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    Lucifer

    • better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven
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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The opening scene of Macbeth sets the narrative and theme for the entire drama. It has the three witches determining their reunion on a battlefield to manipulate the returning war hero, Macbeth. They reveal their plan to cause much confusion and chaos in his life by clouding the ability to differentRead more

    The opening scene of Macbeth sets the narrative and theme for the entire drama. It has the three witches determining their reunion on a battlefield to manipulate the returning war hero, Macbeth. They reveal their plan to cause much confusion and chaos in his life by clouding the ability to differentiate between goo and evil.

    The setting itself is dark with thundering clouds and strong winds. It creates an atmosphere of dread, suspicion and misfortune that is continuous through the following acts.

    The idiom suggested by fair and foul and a layer of fog between them introduces the audiences to the central idea of the drama which is the dark outcome of lust for political power and selfish ambition.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Candida is the eponymous protagonist of the play Candida by GB Shaw. The word Candid means frank and so she is. Right from the beginning, we can understand how caring and wise she is. In scene 1, she comes to her own home from her parents’ home to take children’s winter clothes. Finding everything iRead more

    Candida is the eponymous protagonist of the play Candida by GB Shaw. The word Candid means frank and so she is. Right from the beginning, we can understand how caring and wise she is. In scene 1, she comes to her own home from her parents’ home to take children’s winter clothes. Finding everything in on ordered condition, she begins arranging all the things.

    In the play she is depicted as strong which is on contrary to the traditional belief that men are strong and bold and women are weak. In this way, the play questions the discrimination with the women on the basis of gender.

    Shaw has tried to change the gender roles to show the strength of woman. James Morell, Candida’s husband is a clergyman who considers himself to be ideal husband because he believes that Candida is dependent on him. But later on it becomes clear that Candida is not dependent on him. She can sustain herself and has ample of other opportunities (like marrying Eugene Marchbanks).

    During the auction scene, it is Candida who decides to live with James and not because she cannot live without him but because he cannot live without her.

    On the other hand, James Morell is weaker and less wise than Candida. He is totally dependent on her and cannot live without her. As an emancipated or new woman, Candida can be considered to be the ideal of Victorian Era.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Problem play takes up important issues of the society using the way of conversation between the characters or actors in the play before the audience. These characters express different ideas which clash with each other. These clashing ideas help the audience and the readers to understand the issue aRead more

    Problem play takes up important issues of the society using the way of conversation between the characters or actors in the play before the audience. These characters express different ideas which clash with each other. These clashing ideas help the audience and the readers to understand the issue and reach a solution on their own.

    In Pygmalion by GB Shaw, Professor Henry Higgins makes Cockney speaking flower girl Eliza Doolittle to master English. He succeeds in doing so within six months. Eliza succeeds in learning English and can speak it fluently. However, the rise in her standard because of her language now becomes a problem for her.

    She develops the feeling of love for Professor Higgins but the latter remains cold to it. She can neither live with him nor she can go back to flower-selling business. Having no choice she has to marry Freddy, a poor and petty man.

    This is what a person who is poor and uneducated feels when he suddenly becomes rich and literate. Hence it is a problem play. The playwright leaves it to the audience to decide what Eliza should have done.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Othello’s confession of his guilt and knowledge of his vulnerability to jealousy and hearsay provides the cathartic moment of the play. When Othello learns how he was manipulated by Iago and driven by his own insecurities and envy in smothering the love of his life he realises his blunder as well reRead more

    Othello’s confession of his guilt and knowledge of his vulnerability to jealousy and hearsay provides the cathartic moment of the play.

    When Othello learns how he was manipulated by Iago and driven by his own insecurities and envy in smothering the love of his life he realises his blunder as well recognises the truthfulness and fidelity of Desdemona.

    He accepts his downfall and honours himself with the only proportionate punishment, his own end. The audience learn that emotions like jealousy can affect anyone and sometimes they can mislead even the best of us like brave and venerable Othello.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Morality is the guiding force that helps man evaluate his actions and even thoughts. The same is what Macbeth struggles from when he decides to commit murder in pursuit of power. It is immoral and against his innate sense of justice and natural values. However, once he silences the call of moralityRead more

    Morality is the guiding force that helps man evaluate his actions and even thoughts. The same is what Macbeth struggles from when he decides to commit murder in pursuit of power.

    It is immoral and against his innate sense of justice and natural values. However, once he silences the call of morality and becomes slave to his and his wife’s lustful ambition, his whole life becomes unstable. Even though he gets the crown, he never gets any peace, happiness or security.

    The moral guilt of his crimes destroys his family as his wife loses her sanity and eventually her life. After her death, he turns even more restless and desperate and finally meets his painful end.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    The last scene of the play Candida holds significant role in its development. James Morells, Candida’s husband is a clergyman. Initially he thinks that Candida is dependent on her and he is an ideal person. However as soon as Eugene Marchbanks enters the plot, he begins feeling insecure. Eugene makeRead more

    The last scene of the play Candida holds significant role in its development. James Morells, Candida’s husband is a clergyman. Initially he thinks that Candida is dependent on her and he is an ideal person. However as soon as Eugene Marchbanks enters the plot, he begins feeling insecure.

    Eugene makes him realise that he is not capable of being the husband of Candida. It is Eugene himself who should have her husband. Ultimately he gives up the hope of keep Candida with himself and gives her a choice to either run away or live with him.

    Thus Candida is auctioned. This is a satire on the society. Candida, as a woman holds no significance though she is an independent woman. She then makes it clear to Morell that she will live with her because he needs her.

    In Victorian Era, due to the emergence of feminism and empowerment, the women began to question the established authority of patriarchy. In the auction scene, Candida also questions the belief that she has to depend either on Eugene or Morell.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Peripeteia according to Aristotle is the moment when the fortunes of the tragic hero turns for the worse and spell the beginning of is eventual doom. In Othello, this happens in Act III. Scene III, when Othello decides to believe the lies of Iago regarding an affair between his wife Desdemona and trRead more

    Peripeteia according to Aristotle is the moment when the fortunes of the tragic hero turns for the worse and spell the beginning of is eventual doom. In Othello, this happens in Act III.

    Scene III, when Othello decides to believe the lies of Iago regarding an affair between his wife Desdemona and trusted friend Cassio, Consumed with jealousy, he chooses to trust Iago over his beloved Desdemona and her pleas of innocence.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Hamlet juxtaposes an interesting narrative of power where male characters are seen vying for power or abusing it while female characters are seen subjected and dis-empowered. Claudius is determine to hold on to political power while Polonius desires power over his daughter Ophelia and son Laertees.Read more

    Hamlet juxtaposes an interesting narrative of power where male characters are seen vying for power or abusing it while female characters are seen subjected and dis-empowered.

    Claudius is determine to hold on to political power while Polonius desires power over his daughter Ophelia and son Laertees. Hamlet understands his lack of power against Claudius but abuses his position of power against both his mother Gertrude and lover Ophelia.

    In the climax, both Hamlet and Laertes are seen contesting for power over the legacy of dead Ophelia claiming to love her deeply. Even the Norwegian king Fortinbras shows a lust for power and finally succeeds in conquering Denmark.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Othello by Shakespeare is interwoven with various themes that make the text more interesting and. Shakespeare has skilfully employed these themes that provide a strong structure and base to the story. Adultery Adultery is an underlying theme throughout the story. The female protagonist of the play iRead more

    Othello by Shakespeare is interwoven with various themes that make the text more interesting and. Shakespeare has skilfully employed these themes that provide a strong structure and base to the story.

    Adultery

    Adultery is an underlying theme throughout the story. The female protagonist of the play is wrongly accused of committing adultery. She receives cruel treatment from Othello, her husband and her character is put under suspicion from the very beginning of the story.

    Race

    Othello is one of the most initial black heroes. He rises to power in a white people dominated society and ultimately gets caught in a web created by their trickeries. Othello is treated in a condescending manner by his wife’s father who believes that such a racially different marriage can only be a result of witchcraft and trickery.

    Gender

    Antagonistic treatment of women highlights the gender biased society of that time. A woman like Desdemona is entirely helpless irrespective of her numerous efforts to prove her innocence. Women are treated with cruelty and hostility throughout the story.

    Manipulation

    This is the most major theme of the story as the play revolves around the manipulation of almost all character of the story. Othello is manipulated to the extent of killing his own wife. Rodrigo, too, falls victim to manipulation. Secondary characters like Emilia are also influenced to contribute to the tragic ending of the story.

    Jealousy

    Theme of Jealousy also plays an important role in the play. Rodrigo, who wanted to marry Desdemona, gets jealous of Othello and desires to kill Othello. Iago is also angry with Othello because he has promoted Cassio above him and he is jealous of it. Othello becomes jealous of Cassio when he mistakes him to be in affair with his wife.

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    Lucifer

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    Lucifer better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven

    Problem play is a genre of drama which takes up important social issues by using arguments among the characters in the play on the stage. These characters express clashing ideas that help the audience and the readers to understand the issue and reach a solution on their own. It must be noted that inRead more

    Problem play is a genre of drama which takes up important social issues by using arguments among the characters in the play on the stage. These characters express clashing ideas that help the audience and the readers to understand the issue and reach a solution on their own.

    It must be noted that in a problem play, the playwright never gives a solution. It is left to the audience to understand the situations and bring out a solution.

    Candida by GB Shaw is a Domestic Play. The playwright takes up an issue which is prevalent in society but not discussed. It is the Woman’s Question.

    The protagonist Candida is the wife of James Morell, a famous clergyman who delivers the sermons of morality to the people. He believes that he is an ideal husband and treats his wife well and she cannot live without him.

    However, ironically Morell himself is dependent on Candida and cannot live without her. It is Candida who takes care of all his needs and even the household things. In the play, Candida is not portrayed as a helpless or a traditional “distressed damsel” but as a new woman.

    She is wiser than her husband. She knows all the weaknesses of her husband still pretends to be dependent on him. Her husband who with the intervention of Eugene Marchbanks, comes to know about his love for her, starts fearing of losing her. Being insecure and helpless, he gives choice to Candida to either live with him to go with Eugene.

    Candida being an understanding woman decides to live with him. Hence though Morell is incapable of being her husband and she secretly loves Eugene, she has to live with her husband. Thus this is not a solution. It is left to the audience to decide what would she have done and what it would have resulted.

    Read the summary of Candida here.

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