Literary terms

Elements of Drama

Act- each part of short performances in a play

Scene- a piece of on-going action in a play or film

Exposition- an explanatory introduction in a literary piece

Conflict- the struggle between characters, forces or ideas at the centre of a story

Complication- An intensification of the conflict in a story or play, Complication builds up, accumulates and develops the primary or central conflict in a literary work

Climax- the turning point of the action in the plot of a play or story, the climax represents the point of greatest tension in the work

Denouement- the resolution of the plot of a literary work

Peripeitia- the turning point of a drama after which the plot moves steadily to its denouement

Characterization- the means by which writers present and reveal characters

Protagonist- the main character of a literary work

Antagonist- a character or force against which another character struggles

Main plot- the focus of the story, the most important and focused on combination of series of events in a story

Sub plot- the series of events in story which help make up the main plot

Forms of Drama

Comedy- presents the misadventures of the characters as amusing rather than disastrous and provides a happy ending

History- of or concerned with history as a science

Tragedy- A serious play with a sad ending

Romance –A play focused on intimate relationship/relationships

Tragicomedy- a mixture of tragedy and comedy in a literary piece

Satire- the use of ridicule, sarcasm, irony etc. to expose, attack 

Theatre of the Absurd- theatrical style that originated in France in the late 1940’s and is based on existential philosophy. It revolves around the existence of a God which it portrays in its work

Modern Drama-

Mello Drama-

Features of Drama-

Monologue- an attempt to convey in words the process of consciousness or thought as a means of narrating a story

Dialogue- words spoken by the characters in a novel or play

Soliloquy- A speech in a play in which a character tells his/her thoughts to the audience as if talking to him or herself

Aside-a line spoken by an actor that the other characters on stage supposedly cannot hear, it usually shares the character’s inner thoughts with the audience

Sect-

Stage Directions- various written instructions in a play, telling the reader what the character is doing

Stage Conventions-

Chorus- a group of characters within a novel or play conversing in unity, giving the reader a preview of what is to come

Dramatic unities-

Disguise-

Literary Devices-

Imagery- refers to the figurative language in a piece of literature or all the words which refer to objects and qualities which appeal to the senses and feelings

Motif- a recurrent thematic element: word, image, symbol, object, phrase or action

Symbolism- is the use of things which represent something else by analogy or association

Traumatic irony-

Tragic irony-

Juxtaposition- a comparison, to put side by side or close together

Literary Contexts-

Social- of having to do with human beings living together as a groups in a situation which their dealings with one another affect their common well fare

Historical- of or concerned with history as a science

Political- of or concerned with government, the state of politics

Religious- characterized by adherence to a religion

Ethnic- designated or of a population, subgroup having a cultural heritage as distinguished by customs, characteristics, language common history etc.

Moral- a practical lesson about life, right and wrong conduct

Intellectual- the ability to reason or understand

Cultural- the training and refinement of the intellect, interest, taste, skills and arts

Hi my name is Claudene. I’m nineteen. I attended the Antigua Girls’ High School. My favourite TV show is Maury and I love volleyball but most importantly I’m single. This is the personal choice, I’ve made for roughly a year now and here’s why. Here’s my sad story of betrayal. When I was seventeen years old I met the most amazing guy. His name I’d rather not disclose. Anyway not only was he handsome and oozing with sex appeal but he was intelligent, caring, hardworking, gentle, kind everything you’d want in a guy. He was often very busy though but I understood because he had school, work, church and everything else. He was still a great boyfriend. However overtime as my love for him grew I began to demand to spend more time with him and that’s when things got strange. He wasn’t as touchy feely as I had wanted him to be. I often felt he was holding back but we were both Christians in church. I should have known better. Kissing and fondling would only lead to other things like sex which in our case would be fornication so I didn’t sweat it. We continued spending more and more time together but strangely enough it seemed like we were drifting more and more apart. I felt like there was only one more thing for me to do to try to save my relationship. One sunny afternoon after school I waited for him at his home and on that day I gave him my virginity. A month had passed after this and no matter how hard I tried there was no reaching him. He had left me for dead. He didn’t call me. He didn’t answer my calls so I went to extremes just to reach him. I contacted his mother who was nice enough to actually sympathize with me. She offered that I stay and wait for him until he came from work. I gladly accepted. I showed up at his house around 2’o clock. I must have been real desperate because 4’o clock showed up and I was still waiting so naturally I was bored. I decided to go and rest in his room. His mother didn’t mind but as soon as I entered his room curiosity immediately got the best of me and I began rummaging through all his stuff, looking at his baby pictures, books, tools everything until I found a very old torn up picture in between an old book in his draw. Have you ever had one of those moments that you know happened but to this day you wonder if you were just dreaming or just went mad for a split second? That is exactly what it felt like. My hand trembled as I held a picture of my boyfriend in a compromised position with one of his so called friends. Looking at the picture, it was obvious that this was much more than a friend. All I can truly remember was seeing the picture, looking at it again to make sure I wasn’t just losing my mind, dropping it, telling his mother goodbye, sweating and running down the road like I just witnessed a murder, heading straight to my bedroom, placing the pillow over my head and crying my brains out. I cried. I screamed. I trembled, I vomited, and I panicked. That day was the worst day of my life. I felt like a young girl who had just found out she was pregnant or had aids or a man who had just found out that his seventeen year old daughter wasn’t really his. I felt like I was going to die. And die I did. Yes I died that day. Well a piece of me at least. The piece of me that was able to love, to trust. The part of me that was capable of believing in love, romance and all its silly lies but do I regret it? No, absolutely not. Sure it’s a painful memory and a shameful one of course but I didn’t catch aids or got pregnant for that nasty fagot but I learnt a valuable lesson that I intend to carry out throughout my entire life. Trust no one. 

Have you ever been betrayed and realized that you misunderstood the situation?

Now I’m a very territorial person. If something or someone is mine then their mine. This includes family and friends as well. And if someone is a family or friend then it is impossible for anyone to hurt or take advantage of them once I am alive, aware and able of stopping that from happening. One of the persons I feel that way about is my cousin who is actually more like a sister since we live together and practically grew up together which is why I felt proud to know that I introduced her to her very first boyfriend who I judged to be a pretty decent guy. Just as I predicted, he was the perfect boyfriend for her, treated her like an absolute queen for at least five months before he rose my suspicions. Wait a minute. Wasn’t this the guy

Difficult Marriages

          Marriage is very important to the characters of the book, "Much Ado About Nothing." Therefore it is also one of the major themes identifiable within the book. These marriages, however, lack the very essence which would qualify them as being good marriages. They are therefore classified as being difficult marriages. One such marriage in the book is the union of Mr and Mrs Bennet. In this essay the reasons and effects such difficult marriages will be analyzed and the question of it is acceptable by society to stay married for the sake of the children will be answered.
          Within marriage the ones involved must firstly truly love each other. Secondly their personalities must be agreeable. In the book "Pride and Prejudice", the charaters seem to be unconcerned with any of these important and essential factors. Their main concern is solely getting married. This causes many problems within the book. One such problem is the unhappiness experienced by Mr Bennet who is married to Mrs Bennet. It is obvious from reading the book that the two are far from being a match. Being married to the wrong person can cause a life of misery which Mr Bennet seems to secretly experience everyday from being married to Mrs Bennet. Elizabeth seems to notice this and fears the same thing for herself which is why she doesn't rush the issue of marriage. Another disadvantage of forced and rushed marriages is the fact that both individuals sadly miss out on experiencing true love.
           Children are certainly negatively affected by difficult marriages. Mr and Mrs Bennet fail to set a good example for their children on love and marriage. They are not taught the value of true love and just view marriage as an opportunity to gain financial security. In today's society persons no longer accept the torture of being in unsuccessful and unhappy marriages. Divorce rates have gone through the roof. I also disagree with staying in a marriage just for the benefit of the children as they are more likely to be negatively affected by unhappy parents who always argue often and even fight in the presence of the children.
             Therefore before considering marrying someone the person should get to know that individual so that they can then begin building a happy home for themselves and their children. This is what the characters in the book fail to realize and exercise in their daily lives and result in the breakdown of their relationships and households.

Character Sketches

The book, "Pride and Prejudice" has quite an interesting cast of characters. Some of these include Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet, Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, Jane, Elizabeth and Mr Collins which will be the focus of my literary sketches.

Mr Bennet-  Mr Bennet is sarcastic and his character is one of a calm and laid back disposition. He is the husband of Mrs Bennet and the father of five girls. Unlike Mrs Bennet he isn't the least bit concerned with marrying off his daughters but instead enjoys his quiet and simple life.

Mrs Bennet- Mrs Bennet's character is one which depicts a mother who is obsessed with ensuring that all her daughters are married rather quickly. She almost seems to be unconcerned with the consequences of trying to marry them all off in such haste. Her personality is rather irritating and she isn't the least bit thoughtful or considerate of the way she agitates people. Mrs Bennet, unlike Mr Bennet is in no way a calm personality but instead is a nervous wreak.

Mr Darcy-  Mr Darcy is portrayed as proud and arrogant yet deep inside he is actually a genuine and considerate individual. He is a quiet person who would rather indulge in activities involving himself than socializing with others. He is also very critical of others.

Mr Bingley- Mr Bingley is a nice and warm individual who is very sociable and approchable. Unlike Mr Darcy he enjoys outings which involve socializing with others.

Jane-  Jane is a peaceful and simple character who doesn't find pleasing her mother at any cost, the elast bit difficult. She is agreeable and somewhat of a sweetheart unlike Elizabeth who is outspoken and defensive.

Elizabeth- Elizabeth is outspoken and opinionated. She is the favourite daughter of Mr Bennet and seemingly the more independent thinking daughter of all her sisters. She is also very considerate and protective of her sisters.

Mr Collins-  Mr collins is the cousin of Mr Bennet. He is also the heir to collect Mr Bennet's fortune in case of his death. Similar to Mr Bingley, Mr Collins is seemingly goodhearted. He offers to marry one of Mr Bennet's daughters as compensation for inheriting Mr Bennet's wealth. Mrs Bennet sees this as a very generous offer.

Essay on "Betrayal" in "Much Ado About Nothing"

3. Betrayal is a theme introduced at the very beginning of this play. How does this constant stream of betrayal affect the outcome of the plot, and which characters are most affected by it?
           
            Betrayal plays a very vital and important role in the book,"Much Ado About Nothing". Betrayal is defined as treachery or disloyalty which is delivered to someone of close relation. In this essay you will see how betrayal is displayed in the book as well as its affects on the characters and outcome of the plot.
              In the book Don John betrays his brother because of the jealousy and hatred he feels for Don Pedro. Don John envies his brother, Don Pedro for many reasons, one of them being his position. Don Pedro is the prince of Arragon. As the bastard brother, Don John doesn't feel as if he ever got a fair chance of obtaining a title of such respect and prestige. Not only is he jealous of his brother but he also feels rejected by Don Pedro. This too causes him to feel the need to bring shame on Don Pedro. Perhaps it is also Don John's way of redeeming himself. As Don Pedro's bastard brother he mostlikely is made to feel like an outsider, an outcast or someone of no relevence or importance. Therefore Don John's evil plan to dishonour Don Pedro may be his way of restoring honour back to himself. In conclusion Don John's plan of betrayal was one fueled by a deep sense of rejection as well as a desparate need for Don John to be in his brother's place.
          Don John's plan of betrayal has an undeniable affect on nearly all of the cast of "Much Ado About Nothing". His evil plan particularly affects Hero and Claudio in quite a significant way. In addition, Leonato, Don Pedro, Beatrice, Antonio and even Bennedick are affected as a result of Don John's actions. Infact, almost the entire play is based on Don John's plan to humiliate Don Pedro. However Don John plans to do this by using Claudio,Don John's right hand man, making Claudio Don John's direct and actual victim. With the help of Borrachio, Don John devises a plan to trick Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero has been unfaithful to Claudio. Magaret is also involved with this plan. Magaret, Hero's gentlewoman is in Hero's room, dressed in her clothes and having passionate sex with Borrachio who cunningly yells out Hero's name while he and Magaret are being intimate. Meanwhile Don John lures Claudio in to witness the act. Ofcourse Claudio immediately beleives that Magaret is indeed Hero and he is furious. Claudio is therefore majorly affected by Don John's plan. He feels betryed,hurt, angry and devastated at the thought that Hero has cheated on him. Don Pedro is also filled with immense anger, not only towards Hero but towards Leonato as well. At the beginning of the play we see that they are both quite very fond of each other. However Don John's plan has now not only damanged but has destroyed their great freindship forever. This is how Don Pedro is even more negatively affected by the plan.
          Hero's cousin, Beatrice is also overwelmed and left devastated by the situation. She loves and cares for her cousin deeply. Therefore the fact that Hero had been so dishonoured plays negatively on her emotions. Beatrice is so upset that she forces Bennedick to avenge her sister's downfall. The love Bennedick feels for Beatrice automatically causes him to feel a deep sense of pity for her cousin, Hero. When asked by Beatrice if he will fight for Hero's honour he is reluctant but on seeing how deeply this had hurt his love, Beatrice he is willing to do anything to put her mind at rest. Therefore Bennedick too, becomes involved in this unfortunate tragedy. Futhermore Leonato is extremely upset when Hero is accused of being unfaithful. Not only is Hero's reputation ruined but being her father, Leonato's reputation is somewhat tainted as well. In conclusion Don John majorly impacts each and every character within the play. He made it necessary for the existence of the police in the book as well as villans which were his faithful allies and partners in crime.
             Ultimately Don John makes the ending of the play an even happier one when the major problems are resolved and everyone is content. Hero and Claudio are finally married at the end of the play and their wonderful day is all the more enjoyable, knowing all that they have been through. The villans receive punishment and everyone is estatic when Don John's doings finally catch up with him. In conclusion, betrayal  is a very important aspect of the book, "Much Ado About Nothing". This is seen in how the characters are affected it as well as the the directiontaken by the play.

Humour in "Much Ado About Nothing"

         The book "Much Ado About Nothing" is a perfectly remarkable example of  a Shakesperean comedy. A Shakesperean comedy is defined as one which has a happy ending. It is also of a lighthearted atmosphere and involves marriages between characters. Ironically Shakesperean comedy is also described as having much tension and conflict between characters within the play, ofetn within Families. These are all evident in the book. Witty banter and sarcasm are also some of the humorous techniques seen used by Shakespere in "Much Ado About Nothing". Deception and  reunion among many other examples are found in the book"Much Ado About Nothing" and proves it as a classic Shakesperean comedy.
        However there are more forms of humour found in the book which is much more obvious, easy to understand and laughable than the ones I've previously explained especially in the actions of Dogberry and Verges. Dogberry and his deputy Verges are both seemingly serious about their work but to the reader they are quite ridiculously funny. Dogberry has difficulty pronouncing words just right. This is always a belly jerker. Despite their poor detective skills, they manage to solve the crime. This is done deliberately by Shakespere to have a humorous effect as it is obvious that they happened to do this by mistake. Conclusively, the policemen are comedians due to their unintelligence and unawareness.

Summary of acts 1,2 and 3

    In act 2 Leonato, Beatrice,Antonio and Hero discuss Don John's melancholic ways as well as the hostility shown by Beatrice towards the male gender. Later they all gather at the party or festival rather where Antonio parties with Ursula. Meanwhile Margaret joins Balthasar. But most importantly Don Pedro woos for Hero for Claudio. Leonato tells tells Hero that she must accept the propasal of marriage from Don John if presented to her.







In act three Hero tells Ursula and Margaret the plan that she wishes to execute. The plan concerns Beatrice. It is to be the completion or the second half of Don Pedro's plan. Although Ursula and Hero are really the main ones in this plot, Margaret is still very much important as she is the one who lures Beatrice to where Ursula and Hero are. In this plot they sp[eak of Bennedick in a way for Beatrice to hear them. They speak the best ofn things about Bennedick but most importantly they talk of Bennedick's love for Beatrice which isn't actually true but rather a trick to fool Beatrice into thinking that Bennedick loves her so that she could in turn beleive and love him in return.
         Later on in act three, scene two Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato are discussing Bennedick. They take notice of his behavior changes, hoping that he is indeed in love. They notice that Bennedick is now paying more attention to grooming himself and is happier. It is also in act three, scene two that Don John goes to Don Pedro and Claudio, tellign them that Hero is disloyal and then leading them to the window where Borachio pretends to be having sex with Hero. This isn't actually Hero but Magaret, disguised as Hero.