Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers in the English language and his works continue to be studied and enjoyed around the world. From his tragic plays, such as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth, to his comedic works, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest, Shakespeare’s plays are known for their powerful language, complex characters, and timeless themes. As a result, many students are tasked with writing essays on Shakespeare and his plays.
To help students understand and appreciate Shakespeare’s works, we have compiled a collection of example essays that explore different aspects of his plays. These essays cover a range of topics, such as the use of language and imagery in Shakespeare’s works, the portrayal of gender and sexuality, and the role of fate and free will in his plays. By examining these essays, students can gain insight into the literary techniques and themes in Shakespeare’s works and learn how to approach their own essays on Shakespeare.
You can also find essays sorted into Shakespeare’s most popular plays in these sections:
Sub-questions: How did Shakespeare influence modern theatre? What influence did Shakespeare have on modern literature? What are the relations between Shakespeare’s works and modern film adaptations? Shakespeare is one of the most popular dramatists and poets the Western world has ever produced. One could argue that Shakespeare was not of an age, but for all … Read more
Introduction William Shakespeare, often regarded as one of the greatest playwrights in the English language, masterfully explored the human condition through his works. Central to many of his plays is the theme of suffering, which profoundly shapes the destinies and psyches of his characters. Suffering in Shakespeare’s plays is not merely a plot device but … Read more
Renaissance Theatre was heavily influenced by Greek Theatre in regard to the rules and methods used in their plays. Even though both periods are similar, such as having no scenery and all actors being male etc. There are also many differences regarding the motives behind the performances and what was shown on stage. Greek Theatre … Read more
Diego Garcia Aldo Demesa English 1B Ms Viernes Jan 9 2019 Shakespeare and Elizabeth England Webquest 1. How much do we know about Shakespeare’s life? Why? Many things from Shakespeare’s life remain as a mystery or gaps within his life because there are only to reliable sources over his life. This sources are his own … Read more
The arguments presented in this extract from Lisa Jardine’s ‘Introduction to Still Harping on Daughters 1989’, is one that suggests that female characters in Shakespeare’s plays, subvert the existing views on women in society in late 16th and 17th century. Jardine exclaims that views concerning the position of women in society were well understood and … Read more
Sean Li, Alex Liu Doring Sophomore English Honors 13 February 2019 Othello Webquest Sean Li: One interesting fact was that the 46th word from Psalm in the King James Bible was “shake” and the 46th word starting from the end of Psalm was “spear.” This interested me since it could have been a hidden celebration … Read more
This essay first considers how Shakespeare and his works impacted the English Language, exploring Middle English through to Modern English. Focusing on the Early Modern English period in which Shakespeare wrote his world-renowned plays. I decided to research Shakespeare due to his phenomenal popularity and reputation as one of the world’s most influenceable writers, as … Read more
When considering the representation of injustice in literature, Harper Lee in To Kill A Mockingbird presents an inquisitive protagonist that challenges the attitudes and values of a prejudiced society. In contrast, Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice explores a world where justice is dependent on social attitudes that are characterised by a deep-rooted fear and dislike … Read more
1. Introduction 1.2 Shakespeare as the Pioneer of Psychologically Shaping the Drama William Shakespeare can rightfully be called a pioneer of the art of psychologically shaping the drama. He created dramatic styles and forms that were entirely innovative for his time, and through his diverse innovations he effectuated a reformation of the drama, whose impacts … Read more
Paste your essay in here…As the story of Henry V concerns the war between England and France, the concept of nation and national identities is an important theme throughout the play. Not only are the English and the French depicted, Henry’s captains are used to represent the different nations that make up the British. It … Read more
In the Renaissance period, the Moor was considered a very particular race of people possessing visibly African features and dark skin, associated with depravity, and a lack of emotional intelligence due to their stereotyped uncontrollable sexual lust and overdrives. They were considered ‘other’ and essentially ‘other’ is all that the self was not. These notions … Read more
Of course, many will probably disagree with this assertion that Shakespeare was a fraud. Commonly understated arguments are overlooked and swept under the carpet seen as false and incorrect. With nearly 150 sonnets and 40 plays to his name, many accredit Shakespeare as one of the world’s greatest writers. But many people nicknamed “Anti-Stratfordians” “argue … Read more
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwriter, and actor. He was believed to be Britain’s best writer of all time. He was also often called Englands national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. Throughout his life, he was author of 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and several other poetical compositions. Some of his work today is … Read more
Jazmyne Charles Edwin English IV DC 14 February 2019 William Shakespeare was a writer of the 16th and 17th century. He began writing during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This was known as the Elizabethan Era. Despite her ruling, the roles of women in society were very keen as this was a time when women … Read more
Friendship is arguably one of the most essential aspects of humanity. Innately, humans more often than not seek comradery and companionship. Friendship is a focus of stories, crafting relatable feelings about these friendships. This is true of Shakespeare’s works, but most primarily with male friendships. Many of the male friendships in Shakespearean dramas play a … Read more
Shakespeare’s comedy, As You Like It, employs the use of disguises for the initial purpose of deception. While the trickery involved with identity bending and disguise in both cases is used for temporary gain, at the end of the play, the final outcome of such deceit leads to revelations of a higher truth. Thus, while … Read more
E.M.W. Tillyard wrote in his 1944 work entitled Shakespeare’s History Plays that ‘the Tudors, to suit their ends, encouraged their people to look on the events that led to their accession in a special way.’ The marriage of the houses of York and Lancaster which ended the period of civil strife known as the Wars … Read more
The 1866 Parliamentary Select Committee on Theatrical Licenses and Regulations imagined Shakespeare as a cultural figure who represented, above all, unity. He inhabited ‘a realm that transcended class, faction or self-interest’ whilst his works acted as ‘the foundation of English culture and the source of its authority’ (Schoch, 2007: 236). However, the role of Shakespeare … Read more
Paris is the one whose moral judgment and honour is most obviously impaired by passion. His main belief in the Trojan debate on the retention of Helen is clearly based on honour, as is plainly indicated by the terms of reference in his major speech (2.2.148-160): with ‘honourable’, ‘treason’, ‘disgrace’, ‘shame’, ‘base compulsion’, ‘degenerate’, ‘generous’, … Read more
Music is a form of art that can be found in all cultures, across all time periods. It plays a role of paramount importance in people’s daily lives. A world-renowned playwright, William Shakespeare, also values music. Born in 1564, Shakespeare has earned the world’s respect through his identity as an actor and a poet, but … Read more
In spite of the patriarchy, both Woolf and Shakespeare present characters which assume the role of servant and master. However, contrary to conventional views of marriage and female subservience, the women in these texts ascend gender hierarchy to dictate sexual politics. In Orlando, the protagonist is infantilised and intoxicated by the beguiling Queen Elizabeth I … Read more
William Shakespeare’s The Tempest is a remarkably sincere piece of elaborate theatrical artifice discussing the notion of power and control and its ramifications in distinct situations and scenarios. Encompassing a grand plot of usurpation, the play highlights the complexities of individuals that are products of Shakespeare’s context through form, setting, and meta-theatrical elements. The tragicomedy’s … Read more
A common motif that appears often throughout Renaissance literature is that of friendship-versus-love; this idea is presented in many Shakespeare plays that bring to light the contradictory ideas of the true victor between love and friendship. Unlike many other motifs throughout Shakespearean plays, the battle between love and friendship lies in the foundation of many … Read more
Shakespeare is without doubt the author of theater the most adapted to the cinema, either in faithful transpositions of its plays or in adaptations to other settings in time and space. The first question that opens this paper is: why does the Shakespearean drama transfer so easy to the screen? A possible answer to this … Read more
Throughout the myriad of characters in Shakespeare’s plays, he portrays very few that have women as the leading role of power and force due to social factors in society in the Early Modern Era. However, in few plays, Shakespeare bent these stigmas of society. One example is with his piece, As You Like It. The … Read more
Love and death are integral parts of human life because they are both common, yet complicated. While everyone falls in love and ultimately dies, there are stark differences in the way people feel, perceive or experience and hence, describe, love and death. William Shakespeare, the greatest English poet of all times, sums up his positive … Read more
“Both Shakespeare criticism and psychoanalytic theory,” as Philip Armstrong put it, “each of which owes more to the other than is generally admitted” (Armstrong 1). Each is a means by help of which we can glean new, deeper and more comprehensive insights into our nature, as human beings, both as individuals and societies at large. … Read more
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t” – an essay on Shakespeare’s use of madness. The Tragedies Of Shakespeare “Your noble son is mad – ‘Mad’ call I it, for to define true madness, What is’t but to be nothing else but mad?” (Wells and Taylor, 665) In Act two, scene two of … Read more
The many works written by William Shakespeare during his lifetime address within them a wide variety of themes and subjects, one of the most common of them being envy. Shakespeare’s portrayal of this theme was to be found in almost all of his works and especially within his famous plays, and most directly focused on … Read more
The human experience in literature encompasses themes about life and society that are relatable to readers. These themes can include a range of characters, situations, and motifs that illustrate the complexities of human nature and society. In particular, William Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice” uses a variety of themes and characters to exemplify the … Read more
Throughout history, perspectives on marriage have shifted extensively. At present, modern views on marriage have broken the pattern of a more traditional dynamic in which the man was portrayed as superior head of the household and the women was meant for cooking, bearing children, and submission to her husband. Married men and women are now … Read more
Throughout the years, many notable minds such as Mark Twain and Sigmund Freud have voiced their doubts about the playwright from Stratford-upon-Avon and the authorship of his 2 poems, 37 plays, and 154 sonnets. In recent years, speculation has only grown stronger about the authorship of the Bard’s work, with there being as many 70 … Read more
Have you ever been in love? It is horrible, because it makes you feel so vulnerable. All because one person walked into your life. You end up giving a piece of you. They did something like talk to you or kiss you, and now your life is not the same anymore. If that connection fades, … Read more
Shakespeare and Heaney both use semantic fields, figurative language and vivid imagery to present the theme of disillusionment. Hamlet appears to be disgusted at the light he now sees his mother in and Shakespeare creates a semantic field of repulsive words to express this. “takes off the rose / From the fair forehead of an … Read more
Aspen Lafever English 2030-08 Dr. Dugger 29 November 2016 The Enduring Themes Throughout Shakespeare’s Varying Works Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, and he is often called the English national poet and the greatest writer in the English language and is also considered by many to be the the greatest dramatist of … Read more
Paul Raffled and Gary Watt, described the Elizabethan time as an era where the ‘government was conducted and represented as theatre’ . The aforementioned quote questions the importance of being performative or acting in relation to leading a kingdom or to rule accordingly. Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, he illustrates that magistracy is more than the … Read more
Shakespeare – Section 1 – Part (a) “Discuss the following passage from Act 2 Scene 1, exploring Shakespeare’s use of language and dramatic effects” In the extract from Act 2 Scene 1, Shakespeare gives us some insight into the character of Angelo. We have found out that Claudio is to be killed due to … Read more
Throughout the books The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Black Boy by Richard Wright, Macbeth by William Shakespeare, and “The Kind of Light That Shines on Texas” by Reginald McKnight a common theme appeared and that was power is strong and present in tough situations and you need to … Read more
Shirley Bi SOC 125: Midterm 2 Dr. O May 30, 2018 Culture is a contagious process that is dynamic and is subjected to changes over time. Cultures vary among different societies based on the political, economic, religious and even geographical locations. The American culture, for instance, is different from the culture of the people … Read more
Paste yoEssay topic: Research essay on Shakespearean Theatre. 1. Introduction In this essay, I will investigate and analyse the biography and historical influence of William Shakespeare as well as the development of Elizabethan theatre and how he influenced it, lastly I will give a reflection following the elements of Macbeth and illustrate the research … Read more
Had Shakespeare been able to visit Maharashtra, he would have been delighted to find himself among people who have one thing in common with his countrymen- the love for drama. The people of Maharashtra love drama as much as the Britons do. There is, therefore, no surprise that Shakespeare has been widely read, enacted, translated, … Read more
Throughout time there has been the traditional rule that women must be submissive to their husbands and are expected to tend to the domestic responsibilities within the household. The Elizabethans had very clear expectations of what roles men and women had in society. In general men were expected to be the breadwinners and women to … Read more
Emma Kugelmass Mrs. McLaughlin CGI English 11 HH 30 November 2018 Ahead of His Time or Aptly Controversial? A Study of Shakespearean Social Normality Few writers are as essential to the canon of dramatic literature as Shakespeare. Today, his plays are taught all over the world in both small classrooms and massive lecture halls. … Read more
To be or not to be” is one of William Shakespeare’s most well-known quotes. It is in his famous play Hamlet, where a character contemplates suicide. Shakespeare had a unique writing style that was incredibly progressive for the English language. By using Iambic Pentameter, meaning each line had 10 symbols, words used would fit … Read more
In order to be able to analyse and explore the presentation of female actors in Shakespeare’s plays and their musical adaptations, it is important to first analyse the presentation of females in 1950s generally. The 1950s are seen as a period of conformity with traditional gender roles for men and women, but it was … Read more
Any reader is able to detect the mythological allegory in As You Like It. They are used to add aesthetic and serve as a clever way to foreshadow certain events and themes. In Act I Scene 3, Rosalind and Celia choose their disguises as they plan to flee the court. Rosalind chooses to disguise … Read more
Assessment: Task 2 ‘In tragedy he [Shakespeare] is always struggling after some occasion to be comic’ (Samuel Johnson). Discuss the blending of comedy and tragedy in two plays on this module. As Johnson suggests in his Preface to Shakespeare (Johnson, 2004), Shakespeare is always striving to be comic after ‘some occasion’ in his tragedies, … Read more
William Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece zooms in on the heavy issue of sexual assault through both internal and external lenses. As it nearly overflows with flowery diction and at times harrowing speech, some critics may be quick to accuse this poem of beautifying Lucrece’s trauma while simultaneously subduing her character. However, scrutinizing Shakespeare’s … Read more
Crossdressing in Shakespeare: The Performance of Gender “All the world’s a stage / And all the men and women merely players; / They have their exits and their entrances, / And one man in his time plays many parts” arguably one of William Shakespeare’s most famous lines and one that continues to ring true … Read more
“Henry IV Part I – Shakespeare”; Speaking specifically of Henry IV Part I Marjorie Garber claims that, "The play is full of complex correspondences between its characters as well as telling juxtapositions between several dramatic worlds" (317). King Henry and Falstaff are two characters in the play, in which Shakespeare has them working with … Read more
“Contribution to the development of the English language by William Shakespeare”; William Shakespeare tremendously contributed to the development of the English language through his work. He wrote poems, plays and acted in some of the plays. His works include King Lear, the Merchant of Venice among others. Through his work and life, a debate … Read more
‘What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?’ (John Steinbeck). John Steinbeck talks about how for a summer to be something special you need a winter to give summer its character. Oppositions give stories more emotion and character like winter gives summer its special quality that differs … Read more
Shakespeare Essay Question – In Henry V, he continues a theme which he has begun in Richard II i.e. what makes a good king?
This is a simple guide on how to answer shakespeare essay questions including samples of shakespeare questions.
When writing an essay on one of Shakespeare’s works, here are some important points to keep in mind:
By keeping these points in mind, you can write a well-structured and insightful essay on one of Shakespeare’s works.
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