Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare Essay â€Å"I am always directed by you† – Mariana â€Å"I am directed by you† – Isabella. Both these lines are addressed to the Duke. What do they suggest about women status in this play? What other evidence can you find to support your view? Measure for Measure is a play written by William Shakespeare in the seventeenth century which crucially presents the role of women. Women were viewed as pure and were not expected to be promiscuous, but dependent on men with few options or choices. Shakespeare’s interpretation of women in Measure for Measure very much reflects society’s opinion of women at the time, where men had more freedom and should be given more respect than women. The society at that time was a patriarchal one, where a male was a considered a God like figure and ultimately the leader, and below him was the king and then the nobles. However, although the society gave men more rights than women, Measure for Measure demonstrates that men also had more responsibilities. This is shown through the situation with Claudio and Juliet, as although they are both equally to blame for Juliets pregnancy, it is Claudio facing the death penalty. The women of Measure for Measure are generally quite low in the ranks of importance and respect; they are not spoken of with any importance. Juliet is the object of Claudios sexual release and Mariana is the long lost forgotten fiancee of Angelo, who was abandoned by him when she lost her dowry in a shipwreck. The only woman who kind of breaks the trend of the lowly women is Isabella, who has the courage to stand up to Angelo for her chastity. In the first half she is pushed between Angelo and Claudio while she decides what to do and refuses to respond Angelo’s advances, then in the second half, she takes her orders from the Duke which shows that on the other hand she is still obedient toward the Duke, following all of his instructions. In Act V, Scene 1, the Duke shows his opinion of women when talking to Mariana, he says: â€Å"Why, you are nothing then: neither maid, widow nor wife†. According to the Duke’s point of view, the other woman who truly is free is Mistress Overdone as she earns her own money and is able to get some freedom; at least she doesn’t have to stay at home cooking. The main female character in Measure for Measure is Isabella; she represents a very pure female character. This is first seen at the start of the play by the fact that she is training to become a nun and by the strong Christian values she appears to have. This is then emphasized later when she is told her brothers life will be saved if he agrees to sleep with Angelo. She refuses this offer, placing her chastity and her Christian values above her own life. This illustrates that a womans purity is highly valued, while a woman being promiscuous is not accepted. Mariana is another female character in the play and she is quite different to Isabella. None of these three men, Angelo, Claudio or the Duke, seem to think that her Choice matters- her body is to be bargained for whether for lust, life or love. When the duke asks Mariana to allow him a private discussion with Isabella, she replies, I am always bound to you, as if she is speaking to an old friend. And again, when the duke tells her he respects her, she answers that she knows it and has found it to be true, suggesting a long-term relationship. This statement also shows that she is his subject. The adjective bound means that she is obliged to do as he wishes and also compelled to do so. She uses the adverb always to him which shows that she will always follow his example and will do his will in any condition. Her absolute trust is manifested when she agrees to entrust her chastity as the Friar asks. In the Jacobean society Shakespeare lived in, women would have always done as they were bid by order of men, but especially if the order was given by a man of religion. These words show the absolute compliance that the Duke is able to gain through becoming a disguise (pseudo-)friar. The Duke abuses this religious power to gain insight into peoples souls for his own ends. He knows that Angelo wishes Isabella to give up the treasures of her body and uses the two women to gain more power over Angelo. The same applies to when Isabella says to the Duke, â€Å"I am directed by you†, this statement also shows how women respected men and how men were above in authority. As mentioned above, there are no independent women in Measure for Measure, this is not strange, considering the setting and Shakespeare’s own era; there are prostitutes and nuns who are given no chance to control their own lives most of all they seem to have no choice in any matter.

Lets Stop Glorifying Drugs in Music Videos Essay -- Argumentative Per

Let's Stop Glorifying Drugs in Music Videos The music industry and the glorification of drugs in music video's today have changed drastically on a higher level. Since the powerful influence of Hip-Hop and it's emergence into a worldwide culture, it has sweep through inner cites and suburban life styles impacting each and everyone of us. The Hip-Hop culture, not only as a form of free poetic expression (form of spoken word and poetry,) by young black African Americans but a true look into a way of life that many of us will never see or come in contact with. We see it everyday on MTV and BET, young artists speaking their minds about getting rich off criminal activities that seem to boost there popularity among generations of all ages. I'm not saying that this is all that these artists are capable of producing, many have verbal skills beyond that of any other normal human being. I feel that they are more important things to talk about and express other than "rolling up tree's and crack sales." In my own personal opinion this only makes you look and sound like a ... Let's Stop Glorifying Drugs in Music Videos Essay -- Argumentative Per Let's Stop Glorifying Drugs in Music Videos The music industry and the glorification of drugs in music video's today have changed drastically on a higher level. Since the powerful influence of Hip-Hop and it's emergence into a worldwide culture, it has sweep through inner cites and suburban life styles impacting each and everyone of us. The Hip-Hop culture, not only as a form of free poetic expression (form of spoken word and poetry,) by young black African Americans but a true look into a way of life that many of us will never see or come in contact with. We see it everyday on MTV and BET, young artists speaking their minds about getting rich off criminal activities that seem to boost there popularity among generations of all ages. I'm not saying that this is all that these artists are capable of producing, many have verbal skills beyond that of any other normal human being. I feel that they are more important things to talk about and express other than "rolling up tree's and crack sales." In my own personal opinion this only makes you look and sound like a ...

College Expectation Essay

I felt scared about moving to college, university or away from home for the first time. From a small community in the province to a city with a population of less than 2 million, everything changed. I came to college and had no idea what to expect. When I entered the school I have chosen, it seemed like I was in a new world with people I do not know. I walked around the campus and felt like I was this lost little freshman. FEU was not my 1st choice actually. I just had no choice. But my â€Å"tito† said, â€Å"it is not which school that matters, it is in you if you will study hard enough to reach your goals in life. † He was right, so I need to love the school I am destined to study at. College life is completely different from high school. I expected it to be harder. Well, my expectation was right. Everything is harder. My first semester here at college, I can say was a wake-up call. I had to learn to be very independent. I have never known what it was like to be that independent before. I have learned that I am capable of a lot of things that I never thought I was back then. My expectations for attending college: To get a good education that will help me to get my dream job. To learn to be independent and to live on my own. To meet new people. To be able to take care of myself.

Nineteen Eighty Four A Warning For The Future - 1123 Words

Rob Trapp Mr. Garland Novel Seminar 14 October 2015 Nineteen Eighty-Four: A Warning For The Future Nineteen Eighty-Four is a dystopian novel written by George Orwell in the late 40’s. At the time when Orwell started writing Nineteen Eighty-Four, WWII was just coming to an end. The late 40’s was also the start of the Cold War. The Cold war brought along much fear of communist governments, such as the Soviet Union, becoming a world power. Orwell was one of the people who feared a dictatorship coming to power. He wanted to warn the population of what could happen if a totalitarian government became a world power. In order to do such a thing, Orwell decided to write a book. The book he wrote was Nineteen Eighty-Four, it is based on what Orwell felt the world would become if the world were ruled by a totalitarian government. The writing of Nineteen Eighty-Four was influenced by dictatorships in the 1940’s. In the book Nineteen Eighty-Four, most people are monitored at all times by the government. The people of Oceania also have no choice in who will become their leader. This is called a totalitarian government. Totalitarian governments do not just exist in the book, they also exist in the real world. For example, The Soviet Union was a totalitarian government. Life in the Soviet Union was much like life in Oceania. Instead of Big Brother propaganda, Soviet Russia had Joseph Stalin propaganda (106). The Soviet Union used the same tactics in their propaganda. They wanted to letShow MoreRelatedA Rhetorical Analysis on Nineteen Eighty-Four1044 Words   |  5 PagesRunning Head: NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR Nineteen Eighty Four: A Critical Essay on Rhetoric Bereket Kifle Composition 12 Honors Abstract George Orwell employs the usage of different rhetoric throughout 1984.  Ã‚  The rhetoric differs from describing the human body and its struggle to survive to the different crimes and how the citizens felt about them.  Ã‚  Also, within  1984  lies a warning from Orwell: to eliminate the caustic consequences of a communist government.  Ã‚  While OrwellRead MoreComparing the Dystopian Elements in Suzenne Collins The Hunger Games and George Orwells 19841377 Words   |  6 PagesDiscuss in which ways and how far the dystopian elements in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games echo those in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four Dystopian literature adheres to certain conventions; the theme of a dystopian future typically encompasses a severely repressed society, with socio-political dysfunction and class stratification. 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This novel was composed to denounce Hitler?s Germany and Stalin?s Russia and to create a warning to the rest of the world. It takes the reader through a year in the life of Winston Smith as he transforms from a rebelRead More orwells political message to the world Essay1750 Words   |  7 Pages Many authors bring in the theme of politics into their work in order to make their creations more appealing and as a form of expressing their personal views. George Orwell’s â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-four† is a novel that contains many political messages to the world. Orwell felt that part of his role as a writer is to serve as a voice of conscience to our society by trying to express the truth as he saw it. 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