Writing Style of William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely considered one of the greatest writers in the English language. His works are known for their complexity, depth of character, and exploration of human emotion, and have had a profound influence on literature, theatre, and culture.

Shakespeare's writing is characterized by its use of language and its exploration of universal themes such as love, jealousy, revenge, and ambition. He is known for his ability to create complex, multidimensional characters who struggle with moral and ethical dilemmas, and his plays often delve into the human psyche and the intricacies of human relationships.

Many writers and literary critics have offered various perspectives on William Shakespeare and his works. While some have praised his writing as masterful and insightful, others have offered critiques and criticisms of his style and portrayal of certain characters.

For example, the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge famously praised Shakespeare's ability to create complex and lifelike characters, calling him a "myriad-minded" genius. Similarly, the Victorian critic A.C. Bradley lauded Shakespeare's exploration of the human psyche and his ability to create sympathetic and relatable characters.

On the other hand, some have criticized Shakespeare's portrayal of women and minority groups in his plays. The feminist writer Virginia Woolf, for example, argued that Shakespeare's female characters were often one-dimensional and lacked agency, while the postcolonial theorist Edward Said pointed out the problematic representations of non-European characters in plays such as "Othello" and "The Tempest."

Overall, opinions on Shakespeare and his writing are varied and diverse, reflecting the complexity and richness of his works. While some may offer criticisms of his portrayal of certain groups or characters, it is important to acknowledge his lasting influence on literature, theatre, and culture.

The theme of the play Macbeth

The theme of the play Macbeth: Macbeth is a tragic play by William Shakespeare that explores the corrupting nature of ambition and the consequences of unchecked power. This timeless play is still relevant today, with its themes of greed and the corrupting influence of power still resonating with modern audiences.

The play tells the story of Macbeth, a Scottish nobleman who is told by three witches that he will become king. Driven by ambition and encouraged by his wife, Lady Macbeth, he murders King Duncan and seizes the throne. However, his actions lead to a chain of further murders and a descent into paranoia and guilt.

The theme of ambition is central to the play, with Macbeth's lust for power ultimately leading to his downfall. His desire to become king consumes him, causing him to lose his sense of morality and humanity. This theme is particularly relevant in modern society, where the pursuit of power and wealth can lead individuals to make unethical and immoral choices.

Moreover, Macbeth is a tale about the corrupting influence of power. As Macbeth gains more power, he becomes increasingly tyrannical, causing unrest and rebellion among his subjects. This theme is also relevant in contemporary society, where many individuals in positions of power abuse their authority, leading to social and political upheaval.

The play also explores the consequences of actions, particularly those that are unethical or immoral. Macbeth's actions lead to a chain of events that ultimately result in his downfall. This theme is particularly relevant in modern society, where unethical behavior can have far-reaching consequences, not only for the individual but also for society as a whole.

In conclusion, Macbeth is a timeless play that explores the corrupting influence of ambition and power. Its themes are still relevant today, with the pursuit of power and wealth leading many individuals to make unethical and immoral choices. By examining the consequences of actions and the corrupting influence of power, the play serves as a cautionary tale for modern society.

Meditative qualities in Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey

“Lines composed a few miles above Tintern Abbey” was written by William Wordsworth after a walking tour with his sister in this section of the Welsh Borders. This poem is regarded as a conversion poem with tightly structured blank verse.

The form of nature which involves the readers to go in deep thought and bring relaxation that is called the meditative qualities. In this poem the poet has expressed his memories, natural scenario and beauty in some forms which take the reader into meditation.

“Five years have past; five summers, with the length

Of five long winters! and again I hear

These waters, rolling from their mountain-springs

With a soft inland murmur.—Once again “

These lines expressing the flow of time. After five years have passed, five summers, five long winters the poet is back to this place of natural beauty and serenity. But it is still like the past place where he had visited five years ago. The repetition of the word ‘five’ makes the weight of time which has divided the poet from this scene. The following lines develop a clear, visual picture of the scent. It seems that he can see the entirely natural beauties. He can see the hedges around the fields of the people; and he can see wreaths of smoke probably coming from some hermits making fire in their cave. These images are a pure nature and they illustrate a life of the common people in phenomena with the nature.

“May I behold in thee what I was once,

My dear, dear Sister! and this prayer I make,

Knowing that Nature never did betray

The heart that loved her; 'tis her privilege,”

Here the poet speaks to his younger sister. He gives advice about what he has learnt. He says that he can hear the voice of his own youth when he hears her sister’s speak. He is blessed that he can see his own youthful image in her. He says that nature has never betrayed his heart. That is why they had been living from joy to joy. Nature can impress the mind with quietness and beauty. It feed the mind with live thoughts. The man who is in contact with nature he cannot do any crime. So these lines also continue with the same meditation.

“These beauteous forms,

Through a long absence, have not been to me

As is a landscape to a blind man's eye:

But oft, in lonely rooms, and 'mid the din

Of towns and cities, I have owed to them,

In hours of weariness, sensations sweet,

Felt in the blood, and felt along the heart;”

These ‘beauteous’ forms have always been with him and it is inborn in his mind. This image has been affects his whole being. They were not absent from his mind like form the mind of a man born blind. In hours of weariness, frustration of nature used to make him feel sweet sensations in his very blood. He used to feel it at the level of the heartbeat.

Thus, to Wordsworth nature is a kind of meditation with the other elements as well.

Sin, Punishment & Redemption - The Scarlet Letter

The sin, punishment, and redemption are most clearly illuminated by Hester Prynne.  First, she commits the sin of adultery.  Her husband never arrived from Europe, and though he is believed to be dead (since he's been missing for two years), his death has not and cannot be confirmed.  Therefore, since he could still be alive, Hester has technically committed adultery, and her sinfulness is betrayed by her pregnancy. 

Hester is punished for her sin with a little jail time, a shaming on the scaffold, and the rule that she wear the scarlet A on her chest at all times.  This letter seems to cast a spell around her, separating her from everyone else.  Even in crowds, a little magic circle seems to be drawn about her, and people keep out of a certain radius.  This punishment affects her daughter as well -- other children will not play with her.  Sometimes, they throw mud at Hester and Pearl, and sometimes Hester walks in to Sunday services to find that she is the subject of the sermon.  In addition to her scarlet A, Hester essentially endures the life of an outcast; there is, once, even talk of taking her daughter away from her.  Even the poor folk to whom she gives her extra money and food spit insults at her when they see her.

Hawthorne's suggestion, which is made through this illustrative logical circle of sin -- self -- others, is that redemption for one's sin originates in knowledge of and understanding of one's self to such a depth that its natural extension is to know and understand humanity. Hawthorne implies that such knowledge and understanding leads to an embrace of others. This is sharply contrasted to the Puritan community's practice of expelling humanity, such as Hester, when humanity in the form of the individual is caught in sin. Further, Hawthorne suggests that the embrace of humanity via the individual other leads from redemption to the renewal of purity, a purity that is opposite of the Puritan community's hollow, meaningless purity -- which is the purity of expulsion.

Officially, Hester can never really be redeemed by the laws of her community; however, she seems to redeem herself in the eyes of her community if not its laws.  The more Hester ministers to the sick and the grieved, people begin to whisper that her "A" now stands for angel instead of adulterer.  They begin to call her "our Hester," and to take a sort of pride in her good works.  She has clearly atoned for her sin. 

In the end The scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world's scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence, too."