year 2 English Literature assignment

Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organisations or between individuals and organisations. Given this definition, I can honestly say that I have never been betrayed. I however know of people who have been betrayed by close friends and family members. There was a situation where my best friend felt as if I had betrayed her n so we broke apart. It was a situation where she was thinking about doing something horrible and had told me about it. Being unable to keep it to myself, I ended up telling her mother. She got into some trouble and blamed me for it. She told me she felt as if she couldn't trust me anymore but after telling her why I did it she forgave me with the thought that I had only been looking out for her.


With the definition that was given above I can say that I have never in my life felt as if I had been betrayed but misunderstood the situation. 


In the various Shakespeare plays that I have studied, the characters usually resort to violence, trickery and evils because of greed, hate and jealousy. It is usually Shakespeare's idea to write that the characters in his plays are either jealous, greedy or really hate each other. For instance in the play 'Much Ado About Nothing', Don John was jealous of his own brother Don Pedro because of the fact that Don Pedro had gained all the wealth that could have been his too if only he had not been a bastards child. Because of the fact that he was jealous of his own brother, he did anything he could to make his brother suffer. In doing so, he ended up making other people suffer. He ended up tricking his brother and many other people into believing that a soon-to-be wife was having an affair on the night before she was to be married. In doing this, the bride was not only humiliated on her wedding day in front of all her family and friends, she was also wrongfully accused of being unfaithful. The bride suffered tremendously because of the jealousy, greed for power and the hate one brother had for the other.


The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare that was originally published in the First Folio of 1623. It is believed that The Winter's Tale was first written in the years between 1608 and 1612 and was first performed in 1610. The play came about because of the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603). These were the years in which Queen Elizabeth 1 reigned. It is often considered to be the Golden Age in English history because of the things that happened during this time. It was the height of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of poetry, music and literature. The era is most famous for theatre, as William Shakespeare and many others composed plays that broke free of England's past style of theatre. It was an age of exploration and expansion abroad, while back at home the Protestant Reformation became more acceptable to the people. The Elizabethan Era also marked the end of the period when England was a separate realm before its royal union with Scotland. 


The Elizabethan Theatre was the very first theatre in England. It is also known as the English Renaissance Theatre. The term "Elizabethan Theatre" properly covers the plays written and performed publicly in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1(1558-1603). Most of Shakespeare's plays were written in this theatre.



The Theatre of the Absurd came about as a result of World War ll. It is a theatrical style originating in France in the late 1940's. It relies heavily on existential philosophy and a category for plays at absurdist fiction. It expresses the belief that, in a god less universe, human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Theatre of the Absurd follows the concepts of existential philosophy. The theatrical style aims to show a world where man is born with only himself and nothing else (no God), and must earn his place in the metaphysical world.


William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who was baptised on the 26th of April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. His mother's name was Mary Arden and his father was John Shakespeare. At the young age of 18, Shakespeare married his wife Anne Hathaway and had three children, Susan, Juliet and Hamnet who died. Shakespeare was named England's National poet and Bard of Avon because of the many plays he wrote during his life. He was able to write 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems and other poems, all of which were published after his death, in 23 years. William Shakespeare produced most of his work between 1589 and 1613. On April 23rd 1616, William Shakespeare died at the age of 52 and was buried in the Chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death. He is remembered up to this day because of his many accomplishments. 

Comedies written by Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew.

Tragedies written by Shakespeare: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar.

Romance plays written by Shakespeare: The Tempest, Prince of Tyre, Pericles.

Elizabethan Theatre

Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organisations or between individuals and organisations. Given this definition, I can honestly say that I have never been betrayed. I however know of people who have been betrayed by close friends and family members. There was a situation where my best friend felt as if I had betrayed her n so we broke apart. It was a situation where she was thinking about doing something horrible and had told me about it. Being unable to keep it to myself, I ended up telling her mother. She got into some trouble and blamed me for it. She told me she felt as if she couldn't trust me anymore but after telling her why I did it she forgave me with the thought that I had only been looking out for her.


With the definition that was given above I can say that I have never in my life felt as if I had been betrayed but misunderstood the situation. 


In the various Shakespeare plays that I have studied, the characters usually resort to violence, trickery and evils because of greed, hate and jealousy. It is usually Shakespeare's idea to write that the characters in his plays are either jealous, greedy or really hate each other. For instance in the play 'Much Ado About Nothing', Don John was jealous of his own brother Don Pedro because of the fact that Don Pedro had gained all the wealth that could have been his too if only he had not been a bastards child. Because of the fact that he was jealous of his own brother, he did anything he could to make his brother suffer. In doing so, he ended up making other people suffer. He ended up tricking his brother and many other people into believing that a soon-to-be wife was having an affair on the night before she was to be married. In doing this, the bride was not only humiliated on her wedding day in front of all her family and friends, she was also wrongfully accused of being unfaithful. The bride suffered tremendously because of the jealousy, greed for power and the hate one brother had for the other.


The Winter's Tale is a play by William Shakespeare that was originally published in the First Folio of 1623. It is believed that The Winter's Tale was first written in the years between 1608 and 1612 and was first performed in 1610. The play came about because of the Elizabethan Era (1558-1603). These were the years in which Queen Elizabeth 1 reigned. It is often considered to be the Golden Age in English history because of the things that happened during this time. It was the height of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of poetry, music and literature. The era is most famous for theatre, as William Shakespeare and many others composed plays that broke free of England's past style of theatre. It was an age of exploration and expansion abroad, while back at home the Protestant Reformation became more acceptable to the people. The Elizabethan Era also marked the end of the period when England was a separate realm before its royal union with Scotland. 


The Elizabethan Theatre was the very first theatre in England. It is also known as the English Renaissance Theatre. The term "Elizabethan Theatre" properly covers the plays written and performed publicly in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1(1558-1603). Most of Shakespeare's plays were written in this theatre.



The Theatre of the Absurd came about as a result of World War ll. It is a theatrical style originating in France in the late 1940's. It relies heavily on existential philosophy and a category for plays at absurdist fiction. It expresses the belief that, in a god less universe, human existence has no meaning or purpose and therefore all communication breaks down. Theatre of the Absurd follows the concepts of existential philosophy. The theatrical style aims to show a world where man is born with only himself and nothing else (no God), and must earn his place in the metaphysical world.


William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who was baptised on the 26th of April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in England. His mother's name was Mary Arden and his father was John Shakespeare. At the young age of 18, Shakespeare married his wife Anne Hathaway and had three children, Susan, Juliet and Hamnet who died. Shakespeare was named England's National poet and Bard of Avon because of the many plays he wrote during his life. He was able to write 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems and other poems, all of which were published after his death, in 23 years. William Shakespeare produced most of his work between 1589 and 1613. On April 23rd 1616, William Shakespeare died at the age of 52 and was buried in the Chancel of the Holy Trinity Church two days after his death. He is remembered up to this day because of his many accomplishments. 

Comedies written by Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew.

Tragedies written by Shakespeare: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar.

Romance plays written by Shakespeare: The Tempest, Prince of Tyre, Pericles.

Elizabethan Theatre

Does Dogberry and his constables provide humor in Much Ado About Nothing?

        For a drama to be a comedy, it has to have some sort of humor in it.  One may ask what humor is.  Well according to Wikipedia, humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement.  The question is asked as to whether or not Dogberry and his constables provide humor.  Well in looking at the definition of humor, it can be seen that both Dogberry and his constables provide humor in the book Much Ado About Nothing.  I, however after having read the book and watched the movie fail to see much humor from these men.  Instead of being humorous, I saw these men as a group of dump men with the dumbest being Dogberry himself.
        For instance, in Act 3, Scene 3 when they chose the men that were going to be the watches for the night and Dogberry is explaining their roles to them, he says "if you meet a thief, you may suspect him, by virtue of your office, to be no true man: and for such kind of men, the less you meddle or make with them, why the more is for your honesty."  He then goes on to say "Truly by your office you may, but I think they that touch pitch will be defil'd: the most peaceable way for you, if you do take a thief, is, to let him show himself what he is, and steal out of your company."  This happens to be quite stupid.  To me, he is trying to say that because these men are constables and watches they should be able to spot a thief.  Nobody can suspect a thief because anybody can be a thief.  He then says that they shouldn't trouble these people but to be sure that they are really thieves, they should allow them (thieves) to steal from them (the watches).  Only a dumb person would give advice such as this.  This was obviously suppose to be funny but in truth it only showed how dumb these men were.
         Another part in the book which proves that Dogberry and his constables do not provide humor but that these men are actually dumb is in Act 3, Scene 3 lines 15-18 where Dogberry says "God hath blessd you with a good name: to be a well-favored man, is the gift of Fortune, but to write and read, comes by nature.  This is a pretty dumb way to put things.  Its not humorous at all.  'Well-favored' means handsome and so in all he is saying that 'to be a handsome man is a gift of Fortune, but to write and read, comes by nature.  Do you find this funny? I doubt that you do.  It seems rather dumb that a constable would say such things, since to be a handsome man is a gift of nature and to be able to read and write is a gift of fortune.  Someone is fortunate that they are able to read and write, it is not a gift of nature.  Once again showing how dumb these men were.
        In concluding this essay, it can be said that Shakespeare's idea to write the characters in such a way was to make the play humorous.  This may have had a positive effect on some people but as for me, I don't think that they were humorous.  I saw them as a dumb group of men who did and say the things they did, not really to make us laugh but because they knew not how to do what they did without seeming dumb.