Category: Literary Criticism

Jack creates an alternate identity in order to take a break from sides of his life that become straining. To further explain, when he is bored he leaves the country and goes to the city to help his pretend brother who he has named Ernest, this is the man Gwendolyn thinks she is marrying. Society…

The acquisition and maintenance of power within the political landscape are shaped by an individual’s compromise between private ambition and public image. William Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar (1599), is a study of a multitude of characters and their distinctive strategies for attaining power through their understanding of the nature of politics. Shakespeare explores this idiosyncratic…

The Lottery, a chilling short story written by Shirley Jackson, has long captivated readers with its haunting portrayal of a seemingly idyllic small town. This essay delves into the key elements that make The Lottery a thought-provoking literary piece. Exploring the significance of the setting, the tragic fate of Tessie Hutchinson, and its contribution to…

Electra is considered the best character drama in Sophocles. In his version of the play, Sophocles showed a detailed analysis of Electra’s ethics and motives. Unlike Euripides ‘Electra, Sophocles’ Electra emerged victorious from his efforts. He successfully avenged his father’s death without being completely engrossed in anger. One of the most obvious themes in the…

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written by the reigning poet of the sixteenth century by William Shakespeare. The play depicts a story of forbidden love from two opposing families, which ultimately results in catastrophe. Throughout the course of their romance, multiple forces influence the fates of these “star-crossed lovers”, contributing to their eventual…

Marriage as an essential for women to gain a favorable social standing is a common Austen theme. In Jane Austen’s era women were expected to settle in their households, they were very dependent on their partner’s income and financial status. Unlike any other woman, Jane Austen was well-raised and had a comprehensive education. Through her…

The catastrophic Greek tragedy, “Medea” deals with the maltreatment faced by the titular character and how such struggles can lead to immoral retributive acts. Medea challenges society’s paradigm of the typical woman who is a “timid creature” and a “coward” through her headstrong and opinionated character, thereby establishing herself as an exemplar for women. Moreover,…

Tone can be defined as the general character or attitude of a place, a piece of writing, a situation, etc. In literature, tone is the foundation of everything created; without it, there would be no mood, theme, characterization, or anything else involved in the makeup of a story. In the novel Lord of the Flies…

Reality is filled with an uneven balance of fate and free will, with free will being a stronger force. A person may have his or her life planned to the last second, but a random force may intervene and can affect the person’s future instantly. Some belief in destiny, claiming that our lives are predetermined…

Today, the name Oedipus is typically first associated with inappropriate familial relations. And with a name linked so closely to such a despicable action, many unfamiliar with Sophale’s Oedipus Rex imagine Oedipus must have been a man of no morals — given that he married his mother and slaughtered his father. But the play itself…