Well

Summary of All’s Well That Ends Well | William Shakespeare

Bertram, the son of a widowed countess sets off from Roussilon with his friend, Parolles, and the Lord Lafeu, to the French court. He is the ward of the French king. He is unaware that Helena, orphan daughter of the countess’ physician, raised in the household of the countess, is in love with him. The countess

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Reconcile Macbeth’s prompt of killing Duncan, and his refusal to carry the bloody daggers back.

Answer: Macbeth is restrained from the murder of Duncan by the power of a sensitive conscience, working through imaginary terrors. Notwithstanding the assuring prophecy of the Weird Sisters, he is still haunted by the dreadful fear of the unknown, possible consequence. Immediately after the murder, conscience is still more active, and he cannot bring himself to

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Why Does Macbeth Change His Mind About Killing King Duncan?

At end of Act I, Macbeth declares, “I am settled, and bend up/Each corporal agent to this terrible feat” (I, vii, ll.79-80). Given the witches’ prediction that he will become Scotland’s king, we have ample reason to believe that Macbeth and his partner in regicide, Lady Macbeth, will succeed in their enterprise of murdering Duncan.

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