Papers Examples on Literature

Understanding Shakespeare’s Problematic Plays

In all of the Shakespeare criticism, the debate has centered around the problem plays. Kiernan Ryan says critics should either focus on the fact that these plays have ‘political implications inherently’ or use a deconstructive or psychoanalytical approach. Jonathon McLuskie, Kathleen McLuskie, and others have suggested that these plays were not in any way problematic. …

Analysis Of Life-based Play Death And The King’s Horseman

The Death and the King’s Horseman drama is based off a true story that occurred in Nigeria under British colonial control, when the authorities prevented the Horseman of the Yoruba King from committing a ritual suicide. Soyinka questions the Horseman about his own suicide fervour, which throws the community off balance. By analysing Soyinka’s play, …

Adrienne Rich’s Use Of Free Verse In “Diving Into The Wreck”

Adrienne Rich’s poem, “Diving Into the Wreck”, uses free verse to break away from the male-dominated literary tradition. Her poem addresses past literature’s role for women while expressing hope for the next generation. Rich’s reclamation to literary tradition is achieved by her choice and context. The poem’s opening lines set the tone for a difficult …

Laughing Bitterly At Poverty: Satire By J. Swift And J. Gay

Jonathan Swift, writer and satirist said that “satire…is a form of glass” wherein all eyes see the faces of everyone else (Swift). Swift mentions that such beholders use humor to express social and political problems. Swift’s satire A Modest Proposal is a combination of rhetoric, overt exaggeration, insincerity and humour to draw attention to the …

The Picture Of Gods And Religiosity In The Homer’s Iliad

Historians and critics have different opinions about Homer’s authenticity. The authenticity of The Iliad is often in dispute. Academic circles also sometimes question Shakespeare’s authorship. EV Rieu’s introduction reveals that Ilium was indeed present in modern-day Turkey. Although the Greeks may have actually occupied it, Rieu points out that Homer was not concerned about the …