65 Answered Questions for the topic William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare Literature

06/12/19

Looking for an essay comparing Beethoven to Hamlet?
I read an essay in school--I think a survey course on British literature--that compared the music of Beethoven to the soliloquies of Hamlet; the essay said that Beethoven's music is "spoken"... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Much Ado About Nothing

06/12/19

Watchman characters in Much Ado About Nothing?
Are the "first watchman" and "watchman" in *Much Ado About Nothing* actually the same character, or are they different? As Shakespeare doesn't pay much attention to minor characters, I couldn't... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Symbolism The Tempest

06/06/19

Origin of symbolic interpretation of Prospero's breaking of his staff?
At the end of *The Tempest*, which is generally believed to be the last plays that Shakesepare wrote alone, Prospero breaks his staff and drowns his book. This has often been read as Shakespeare... more
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06/06/19

Comparison between beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing and Offred of The Handmaids tale?
> Compare and contrast the way Offred in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Beatrice in William Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing view romantic love. Discuss 2 similarities and 2... more
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06/05/19

Are there earlier incidences than Merchant of Venice of an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other?
In [act 2, scene 2 of *The Merchant of Venice*](http://shakespeare.mit.edu/merchant/merchant.2.2.html), Launcelot Gobbo is conflicted regarding whether to run from Shylock, or continue working for... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Realism Measure For Measure

06/05/19

Did Shakespeare's audience believe Measure for Measure to be realistic?
In the play _Measure for Measure_ Vincentio, the Duke of Vienna, leaves his city in the charge of a judge while he goes on a "diplomatic mission". It transpires that he has not, in fact, left the... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Hamlet

06/05/19

Was the sealed letter ordering Hamlet's death a Biblical reference?
Is the sealed letter that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern carry that orders Hamlet's execution a deliberate reference to the Biblical [King David](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David) having [Uriah... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Hamlet Meaning

06/05/19

The meaning of "The rest is silence" in "Hamlet"?
Hamlet's very last words are > The rest is silence. What do they actually mean? This being Shakespeare, I reckon the significance of these words cannot be only the banal comparison between... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Hamlet Meaning

05/23/19

What does the line “Excellent, i' faith, of the chameleon's dish. I eat the air, promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons so.” mean, from Hamlet?
> “Excellent, i' faith, of the chameleon's dish. I eat the air, promise-crammed. You cannot feed capons so.” <sub>*Hamlet*, act 3, scene 2</sub> What does this sentence mean? What... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Romeo And Juliet

05/22/19

What is the benefit in the Prologue "spoiling" the play in Romeo + Juliet?
In the Act 1 Prologue to the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare > Two households, both alike in dignity, > In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, >From ancient grudge break... more
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05/16/19

Benvolio and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet?
What do the characters of Benvolio and Mercutio in *Romeo and Juliet* symbolize, if anything? Mercutio's character mainly provides jokes, and then, in his hot-headedness, is slain by Tybalt.... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Twelfth Night

05/13/19

What does the Malvolio subplot add to Twelfth Night?
Most of Shakespeare's comedy *Twelfth Night* is about the group of main characters Viola, Sebastian, Orsino, and Olivia, and the affections requited and unrequited between them. But there's also a... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Loves Labours Lost

05/12/19

What does Holofernes deer epitaph from Love's Labour's Lost mean?
I find it a bit hard to understand this epitaph of the deer in *Love's Labour's Lost*. > The preyful princess pierced and prick'd a pretty pleasing pricket; > Some say a sore; but not a... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Meter

05/07/19

Were all of Shakespeare's plays fully in iambic pentameter?
Were the plays within The Complete Works of Shakespeare entirely in iambic pentameter? I seem to recall singing bits (when there were lyrics) from Twelfth Night and definitely from Much Ado About... more
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William Shakespeare Literature The Merchant Of Venice

05/06/19

In the 1983 adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, why doesn't Portia know Jessica's name?
The 1983 National Theater production of The Merchant of Venice has an interesting take on a moment in act 3 scene 4. According to Shakespeare's script, Portia is giving Lorenzo instructions, and in... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Poetry Venus And Adonis

05/06/19

Does Shakespeare steer the reader's sympathy towards Venus or towards Adonis?
In the narrative poem [*Venus and Adonis*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_and_Adonis_(Shakespeare_poem)), Shakespeare reuses a story from Ovid's *Metamorphoses* (which he often used as a... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Othello

05/06/19

Why didn't it occur to Othello that Iago might be upset about being passed over for the promotion?
The entire storyline of *Othello* is precipitated by Iago's resentment over being passed over for a promotion in favor of Cassio. That being said, why doesn't it seem to occur to Othello that Iago... more
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William Shakespeare Literature The Taming Of The Shrew

05/04/19

Why was it necessary to have the page dress up as a woman?
In the beginning of *The Taming of the Shrew*, the Lord has his page dress up as a woman: >Sirrah, you go get Bartholomew, my page, And dress him in all suits like a lady. That done, escort... more
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05/02/19

What does a dog barking at a crow signify?
In *[Much ado about nothing](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing)* by William Shakespeare, Act 1 Scene 1, Beatrice declares to Benedick >'I had rather hear my dog bark at a... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Symbolism The Winters Tale

04/27/19

What's the symbolism of the flowers in The Winter's Tale?
In Act IV, Scene IV of *The Winter's Tale*, Perdita is "mistress o' the feast", playing hostess at the sheep-shearing feast, when King Polixenes and Camillo arrive in disguise. Perdita gives them... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Wording Choice

04/24/19

Comparing frequency of word use across Shakespeare's plays?
There are numerous concordances that list all of the words, and their frequency of use within each of Shakespeare's plays. However, I am interested in the presence and frequency of use of words... more
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William Shakespeare Literature

04/24/19

How did Theseus woo Hippolyta by doing her injuries?
In *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, Theseus tells Hippolyta: > THESEUS: > Hippolyta, I woo'd thee with my sword And won thy love doing thee injuries, But I will wed thee in another key, With... more
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William Shakespeare Literature

04/23/19

Did Shakespeare write his own stage directions?
It's [well known](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare's_plays#Shakespeare_and_the_textual_problem) that Shakespeare had no part in publishing the text of his own plays - indeed, many of them... more
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04/20/19

Was Shakespeare a religious fanatic?
In the play *The Merchant of Venice*, Shylock is pretty much disdained and humiliated only because he was a Jew. His thirst for revenge against Antonio is fuelled by the fact that Antonio... more
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William Shakespeare Literature Richard Ii

04/20/19

In the Hollow Crown speech, what does the line "Cover your heads" imply?
In the "hollow crown" speech in *Richard II*, there is a line with the words "Cover your heads". I need a paraphrase for this line. What does Shakespeare imply by this line in the context of this... more
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