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